Right to Remain has today joined 137 organisations and groups in calling for an immediate suspension of immigration reporting conditions due to risks posed by far-right activity targeting migrants.

A joint letter, which you can read below, has been sent to the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper.

Earlier this week, Right to Remain launched a call for the suspension of all in-person immigration reporting and appointments, on account of the overwhelming fear of violent racist attacks in our communities. There was an immediate response from the community, from groups and organisations wanting to help. So with our friends in the Solidarity Knows No Borders network and the Abolish Reporting campaign, we quickly gathered signatures for this urgent letter to the Home Secretary.

The letter was sent by 137 frontline advice organisations, charities, law centres, and grassroots community groups—and includes groups based in Scotland, Wales, and every region of England.

There is NO justification for requiring immigration bail reporting conditions to continue in light of the present risks of violence and harm to persons reporting.

Letter to the Home Secretary, 8 August 2024

Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP
Secretary of State for the Home Office

Rt Hon Seema Malhotra MP
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Migration and Citizenship

8 August 2024

Dear Home Secretary, 

Urgent: Immediate Suspension of Immigration Bail Reporting Conditions

We request that you immediately suspend all immigration bail reporting conditions. 

We are groups located across the UK, led by and providing support to migrants subject to immigration bail reporting conditions. We are gravely concerned about high risks to the safety and welfare of migrants and the wider public as a result of continuing in-person immigration reporting during the ongoing escalation of nationwide far-right violence targeting migrant and racialised communities. 

In line with the Government’s duty of care for the health and safety of reporting persons, all immigration bail reporting conditions should be immediately suspended. Similarly, appropriate security measures should be taken to safeguard those who have scheduled biometrics appointments at reporting centres. People should receive clear and accurate notification of any rescheduling of necessary appointments.   

Individuals subject to immigration bail reporting conditions must attend Home Office reporting centres at set dates and times. Many have to travel long distances to and from reporting appointments, often via transit routes requiring long wait times in isolated places, and may do so alone, increasing their vulnerability.  

During the present escalation of far-right violence against migrants, racialised people and Muslims—which has included the targeting of specific locations such as immigration reporting centres, asylum accommodation hotels, and legal firms and community organisations working with migrants—a continuation of immigration bail reporting conditions constitutes a serious risk of both mental and physical harm.

In ordinary circumstances, immigration bail reporting conditions are physically exhausting or painful for individuals with physical disabilities and distressing, particularly for those with mental health conditions. Many people reporting are asylum seekers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and/or other serious mental health conditions. Requiring them to continue to report during a period of heightened risk of violence, fear and intimidation is already having a grave impact on people’s mental health. The harmful impact of reporting for immigration bail on vulnerable groups is set out in the report by Migrants Organise, which is enclosed with this letter. This impact is exacerbated during the present state of heightened risk.

There is no justification for requiring immigration bail reporting conditions to continue in light of the present risks of violence and harm to persons reporting. 

Available data indicates that the rate of absconding has consistently been in the single digits, below 5%. The current Home Office policy is also clear that telephone reporting should be the main form of reporting. Any public interest in managing the risk of individuals absconding is thus  far outweighed by the serious risks to safety, health and wellbeing that individuals will be exposed to. Such a decision therefore would be irrational, and likely to be in breach of government’s duties under Article 2 (right to life), Article 3 (right against inhuman and degrading treatment) and Article 8 (right to private life) of the European Convention of Human Rights, as well as duties under Equality Act 2010.

Please confirm that you will be immediately suspending immigration bail reporting conditions by no later than 4pm Tuesday 13 August 2024. Please provide confirmation by email. 

Yours sincerely,  

Abolish Reporting Liverpool
Abolish Reporting London
Abolish Reporting Manchester
Abolish Reporting Sheffield
ACH
Action for Refugees in Lewisham
After Exploitation
All African Women’s Group
Anti Raids Sheffield
Asha North Staffordshire
Asylum Aid
Asylum Link Merseyside
Asylum Matters
Asylum Welcome
Anti Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit (ATLEU)
Bail for Immigration Detainees
Better Bilingual
Bhatt Murphy
Birch Network
Bradford Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Survivors Service
Bristol Defend Asylum Seekers Campaign
Bristol Hospitality Network
Bristol Law Centre
Bristol Refugee Rights
Bristol Reporting Solidarity
Campaign Against Anti-Muslim Hate
Care 4 Calais
Care4Calais Sheffield
Causeway (UK)
Citizens Advice Sheffield
Citizens Advice Staffordshire North and Stoke-on-Trent
City of Sanctuary Sheffield
Coalition of Latin Americans in the UK
Cornwall Refugee Resource Network
Coventry Asylum and Refugee Action Group (CARAG)
Cyfoeth Y Coed
Devon and Cornwall Refugee Support
ENTRAIDE
Evesham Vale Welcomes Refugees
Friends of the Drop In for Asylum Seekers and Refugees (FODI)
Fresh Grassroots Rainbow Community
George Rosenberg Law Ltd
Global Women Against Deportations
Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (GARAS)
Govan Community Project
Gower College Swansea
Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU)
Haringey Migrant Support Centre
Haringey Welcome
Hay, Brecon and Talgarth Sanctuary for Refugees
Helen Bamber Foundation
Hope Project
Humans of Wolverhampton
Humber All Nations Alliance (HANA)
Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation
Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants
Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI)
Jesuit Refugee Service UK
Journey LGBT+ Asylum Group
Jubilee for Climate
Julian House
Kashmir International
Latin American House
Law Centres Network
Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network (LRMN)
Liverpool Law Clinic
Medact Migrant Solidarity Group
Medact Sheffield
Merseyside Solidarity Knows No Borders
Migrants Organise
National AIDS Trust
New Citizen’s Gateway
North Derbyshire Refugee Support Group
Oasis Church
Out in Cov
POMOC Direct Services
Portsmouth City of Sanctuary (PCoS)
Public Interest Law Centre
Rainbow Haven
Rainbow Migration
RAPAR
RAS Voice Manchester
Refugee Action
Refugee Action Kingston
Refugee Council
Refugee Legal Support
Refugee Women of Bristol
Refugee, Asylum Seeker and Migrant Action
RefYouMe
Resistance Kitchen
Restore, a project of Birmingham Churches Together
Revoke CIC
Right to Remain
Room to Heal
Samphire – Post-Detention Support Project
Sante Refugee Mental Health Access Project
Savana
Seraphus
Sheffield Radical Mutual Aid
Six Ways Erdington Baptist Church
Solidarity Knows No Borders Yorkshire
South London Refugee Association (SLRA)
South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group (SYMAAG)
Southeast and East Asian Women’s Association (SEEAWA)
Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers
St Augustine’s Centre, Halifax
St Chad’s Sanctuary
Stafford Welcomes Refugees
Staffordshire North & Stoke-on-Trent Citizens Advice
Stand and Be Counted Theatre
Stand Up to Racism
Stand Up to Racism Calderdale
Stand Up to Racism Greater Manchester
Stand Up to Racism Sheffield
Stories of Hope and Home
Student Action for Refugees
Swansea City of Sanctuary – Reporting Support Swansea
These Walls Must Fall
Unison Manchester
University Hospitals Birmingham
University of London Refugee Law Clinic
Vauxhall Law Centre
Voice of Voiceless Immigration Detainees Yorkshire (VVIDY)
Voices in Exile
Waltham Forest Migrant Action (WFMA)
We Got to Move
Welsh Refugee Council
Wilson Solicitors LLP
Wolverhampton City of Sanctuary
Women Against Rape
Women Asylum Seekers Together (WAST) Manchester
Women for Refugee Women
Women of Colour/Global Women Strike
WTB Solicitors LLP