On Thursday 11 January, we hosted our first Knowledge is Power workshop session of the year. It has now been a year and a half since we first launched this successful series!

We were joined by individuals in the asylum system and participants from a range of organisations across the UK. Here’s an insight into some of the feedback we received:

What happened in the workshop?

After introducing Right to Remain and These Walls Must Fall, Esther gave participants a tour of our resources. It is important that participants of our workshops leave with an understanding of our mission, and our resources. 

We shared our Toolkit, the Asylum Navigation Board, and the Young Asylum Guide. 

The Toolkit was used by almost a third of a million people last year, and is regularly used by hundreds of groups across the UK, who stand in solidarity with people going through the UK’s asylum and immigration systems. It is a living resource, which is informed by the needs of our community.

After introducing our key resources, Yumna embarked on a deep dive into the stages of the asylum process. This involved an interactive exercise where participants worked together to place the stages of the asylum process in order. We explained the Inadmissibility Rules (and how they don’t work as they are intended to, but still cause much fear), and the Streamlined Asylum Processing Questionnaire.

We agreed that delay was applicable at every stage: with delays now happening at all stages of the process, from waiting for a substantive interview, to waiting for an asylum decision.

Our next interactive activity outlined the definitions of legal advice and legal support, before participants split into groups to put this knowledge into action. 

Understanding the difference between legal advice and legal support is so important in the current context of the legal aid crisis. There are fewer lawyers than ever, and lawyers who are working in the field are often incredibly over stretched. This means that many people will have to navigate the asylum and immigration systems without the help of a lawyer. In response, we need to take power into our own hands by expanding our ability to perform vital legal support.

What is the aim of our Knowledge is Power workshops?

We want to give people the skills and confidence to use and share the Toolkit, in order to help people to be in a better position. This is one of the reasons why our Knowledge is Power workshops are so vital. 

It was heartening to see that participants’ confidence in the topics covered had increased by the end of the session. This increased confidence forms the basis of solidarity and legal support. We must all become Toolkit users, who share the Toolkit with people who need it.

Thank you to all those who attended this Knowledge is Power workshop! If you would like to continue to receive information about the date of our next Knowledge is Power workshop, as well as legal updates, and general Right to Remain news, you can sign up to our newsletter by clicking the button below.