Unusually for Right to Remain, we were invited to be ‘charity partners’ at two fundraising events this winter.  Away from our regular crowds of people familiar with our work, these events gave us something to think about – how do we live our lives when we want to shrink away from the world?

The first event was a Winter Social, hosted by Green Rider and Climate Spring. Green Rider is a movement of actors, agents and producers shifting the TV & film industry towards a fairer and healthier way of working. Climate Spring champions the power of storytelling to transform our cultural response to the climate crisis. 

On the day, we found ourselves in an unfamiliar environment of fancy lights, comfortable looking sofas, people drinking from shiny glasses – very different from community centres and buildings where we normally host our events! It was a night of comedy, music, spoken word and DJs, held in a lovely venue hidden in the middle of busy, festive London. 

We were asked to say a few words about our work as the night began. The audience was entirely unfamiliar with Right to Remain, but we saw a sea of friendly smiles and encouraging nods as we introduced Right to Remain. We also felt a deep sense of sadness: that our community could not feel the warmth of these strangers. 

We shared stories about our wins – people gaining confidence and finding strength to survive.  Our campaigning to get people released from immigration detention, and seeing the same people turning into unstoppable campaigners. We shared with the audience how our community’s solidarity lifts us up. How we live for the joys of win. And that this is what keeps us going. 

The second event was Sounds of Solidarity night, with the ticket sale profits going to Palestinian Youth Movement, Refugee Biryani and Banana and Green and Black Cross. This time, in a hip event space in south London, we spoke again about our wins – but also about the importance of everyday solidarity – compassion, care, understanding and generosity – when so many people in the UK are deeply frightened about their future, because of their immigration status. 

Of course we are very grateful for the vital funds we were able to raise through these events. But what mattered most was the connections we were able to forge through sharing our stories of solidarity. One person, who works in an industry far from our refugee and migration sector said ‘Fighting for social good is hard. It is complicated too. It’s important to be in the same space with other people who are also fighting for a better world – so that we can carry on.’ 

Our words also resonated with people who do hold but perhaps guard their experience of migration in this hostile world. One person came to the merch stall to tell us that they are an exiled refugee, that they felt seen as we shared our wins as well as the violence and the trauma our community experiences because of border regimes. They wanted to tell us that they are now safe, and we just hugged each other. Another person said their parents’ are refugees and their family now feels unsure about their place in the UK, despite having lived here for many years. When they approached our stall and started speaking to us, it was almost as if they could no longer contain their emotions – they all started by saying ‘I just wanted to tell you…’. The way they welled up with tears as they spoke and their tense bodies visibly relaxing after they spoke – is it because they don’t usually feel safe enough to share their stories to reveal  who they are and claim their space in the world? 

Every year is a hard year for refugee and migrant communities. This year, it has been heartwrenchingly tough. The threats of violence against our communities have inevitably turned us inwards, shrinking away from interacting with strangers. The government’s devastating hostile policies are designed to undermine the safety and protection our community desperately needs. To name but a few: – a huge spike in immigration enforcement – raids, detention and deportation; changes to the settlement rules of Indefinite Leave to Remain; closure of the refugee family resettlement route. They all undermine our community’s sense of belonging and future. They also make us doubt whether human connections are possible. 

Making connections, even when we want to shrink away, is possible. It is in fact our duty to do so, because this is how we energise each other to ensure our survival. Audre Lorde said, you become strong by doing the things that you need to be strong. For our community, existence itself is a form of resistance. And it takes strengths to exist. We find those strengths in connections. 

We would like to send a huge thank you to Green Rider, Climate Spring and Sounds of Solidarity for the opportunities to introduce our work and our community to the wider audience. We are also grateful for the opportunities that allowed us to make connections, plant more seeds for solidarity and nurture our shared humanity. 

Please consider making a donation. Every purchase made helps to fund our vital legal education and community organising work into 2026 and beyond. Let’s build knowledge, radical solidarity and power for migration justice!

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