In August, the Labour Government announced their intention to ramp up immigration enforcement. We think this means more raids, more detention and more deportations – and we need to be ready.
As well as turning our focus to fighting against immigration detention, Right to Remain is now visiting different parts of the UK to explore what knowledge is needed in our communities, what radical solidarity could mean in this context and what we should be doing now to build our communities’ collective power.
On Wednesday 6 November, we will be in Birmingham city centre, from 5pm to 8pm, to pilot our (mini) detention workshop, hold space for discussing deportations and think with our communities.
We will be inviting local speakers with experience of challenging enforcement. Please see speaker bios below for more information:
Speakers
Steph Neville supports people seeking sanctuary through two Birmingham-based charities, Birch Network and Stories of Hope and Home. Earlier this year she was actively involved in helping coordinate the West Midlands response to the government’s plan to detain and deport people to send to Rwanda.
Virginia – I am an asylum seeker though I have refused to be defined by these two words. I am a campaigner for myself and others and believe in dignity and justice for all. I also believe in the power of solidarity with like minded people in opposing and advocating for rights for all especially marginalised people, asylum seekers, refugees and LGBTQ people. Being the voice of those who are rarely heard and countering the negative narrative portrayed by politicians and media.
Salman Mirza has been a local activist and trade unionist for over 30 years, and has been practicing immigration and asylum law for over 20 years, currently at Brushstrokes. He has led several successful campaigns winning people the right to stay in the UK.
Gee Manoharan is the Co-Director at the Association of Visitors To Immigration Detainees (AVID), which is a national network of visitor groups to immigration detention. Gee has personal experience of being detained in the UK. After his release, he set up a visitor group to reach out to others inside.
Would you like to join us? The event is free, and we welcome groups from across the West Midlands. Sign up using the form below.
I will attend the ceremony to experience other people’s knowledge and the experience of people who leave the fair as their status leads them to be vulnerable in society.