Enver Solomon 🧡
@EnverSol
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CEO @refugeecouncil . Ex CEO @justforkidslaw . Passionate about social justice. Proud Mancunian and internationalist. Tweeting in a personal capacity
London
Joined October 2010
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Last Seen Profiles
Pinned Tweet
My
@guardian
opinion piece: ‘The Rwanda bill has passed, but the Rwanda plan will go down in the history of British policymaking as an Alice in Wonderland adventure that was both absurd and inhumane’
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The
@guardian
and
@ObserverUK
investigation yesterday revealed appalling neglect of children who come to the UK alone seeking safety. We
@refugeecouncil
will be calling for urgent action to be taken to keep them safe
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My
@guardian
comment piece: This is a watershed moment as legislation passes that slams our door in the face of refugees seeking safety in the UK. Councils will be left to pick up the pieces as vulnerable people vanish into the margins of society.
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My
@guardian
comment piece: “Standing up for treating people seeking asylum with decency, …respecting their rights and giving them a fair hearing is about standing up for both the nation we want to be and the values we want to hold on to”
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It was a real pleasure and honour to meet Duke of Cambridge
@KensingtonRoyal
yesterday in Leeds where he spoke with Afghan families we
@refugeecouncil
are working with. His real interest and concern for their plight shone through.
Local authorities, hotels, community organisations and charities such as the
@refugeecouncil
are working together to ensure Afghan refugees are properly welcomed, and receive the help they need to rebuild their lives here in the UK.
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My comment piece in
@guardian
: UK asylum seekers sent to Rwanda? That takes punishment of fellow humans to a new level. There are far better ways to create a fair, humane and orderly system. Thanks to
@alexander_betts
for his wise input.
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My
@Daily_Express
comment on govt plans to send people seeking asylum to Rwanda: it won’t act as a deterrence, cause great harm and be very expensive. A shameful act of cruelty that will fail.
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Listening to
@Mo_Farah
on
@BBCr4today
. Such bravery and incredible trauma. Let’s remember there are many children who make terrifying journeys to the UK in search of safety who are exploited and then the hostile asylum system fails to treat them as victims or even as children.
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Wow! This isn’t just about me but the incredible staff team
@refugeecouncil
Leadership is about building brilliant teams and I wouldn’t have won this if it wasn’t for the great people I work with!
✨And last but not least - Our final award of the night is the Charity Leader of the Year - Sponsored by
@evelynpartners
Our winner is...Enver Solomon,
@refugeecouncil
- congratulations!
#CharityTimesAwards
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@pritipatel
in
@thetimes
yesterday said critics if Rwanda deportation deal don’t have solutions. Myself and
@alexander_betts
respond setting out workable options that don’t treat people as human cargo with a price tag
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Read this thread to know how
@ukhomeoffice
tried to rebut our
@refugeecouncil
report out today on the truth about channel crossings with blatantly inaccurate information. We will not be put off or intimidated by govt spin and misinformation seeking to rubbish what we say.
🧵 Today we publish a report showing that the majority of those men, women and children who cross the Channel on small boats would be granted asylum in the UK because they are fleeing war and persecution. Here’s how the Home Office tried to rubbish our report last night….
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On
@BBCBreakfast
this morn I explained why new legislation to be introduced by the government this week will result in tens of thousands of refugees who would have been granted asylum in the UK being locked up in detention treated as criminals. Appalling. It won’t stop the boats.
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A must read today : my
@guardian
comment piece setting out how situation in Manston is of the government’s own making.
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My lead letter in today’s
@thetimes
calling on the ‘fundamentally flawed’ Rwanda policy and how the ‘Refugee Convention has saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, regardless of how they have reached our shores, who have gone on to make huge contributions..’
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My response to govt latest legislative crackdown on refugees: it will be chaotic, costly and cause untold human misery.
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I also had a v clear message to
@CommonsHomeAffs
‘We have an international convention, the UN Convention on Refugees, we should be using it to grant people safety immediately in the UK if they choose to come here fleeing the bloodshed in Ukraine. It’s as simple as that’
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Really important analysis out today from
@refugeecouncil
team showing the appalling consequences of govt plans to ban asylum. Make sure you read it. Coverage also in
@thetimes
@dailytelegraph
and on
@BBCNews
radio this morn
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My letter with
@sundersays
in today’s
@thetimes
saying how Rwanda deportation plans not only goes against the UN Convention of refugees but is unBritish in contrast to how refugees have been welcomed and contributed to our country. As
@Jesse_Norman
MP said yesterday it is ‘ugly’.
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In
@thetimes
I say for generations we have people given a hearing on UK soil… Offshore processing is an act of cruel and brutal hostility towards vulnerable people who through no fault of their own have had to flee war, oppression and terror.
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We
@refugeecouncil
will publishing a full analysis of the impact of the government’s draconian plans later this week.
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This is an unworkable, costly and nasty piece of legislation. It treats refuges like criminals and suspected terrorists and puts the UK alongside the likes of Russia and Belarus as countries who show no respect for international law. It’s not who we are or who we want to be. It
Here’s the long title of the new asylum bill on tomorrow’s order paper. That really is a very long long title. This is not going to be a short bill.
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The state is failing in its legal duty to be a corporate parent to vulnerable child refugees and failing to care for them. It is a consequence of political choices and decisions that this government has made. It doesn’t and shouldn’t have to be like this.
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“The right to seek asylum and the duty of the global community together to protect refugees has been politically degraded in this country when it should be a positive source of pride.”
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@refugeecouncil
releases new data today in the appalling asylum backlog. A third waiting up to 3 yrs and nearly one in ten up to 5 years. Clearing the backlog is vital and would make a real difference to the lives of those we work with.
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This is a big strategic legal victory. V proud
@refugeecouncil
were involved in the case working with
@instalaw
@DoughtyStPublic
@shushinluh
@A_C_Benfield
and acting as litigant friends for the young people.
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..the judge said one faced an existence “which was in many ways wretched, particularly for a young child who went without on many occasions” and in another suffered “very saddening circumstances” ….and the children became “lethargic” and “visibly thinner”
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Our
@refugeecouncil
report out today exposes life in the asylum system: ‘The huge increase in the number of families ..stuck between the four walls of a hotel room, from morning till night, is the brutal reality of a broken system.’
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Pleased to have been on
@BBCr4today
just before 0700 putting the record straight on Albanians coming across the channel and why the Rwanda scheme is so wrong.
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You can listen today at 1.10
@BBCRadio4
or on
@BBCSounds
So heartening to have the audience applauding so strongly in support of refugees
Listen back to our CEO
@EnverSol
on Any Questions here. A key topic discussed was the new asylum Bill, and Enver pointed out that most of the people in small boats are men, women and children escaping terror and persecution from countries like Afghanistan, Iran and Syria.
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As I set out in my evidence to
@CommonsHomeAffs
yesterday Govt still pushing ahead with Rwanda plans despite the current political turmoil. 50 migrants set for next flight to Rwanda ‘including children’
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My
@guardian
comment piece: We harness ‘this moment to rethink our approach as a country to all refugees, to strengthen our commitment to refugee rights rather than weaken it.'
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My Guardian comment piece on Rwanda: ‘A country that seeks to abandon compassion is in very bleak territory.’
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CEO of Gt Yarmouth council tells
@BBCr4today
Govt not joining up or consulting with councils to find housing for people coming across the channel seeking asylum. Indeed. And it’s been going on for over a year as I wrote in my
@guardian
comment
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Creating ‘hostile’ environment for asylum seekers does not deter migrants according to HO research. Indeed! That’s why the govt’s obsession with pull factors is a nonsense.
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My interview on sky news earlier this morning emphasising that govt needs to quickly put in place the resettlement scheme for Afghans.
Chief Exec of the Refugee Council Enver Solomon calls on the govt to bring forward the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, adding "unbelievably here we are four months after the fall of Kabul and that programme still hasn't been announced".
#KayBurley
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On
@BBCr4today
this morn
@bbcnickrobinson
rightly asked me how do we reach across the divide with govt in responding to channel crossings. My answer: focus on compassion and fairness, the values extolled by
@RishiSunak
when he became PM
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70 years ago the UK signed the Refugee Convention. We gave our commitment to protect people fleeing war and persecution. Since then it has saved so many people’s lives. That’s something we can all be proud of and must protect now and for the future.
The Refugee Convention is 70 years old today
#UNHCR70
!
For 70 years the UK has provided safety to people fleeing war & persecution.
It's
#WhoWeAre
and it is as important today as it was 70 years ago.
Watch and share to show you stand
#TogetherWithRefugees
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My new
@guardian
comment piece: The hostile environment is entrenched on an even more disturbing level with refugees seen as second-class human beings without rights: a faceless sub-class of humanity labelled “illegals”.
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‘Jafar Khan, 26, who has tried to make the crossing several times…. after fleeing from the Taliban in Afghanistan, has made it into the water on two occasions but had to be rescued by the French coastguard’ We must welcome all Afghans like Jafar.
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The hostile environment, demonising men, women and children who come to our country escaping war and terror, othering people who come from outside our communities, using the language of ‘invasion’…it creates division and hatred. Our political leaders must stand against it
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It’s an honour and privilege to be taking on this role. Very much looking forward to building on the achievements of
@MauriceAWren
, working with staff, colleagues across the sector and all those committed to fighting for refugee rights.
We are delighted to announce that
@EnverSol
has been appointed to the role of Chief Executive of the Refugee Council, and will take up this position in December 2020. Full statement here:
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Today we launch
#TogetherWithRefugees
- an alliance of 100 plus organisations calling for a kinder, fairer approach to supporting refugees. I’m proud
@RefugeeCouncil
has helped unite our movement to speak w/ one voice w/ refugees at front & centre.
#WhoWeAre
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My response in the Times + Telegraph to latest govt cruelty to refugees: It’s treating people as mere objects rather than vulnerable men women and children who should always be shown compassion and humanity. This is not who we are as a country nor the Britain we aspire to be.
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My
@Guardian
comment piece on the govt’s new immigration bill: Competence, compassion and control are needed instead of cruelty, cold-heartedness and ineptitude.
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My
@Daily_Express
comment piece yesterday: using former military sites and prisons do not provide any serious, workable solutions…they won’t act as a deterrence. Instead we should be providing accommodation which treats people with humanity, dignity and compassion..
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My
@Daily_Express
comment from yesterday. ‘The Home Office’s own analysis has shown that the creation of a hostile environment simply doesn’t work.. it is possible to combine compassion, competence and control by creating a fair and humane system.’
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Revealed: child refugees will be detained or deported under small boats plan. We
@refugeecouncil
worked hard to get this set out in today’s
@ObserverUK
and
@thetimes
(S Times)
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‘Teachers aren’t racist’... er....really?That’s not the experience of the young people we work with
@Justforkidslaw
It’s time to recognise the racism that exists in our education system
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Lord Alf Dubs interview in yesterday’s
@thetimes
is well worth a read. He says of the desire to “keep people out” of Britain: “These are not British values. We have a proud history of compassion.”
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My
@guardian
piece: “As government ramps up its rhetoric against people seeking asylum, we must not forget there are other ways to navigate what is undoubtedly a global challenge. Instead, the UK is resorting to divisive, unfair and inhumane laws…”
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40
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If our new Home Sec
@SuellaBraverman
has her way this young person fleeing Afghanistan who has been granted asylum having arrived in the back of a lorry and helped by
@aflintoff11
would not be allowed to seek safety in the UK.
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Remembering in Dover this eve the 27 men women and children who lost their lives in the channel a week ago. V pleased to have been invited to speak by
@samphire_
together with the Mayor of Dover Cllr Gordon Cowen who passionately spoke of our moral duty to welcome all refugees
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Next week
@refugeecouncil
will publish new analysis on channel crossings that shows people are refugees in need of safety and nearly 2/3 will rightly get permission to stay in UK.
@BBCMarkEaston
trailed it Fri across
@BBCNews
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Our
@refugeecouncil
analysis out today also in
@thetimes
showing the govt borders bill could criminalise and imprison 19,000 people seeking safety in the UK each year at a cost of close to £1billion
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My
@guardian
comment: Those onboard the Bibby Stockholm brave enough to speak out have said they feel like “victims of a game” played by politicians. It is a game that has appalling human consequences. We should never forget that.
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My
@guardian
comment: The prime minster promised a response to match this terrible crisis. So far his words have rung hollow. And the borders bill shows just how cruel this govt is.
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Myself and
@refugeecouncil
patron
@AlfDubs
in
@thetimes
letters today: It is singularly disappointing to see the home secretary resort to dangerous rhetoric rather than take meaningful steps to address the current situation
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We
@refugeecouncil
have written to the speaker of
@HouseofCommons
about MPs naming hotels used for people seeking asylum. As
@DianaJohnsonMP
says:disclosing the names of individual hotels will only serve to put them at greater risk.
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@refugeecouncil
has led a letter from 40+ charities calling for inquiry into what happened at the Manston centre including
@savechildrenuk
@RESCUEorg
@chooselove
@RefugeeAction
@RunnymedeTrust
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Day 1 closing in of being at the helm of
@refugeecouncil
. So excited to be inpost and so honoured to be leading such an important organisation. Very much looking to working with colleagues and those passionate about the refugee cause.
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If there is one thing you do this week - watch and share this 👇🏼
Right now a cruel bill that seeks to turn people fleeing for their lives from war & persecution into criminals is progressing through Parliament.
Help us spread the word – please like and share.
#NotACriminal
#TogetherWithRefugees
🧡
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“To treat vulnerable men, women and children who have put their lives at risk to reach safety in the UK as criminals is not only a huge waste of taxpayers’ money but also a brutal, cruel and cold-hearted response by this government.”
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Govt was told by officials a year ago that Home Office analysis predicted that in 2022 up to 60,000 people would cross the Channel seeking asylum in Britain. It failed to take any meaningful action to cut the backlog of 100,000 cases so that the asylum system was not clogged up.
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Our
@refugeecouncil
important new analysis out today on channel crossings and the illegal migration act.
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@carlenefirmin
has genuinely made an incredible contribution to safeguarding knowledge and practice. She is also such a great person to work with.
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Great to have been on
@BBCNewsnight
this eve saying govt has put control above compassion by insisting Ukrainian refugees go through complex visa process and worse still it’s Borders Bill will criminalise those Ukrainians who arrive without prior authorisation.
We need to waive visas so that people can come to the UK more quickly. There could be humanitarian visas
@EnverSol
says. He's absolutely right.
#Newsnight
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Well done
@LewishamCouncil
council. We
@refugeecouncil
are proud to be working with you. Let’s hope many other councils follow in your footsteps.
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Just been on
@bbc5live
breakfast show explaining that if govt had let the backlog in asylum decisions balloon to over 150,000 they wouldn’t have to use hundreds of hotels. It’s a mess of govt own making causing misery to many vulnerable people
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Evidence from our frontline work
@refugeecouncil
in hotels has shocked and disturbed me since I took over as CEO end of last year...
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Together with Baroness Philippa Stroud CEO
@LegatumInst
I have penned this piece in
@thetimes
calling for a new approach to refugees that is about fairness, dignity, safety and opportunity.
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"There is a real risk that in the long term 70-80% of criminal legal aid firms will disappear, leaving vast areas of the country with no legal aid criminal defence solicitors available to represent people in either police stations or in court."
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My
@timesredbox
comment piece today sets out clearly why
@RishiSunak
plan to introduce new laws to stop channel
@crossings
won’t work and goes against British values.
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These children are not a serious threat to the public but are victims of exploitation, abuse and traumatic upbringings. A different approach is needed rather than resorting to incarceration Big rise in number of children held in custody before trial
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Our
@refugeecouncil
call today on govt to put in place plans for safe passage for Palestinians who want to reach UK and others affected by the conflict. With
@safepassageuk
@DOTW_UK
@HelenBamber
@CityofSanctuary
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My
@Daily_Express
comment this morning. We need to stop the boats but not by demonising people seeking safety, imprisoning them and throwing them on a plane without a fair hearing.
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@JustinWelby
Xmas day sermon focuses on channel crossings and people seeking asylum. He rightly calls on the government to introduce a “better system based on safety, compassion, justice and co-operation across frontiers”.
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Today
@refugeecouncil
we publish a really important report revealing how refugee children are at risk of abuse and neglect because hasty, woeful decision-making routinely mistakes them for adults. Read it and retweet.
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I have written to the PM asking him to correct his wholly incorrect statement to
@HouseofCommons
liaison committee this week about
@refugeecouncil
view of his government’s Rwanda policy 👇🏼
On Tuesday, PM Rishi Sunak told MPs we believed the Rwanda policy would deter people from crossing the channel in small boats.
This isn't true.
We have said the asylum bill will leave tens of thousands of people in limbo.
We've written to him asking him to correct the record.
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If you missed
@BBCNewsnight
yesterday eve I suggest you watch it.
@lewis_goodall
and
@davidgrossman
excellent thoughtful reporting on channel crossings, refugees and asylum followed by myself in discussion with
@maitlis
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I applaud HO for welcoming refugees from camps where people have been displaced by war and terror but it's wrong to slam our door in the face of those who can't get here by safe routes. We must not differentiate between deserving and undeserving refugees. It's cruel and unjust.
🇬🇧 This is why we're fixing the UK's asylum system with our New Plan for Immigration ⤵️
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My letter in today’s Guardian: ‘Global Britain should be a beacon of compassion and humanity in the world’
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The justification that Ukrainians arriving in the UK need visas so they don't end up like the Windrush generation is a nonsense. As I said to
@ameliagentleman
“it seems to smack of a degree of desperation”.
@ColinYeo1
says “It doesn't compute”.
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The full unedited text of the letter
@refugeecouncil
coordinated with 50+ orgs in today’s
@thetimes
. It calls for ‘a well-resourced initiative, working with councils across the country to welcome Ukrainians who need sanctuary.’
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Am delighted to have been appointed. Such an inspirational and dynamic organisation
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V important that children’s charities are speaking out on this.
@refugeecouncil
signed the letter with many of those I have previously worked with/for
@childrensociety
@Childrenengland
@article_39
@CRAE_official
@Justforkidslaw
@barnardos
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‘…..ah, the irony of sending migrants to a country so adept at creating refugees. In a recent massacre, which went barely reported in the British media, 131 villagers were summarily executed by M23 fighters’. (M23 is Rwandan govt funded armed group).
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A decade on and the hostile environment has evolved hugely but politicians and others from across the political spectrum question whether it has achieved its stated objectives. Critics point to its devastating human cost.
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@Daily_Express
yesterday had a comment piece from me on the Channel tragedy. Our message: More enforcement and deterrence won’t work. It will only lead to more tragedies. It’s time for an approach that provides safe routes and is about compassion not just control.
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This is a truly fantastic job leading an incredible organisation that achieves real change day in day out and punches well above its weight. Please spread the word to those who could be it’s next CEO.
We are looking for a passionate, inclusive and emotionally aware CEO who has a strong track record in developing organisations. Crucially they will have a passion for justice and holistic support for young people. Find out more here:
@prospect_us
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Am looking forward to being on the panel this evening live from Birmingham
Join me on BBC R4 Any Questions this evening 8pm or tomorrow 1.10pm with
@EnverSol
@Alison_McGovern
@CPhilpOfficial
hosted by
@AlexForsythBBC
Could be spicy 💥
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So proud of all we have achieved
@Justforkidslaw
. It’s been a huge privilege leading a great team and taking forward such a wonderful organisation that will always remain very close to my heart.
We hosted a lovely farewell lunch with our outgoing CEO
@EnverSol
over Zoom, with our team sharing warm reflections, fond memories, laughs, and even a self-written poem! We wish him all the best as he moves on to lead the
@refugeecouncil
as their new CEO at the end of the year.
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My comment in today’s
@Daily_Express
: The Govt’s Borders Bill would criminalise Ukrainians simply for not having the right documentation. Let’s stand by the refugee convention and do it quickly.
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This is a positive move but it’s only a very small step in the right direction. All people seeking asylum should be able to work
#lifttheban
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‘There is a Windrush parallel here. If there were white men, women and children in the crowds, being shoved and pushed around, I think we’d have been very quick in getting them to safety’ says the brilliant and inspirational
@sabir_zazai
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Priti Patel told the Home Affairs Committee the current policy was "thoroughly inadequate". It’s not just inadequate it’s causing real harm to many thousands of people. And it can be easily fixed: house them in the community and let them work.
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Govt should and could be waiving visas for all Ukrainians, granting them refugee status with full rights + entitlements, ensuring v traumatised women and children get all the support they need from services and skilled caseworkers as well as harnessing the power of communities.
Details regarding the Government’s new ‘Homes for
#Ukraine
Scheme’ have now been revealed. See our full response here:
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