Statement on misleading political and media rhetoric

In an ever increasingly hostile environment surrounding migrants, and violence erupting on the streets of the UK as a result of it, we are deeply concerned by some of the rhetoric and policy suggestions being put forward in the media at present.

Whether about EU citizens getting student loans, suggestions that late applications for the EU Settlement Scheme should be denied, or talk about denying social housing to foreign nationals the language and reporting is intensely misleading.

There are good reasons why some EU citizens are still having late applications for the EUSS processed.In particular for students, late applications are allowed for children where parents did not apply for status for them, often because they were unaware of the need. What those targeting students now are doing is claiming that people with every right to remain in the UK, every right to study, who have lived here since childhood, should be denied those very rights which they were promised under the Withdrawal Agreement. 

The very reason that the Home Office allows for late applications is in an attempt to prevent another catastrophic repeat of the Windrush scandal. Just as with those affected by Windrush, many EU citizens were unaware of the shifting legal environment while they just went on with their lives. They only realise when a trigger life event occurs, such as a hospital admission, a change of job, or a border officer telling them they can't come back into the UK. 

Social housing is predicated on need, and meeting key criteria, yet it is made out that somehow migrants are “jumping a queue”, not to mention that making more than 200,000 people homeless would be devastating for local authorities as well as those directly affected.

There is a “debate” about migration in the UK. We do not think much of that debate is legitimate or useful for anyone. If there is to be a debate though it needs to be based on facts, not soundbite politics. When people make misleading claims they should be challenged rather than uncritically quoted. When they make out of context statements, the public should be informed of the reality.

The reality for many migrants is that we are ignored in this debate. Evidence is ignored and facts are skewed in order to blame us for wider issues, issues which are unrelated to immigration. We need politicians and the media to be honest, otherwise the divisions we are seeing at the moment will only increase, and more people will suffer as the hostility against us continues to turn violent.