Refugee charities call for an end to ‘hostile politics’ in open letter to PM

QARN signed this letter

7 April 2025: Together With Refugees: Refugee charities call for an end to ‘hostile politics’ in open letter to PM

Dear Prime Minister

You told us this week that immigration ‘is a basic question of fairness’. We agree. But the searing experiences of last summer, when hate-filled mobs tried to burn down hotels hosting asylum seekers, make it clear that the path to fairness is not to be found in those pitting local communities against refugees seeking safety from persecution and war. 

We know that 80% of British people want an asylum system that is fair, compassionate and well managed. In our daily work we see communities across the country going the extra mile to welcome refugees – opening their homes, volunteering, speaking up, and donating. Refugees enrich our country as our neighbours, friends and colleagues.  

That’s why the fair and right thing to do is create a new vision for asylum in this country, with a fair new plan for refugees. We welcome the important changes your government has made – from scrapping the Rwanda scheme to ending the indefinite detention of refugee children, but we need a plan that goes further, with:

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QARN Leaflets: Download them here

6 April 2025 – updated QARN leaflets:

  • Immigration Detention: April 2025
  • About QARN: April 2025
  • Countering Myths: April 2025

Also below:

  • What do Quakers hope for, after the 2024 General Election?
  • Britain’s Hostile Environment – 2023
  • Excessive fees applications for Leave to Remain in the UK _ April 2020
  • Immigration Removals and Deportation _ May 2019
  • Language matters: challenging the language of asylum and migration_ 2018

You can download the leaflets from this page by clicking on the links below. Please feel free to share these, and print off your own copies.

We thank George Sfougaras for the use of his artwork

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QARN next meetings

QARN meetings: next planned meeting dates: 5 July 2025 – this will also be our AGM on Zoom and in person at Harrogate Quaker Meeting House 12a Queen Parade, Harrogate, HG1 5PP;

and 18 October; and 10 January 2026.

We usually meet quarterly using Zoom and all Quakers are welcome. We plan to start at 10.30am to manage the technical aspects of a Zoom meeting, falling quiet at around 10.45am, and beginning business at 11am; and we aim to end around 12.30pm. The meeting link will  be available to those who receive our emails, but for other people, please contact us via info@qarn.org.uk giving your name, and the Quaker Meeting to which you are attached. Thank you.

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Micro Rainbow

5 April 2025: We were joined at our meeting today by our speaker Moud Goba from the amazing organisation Micro Rainbow, and some members of Quaker Rainbow.

Vision​: Micro Rainbow’s vision is to create a world where lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) people are safe, free from discrimination, persecution and have equal opportunities in life, including in accessing employment, training, financial services and housing.

Mission: Micro Rainbow’s mission is to create opportunities for LGBTQI people to fulfil their potential in life and create innovative models for social change that are sustainable, scalable and replicable.

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