Roza’s blog: Migrant Voice 15th Anniversary Conference

Roza’s blog: Migrant Voice 15th Anniversary Conference

As the new Human Rights Participation Officer for Human Rights Consortium Scotland, I was pleased to be invited to attend and speak at Migrant Voice’s recent conference in London. The conference marked their 15th anniversary of supporting migrant communities and providing a platform for migrant voices. The theme of the conference was to build the foundation for change.

From my discussions with other migrants, it was clear that the narrative around migration needs to change. Migrants have built this country, and they should not be weaponised for political gain. As we have seen, toxic rhetoric and the scapegoating of migrants have fuelled dangerous violence and riots. Across Europe, far-right movements are strengthening, while mainstream parties move towards more restrictive border and immigration policies, undermining rights and worsening the situation for migrants through the hostile environment they foster. For example, the UK Government recently announced a ban on refugees being granted British citizenship. The Government has continually failed to offer safe routes for people claiming asylum, forcing migrants to embark on dangerous journeys to reach the UK, only to discover that they are not welcome upon arrival. This ban on citizenship punishes migrant communities and makes integration much harder.

Key discussion points from the conference focused on the representation of migrants in the media and political narratives.

Throughout the conference, extensive discussions took place around migrant rights and how we can influence decision-makers and policymakers to understand individuals’ stories. For example, the rights of migrant workers. The current government is charging extortionate visa fees for the ability to work, and the visa systems in place create exploitation and precariousness throughout migrant communities.

There was a strong presence at the conference of migrants who have been excluded from justice. For example, the TOEIC scandal (international students falsely accused of cheating on English language tests) and how campaigners have overcome challenges to achieve justice. Many students had to fight their own individual cases after being accused of cheating, despite having complied with the test requirements. These students were refused their visas and told they needed to leave the country. The only way they could appeal was from outside the UK. However, anyone familiar with the immigration system knows that there is no such thing as an appeal from outside the country, and once a person had left, they were not allowed to re-enter. Nonetheless, these students wanted to clear their names and reputations. Many sought to do so in order to apply for student visas in other countries. They did not want to be associated with cheating, as they had done nothing wrong and there was no evidence against them. Through campaigning, individuals managed to obtain leave to remain and have this adverse record removed from their immigration history.

In summary, the conference was a great opportunity to meet other campaigners and organisations doing important work in the UK and across Europe. It was also extremely valuable to learn from other countries, such as Greece, and how they have managed a pathway to regularisation.

Roza Salih, Human Rights Participation Officer