On Wednesday 26 November, more than 70 of us came together on Zoom for our Radical Solidarity Hub meeting; Labour’s proposed changes to asylum protection. The purpose of the meeting was to take a closer look at the Government’s recently announced plans on asylum and migration, and hear from our community members on how these plans are affecting them. 

On 17 November 2025, the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood laid out a series of proposed changes to the asylum and immigration system that would make life even harder for people seeking safety in the UK. These plans, outlined in the Government’s paper ‘Restoring Order and Control’, are an attack on our communities and put them at significant risk. Like the previous Labour policies, the paper focuses on enforcement rather than addressing the route causes of why people are forced to seek protection in this country. 

There is a lot we don’t know about how these proposed changes will operate in practice. Some may never be implemented, and others may change as they pass through Parliament or face legal challenges. 

However it is crucial to understand what the consequences of these changes could be for our community, how they are feeling, and how those of us in solidarity roles can best be there to stand with our community and prepare collectively.

Therefore in our Radical Solidarity Hub meeting, we created space to hear directly from those who would be impacted, to stand in solidarity, and to share what we know so far. Partner organisations also joined us to contribute updates and insight.

We began with a summary of the proposed changes from Rivka at GMIAU, drawing on their excellent blog analysis: Changes to the UK asylum system: What we know so far. Rivka acknowledged how difficult it has been to explain the breadth of the announcement, noting that, like many similar and previous Labour headline-grabbing policy changes, the suggested changes are unworkable in practice. This does not detract from the fear, confusion and anxiety the announcement has had on our community, and so we dedicated the rest of the meeting to hearing from those voices. 

Right to Remain’s organiser Maggy spoke about the importance of coming together in moments like this, and of taking action where we can. We heard from two of our lived-experience campaigners, Josephine Sipiwe Jenje-Mudimbu and Mama Rudo, who shared openly about how these proposals make them feel and the fears they raise. Josephine said: 

“We are trapped in a cruel system, stripped of dignity, detained in harsh conditions, and carry a lifetime of scars and mental health challenges. Families are torn apart and forced to live in endless separation. Refugees will be forced to wait more than 15 years for recognition, meaning their lives are suspended in limbo. This is not protection, this is punishment. To our allies, we need you to stand with us. Fight for us to be treated with dignity. ”

We then heard from Mr Panyika Karimanzira, a human rights activist who works with the Restoration of Human Rights Zimbabwe, and who was once a trustee of Right to Remain. He supports many people who arrived in the UK through the Health and Care Visa route, and spoke about the uncertainty they are now facing. He also emphasised that migration has been a normal part of human behaviour for centuries, and argued that the government routinely scapegoats asylum seekers and migrants for problems of its own making.

Finally, Zrinka from Migrants Organise reflected on their recent blog post: Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, and Why This ‘New’ Copycat Immigration Policy is Going To Fail. She highlighted the importance of deep-roots organising, grounded in trusted relationships and in bringing more people into the community. By preparing in this way and building strong organising foundations now, local community cells will already be in place should we face a worst-case scenario under Labour’s proposed changes, or, even more concerning, a Reform government.

We ended the meeting by sharing our three key messages:

1. We will do this together 

We are all fighting the same fight, and despite the Hostile Environment trying to break us apart, we must stand firm together in radical solidarity 

2. Stay informed and keep informing each other 

We have no idea how these proposed changes will operate in practice, or whether they will even become law. It is important we stay informed of the most recent developments and changes in information, and update each other, and most importantly our communities, where we can. 

3. Time to build a bigger tent

The proposed changes will affect our community’s ability to survive. We need to expand our community of care and radical solidarity by networking widely to bring more allies into the sphere of migration justice.