Follow up Sanctuary in Parliament!

After the successful Sanctuary in Parliament, described as a “wonderful event” by MP Stuart C McDonald, there is still time for the whole network and our thousands of supporters to engage their MPs with the 3 crucial campaigns around the right to work, family reunion and a time limit for detention.

There is growing cross-party support for these 3 policy changes which will make a real difference to the lives of those seeking sanctuary, to their well-being and taking us closer to a fairer system, a more humane system and one that does not waste lives and talents but appreciates the gifts that people seeking sanctuary bring to the UK.

The Immigration Bill has not yet been published, and when it is, our supporters in Parliament will be mobilising to insert key amendments and clauses and sanctuary supporters like you need to be mobilising their MPs to vote for these.

The time is now, there is more hope than ever before for change, but we need thousands of people to write to their MPs and to continue to write to them on these important issues. Liz Kendall, Leicester West MP, told her constituents at the Sanctuary in Parliament meeting that MPs need to hear from their constituents, they need to be flooded with emails on these issues and that they need to know that there is real public support behind improving the human rights of people seeking sanctuary.

There is certainly good support amongst MPs, particularly the 39 MPs and peers who attended the event and those who spoke in the panel debate. We now need to mobilise as many MPs as possible behind these reforms.

Tim Farron who participated in the MP and expert by experience panel debate at Sanctuary in Parliament said we need to “win these arguments and we need to win them wisely”.  He reiterated “This is winnable” and pleaded with everybody that we think about the language we used when taking these issues to our MPs.

Here are some key documents to help you and the template letter to write to your MP. But you need not use this template, you can use the policy briefings to help guide you with the arguments or you can speak from your heart. The important thing is to write to your MP now and keep writing and getting your friends and family to write and mobilising your network of supporters to write. The time is now, the momentum is building and your role is vital to success.

Sanctuary in Parliament 2018_ Quick Policy Guide

Sanctuary in Parliament 2018_ Policy Briefing

Template letter to your MP regarding follow up SiP

Sanctuary in Parliament 2018_A short guide to engaging with your MP

Please also engage your friends and family and your networks to build the letterwriting campaign by sending them the link to this article and through social media. Here is an example tweet that you can use.  You can also use the graphics below to engage interest.

Please write to your MP! The time is now to influence the next Immigration Bill #LifttheBan, #FamiliesTogether, #Time4aTimeLimit https://bit.ly/2QXoJEo