This government’s Illegal Migration Bill will essentially ban most people from seeking asylum in the UK. Be it the lecturer forced to flee the Taliban, the young woman attacked for defending her rights in Iran, or the student who fled human rights abuses and conscription in Eritrea – under this Bill, people who come to the UK hoping to find sanctuary will be punished and prevented from exercising their fundamental right to seek protection. We think that’s wrong.Universities in the UK have a long history of supporting people who have fled war and persecution to rebuild their lives. They have been places where people have been able to seek sanctuary – to think, learn, and act on ideas to make the world a better place.

Universities of Sanctuary have worked with Student Action for Refugees, SolidariTee and Voices Network to reach out to students, academics and university staff to ensure that these institutions remain places of sanctuary and that the UK is somewhere people can find safety from war and persecution.

Together we stand with all people seeking sanctuary. We stand firmly against the Illegal Migration Bill.