Right to Remain and Migrants Organise have held a planning meeting to build a campaign against immigration bail reporting conditions. More and more people seeking asylum are being asked to travel many miles to report to Immigration Reporting Centres despite lockdown and the risks of public travel. Reporting is always stressful due to the risk of arbitrary detention but during the pandemic it is completely unacceptable.
Various inspirational people from across the country reported about what’s happening in different areas in relation to reporting. Many people are scared about being asked to report during the current COVID-19 pandemic and the meeting also learnt that the Home Office’s practice has been inconsistent – with many individuals who have been asked to report not understanding why they are specifically asked to do so.
The new campaign is seeking volunteers to start 2 working groups:
1. Campaign Strategy Group to consolidate all of the experiences and ideas that were shared during the planning meeting, to create a clear campaign vision, demands and strategy
This Group will help in planning the agenda and logistics for the first national meeting (see below) Each group will consist of 6-10 people, and individuals are encouraged from different areas of the country to join to ensure that different experiences with reporting are represented. Each group will have the support of Right to Remain and Migrants Organise.