Right to Remain is busy preparing for the National Day of Solidarity to End Immigration Detention on 18 October 2025.

Every day, thousands of people are routinely detained in immigration detention centers across the UK, in prison-like conditions simply because they don’t have a right passport or visa, or for seeking safety. Held time limits and without knowing when they will be released, detained people face isolation, trauma, and severe harm to their mental health. This system is cruel, unnecessary, and must end.

Yet, instead of shutting these centres down, the UK government is expanding the detention estate. The government is also planning to carry out more immigration raids, detention and deportations that rip apart our communities.

We must come together to stop detention expansion, end immigration detention and build an alternative world of care and safety. We must act now. Together, we can dismantle these walls.

On 18 October 2025, join the National Day of Solidarity to End Immigration Detention. Across the UK, communities will come together to stand in solidarity with people harmed by the immigration system and to demand an end to detention.

Who is organising this?

Right to Remain, These Walls Must Fall and No To Hassockfield Campaign are co-organising the day. This builds on the annual demonstration to shut down Hassockfield that we co-led last year.

We are already in touch with some groups who are organising a coach to the annual demonstration outside Hassockfield (Derwentside) Detention Centre. Other groups are planning to host a local solidarity event on the same day.

On 16 September, we held an online rally to prepare for the day of action in a months time. Our organiser, Maggy, opened the meeting by explaining why this demonstration is so vital for communities with lived experience of the asylum and immigration system. Within our campaign group These Walls Must Fall, many members have been detained themselves and spoke of the lasting harm it causes. Regardless of how long someone is held, or how long ago it happened, detention leaves behind deep fear, confusion, and trauma.

We then heard from Lamin, the brother of our community member Fatou, who was detained earlier this year after attending a routine reporting appointment. Lamin spoke powerfully about his sister Fatou’s experience at the hands of the Home Office, who deliberately create an environment so traumatising and disorienting that people are left vulnerable and silenced. His message was clear: join the fight against inhumane detention and stand up for the rights and dignity of our communities.

The rally continued with a panel discussion featuring Stella Shyanguya from Beyond Detention, Max Farrar, co-secretary of the #RememberOluwale charity in Leeds, and our own These Walls Must Fall campaigner, Vengai Mutsawu of ROHR Zimbabwe. The panel focused on deeply personal reflections and lived experiences of detention. Max shared insights from decades of work in education, law, and activism, as well as from his recent book Big Flame: New Movements, New Politics. He articulated how the present Hostile Environment is embedded in the long history of imperialism. Stella spoke rawly and with grace about the enduring impact of detention, describing how it continues to affect every part of her life; work, family, and friendships. She also demonstrated how people do survive and thrive, despite the time robbed by immigration detention. Ven described detention as ‘a violent system that traps people who are fleeing from another violent system’. He spoke about the trauma detention causes, how the entire system has to go, highlighting the importance of our collective fight for justice and dignity that centre marginalised voices.

To ensure we are connected well and build our power together, we are planning to:

• Organise a pre-demonstration safety briefing (online) in early October.
• Organise a post-demonstration debriefing session (online) after the National Day of Solidarity.

Right to Remain and These Walls Must Fall will also continue to host Solidarity Sessions on detention and deportation in selected locations in 2025/26. So far, we held sessions in Birmingham, Nottingham, Sheffield, Newcastle and Manchester.

Why now?

Detention is growing – The UK government is reopening some centres, despite evidence that immigration detention is ineffective, inhumane, and disproportionately harms people who are placed in a vulnerable position, such as women, survivors of trafficking, and those with serious health conditions. We need to voice our opposition to detention expansion loudly and call for an end to this practice.

Lived-experience leads the way – People who have survived detention are leading the fight to end it. By standing alongside them, we amplify their demands and increase pressure for lasting change.

We can win – Community power works. Together, we’ve already forced the closure of detention centres in the past. Let’s keep going until we abolish them all.

How can we get involved?

There are a number of ways you can get involved. Below are some examples.

Join the demo at Hassockfield (Derwentside) – We will gather outside Hassockfield detention centre in Durham, one of the most visible symbols of the UK’s inhumane detention system. Led by people with lived experience of immigration detention, this demonstration will send a powerful message: No to Hassockfield! No more detention! No more walls! Right to Remain is organising coaches from Manchester, Liverpool, Durham, Newcastle and Sunderland. SYMAAG are organising coaches from Sheffield. Please email SYMAAG directly for more information.

Organise a local solidarity event – If you can’t make it to Durham, host an event in your community. Hold a vigil, a teach-in, a banner drop, or a creative action to raise awareness and show that people across the UK reject the expansion of detention and build solidarity.

Lobby local MPs – We can all speak to our local MPs and demand that they speak out against detention expansion and against the Hostile Environment.

Donate – To support organising efforts by local grassroots groups and help cover costs for those directly affected by the Hostile Environment to take part in action.

Spread the word – Share our message online using #TheseWallsMustFall, #EndDetention, #NoOneIsIllegal, #SetHerFree. Amplify the voices of those directly impacted and call on decision-makers to shut down detention centres for good. Share and display our beautiful flyers at your events and meetings.

Next Steps

1. Fill in this google form to register actions – If you haven’t already, please fill out the Google form to register your interest in taking action on the day. This is our current way of keeping track of plans across the UK and helping connect people where possible. If you’d prefer not to complete the form but would still like to be in touch, feel free to email us at esther@righttoremain.org.uk.

2. Coaches – If you’re planning to organise a coach from your region, feel free to let us know so we can help spread the word. Right to Remain will be organising coaches from Manchester and Liverpool. Maybe you and your friends want to organise one from your area? Use the Google form above and let us know.

3. Flyers and graphics – If you’d like printed flyers sent to you, let us know. We also have an A4 leaflet about the National Day of Solidarity which you can download from here. Additional open-source graphics will be available to download from our website in the coming week. Feel free to use and share them widely.

4. Upcoming dates – Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 16 September at 7pm. This will be an online rally to re-energise and share updates on planned actions.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please get in touch at esther@righttoremain.org.uk and/or No2hassockfield@outlook.com. Earlier the better! 

Together, we can tear down these walls and create a future where no one is locked up for seeking safety.

In solidarity, as always.

Right to Remain Team

PS – You can download our leaflet too!