With a new UK Government and Parliament, we have a real opportunity to secure a fair new plan for refugees. To do this, we need to show MPs of all parties that a majority of people in the UK want a fairer, kinder and more effective approach. As MPs pay close attention to local voices, now is the perfect time to build a connection with them.
On the 11th November 2024, Together With Refugees held a meeting on our local MP engagement plans. It was motivating to unite with over 100 Together with Refugees members from across the country to hear more about the new Government and Parliament and how we can all play our part in winning a fair new plan for refugees. Thank you to the speakers from across the movement who shared their insights and tips, and our members who discussed their plans for engaging their local MP.
Leila Zadeh, Executive Director of Rainbow Migration, kicked off the meeting by explaining the purpose of the session; to understand more about the new Government and Parliament and to share tips and guidance on MP engagement. She emphasised the importance of engaging with MPs in this pivotal moment and the need to showcase widespread public support for a kinder, fairer and more effective approach for refugees. Leila set the stage for the meeting, explaining how connecting with MPs, persuading them to sign the Fair Begins Here Parliamentary Promise, and publicising our efforts will help secure a fair new plan for refugees.
Sabrina Huck, Strategic Engagement Advisor at RAMP, followed with an insightful overview into the new Government and Parliamentary landscape, including the risks and opportunities it presents, and how best to navigate it. She also shared strategic approaches for building connections such as tailoring your messaging to resonate with MPs’ local interests. Emphasising agility in a rapidly changing political context, Sabrina reminded us that there is no perfect engagement strategy, but the important thing is to be persistent and keep trying.
Building on Sabrina’s reflections, Sepideh Sahar, SSO Co-ordinator at Freedom from Torture, outlined the Fair Begins Here campaign for a fair new plan for refugees which aims to deliver a systemic reset of the UK’s approach to refugees. Launched last December, Sepideh explained how the campaign aims to replace hostility and division with compassion, justice, and effectiveness through restoring the right to asylum, delivering an integrated welcome strategy, fostering global co-operation to address the root causes of displacement and ensuring that people with lived experience are at the heart of designing the plan. She emphasised that with 80% of the British public in support of a well managed, fair and compassionate approach to asylum and hundreds of organisations across the country backing the campaign by signing the Fair Begins Here Promise, our movement shows the power of collective action. Sepideh then highlighted the progress of the Fair Begins Here campaign so far and the importance of ensuring that politicians hear our diverse and powerful voices.
Finally, Ruth Dunlop Price, Campaigns Manager at Together with Refugees, highlighted the importance of local MP engagement. She emphasised the opportunity to drive meaningful change with a new Government, Parliament and upcoming legislation. Ruth outlined the aims of MP engagement: ensuring MPs from all parties hear about the excellent work being done to support refugees in their constituencies, understand our united call for a fair new plan, and sign the Fair Begins Here Parliamentary Promise. By signing the Promise, MPs are standing with local organisations and committing to take action to secure a fair and compassionate asylum system. Ruth shared practical tips, from researching MPs’ stances on refugee policy to collaborating with local groups and people with lived experience to amplify your message in the local media. She also reminded us that persistence is key as it may take multiple meetings to persuade an MP to sign the Promise. Lastly, Ruth encouraged publicising MP engagement through photos, social media posts and the local press coverage.
The meeting highlighted the power of local campaigning and the importance of collaboration. Together, we can show MPs that the majority of people in the UK support a kinder, fairer, and more effective refugee system.
If you missed the meeting or would like to re-watch it, please click here (password: V%x^e0wv). For additional information or resources, you can access our local MP engagement toolkit here which includes template letters, press releases and social media content. We will be holding more meetings on our local MP engagement but if you need any support or have specific questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch by emailing info@asylum-reform-initiative.org.uk.
Start the conversation with your MP today, and help us build a better future for refugees.
FAQ from the meeting
- Question: Is it worth collaborating with other movements that aren’t related to refugee rights when engaging with your MP?
- Answer: Yes, there is great opportunity for forming partnerships across movements to exchange information and strengthen advocacy. If there are local organisations from different movements who would like to work on refugee rights issues, please include them in your MP engagement and also ask them if they would like to join Together With Refugees.
- Question: What should we ask our MP if they are a Minister and might not be able to sign the Fair Begins Here Parliamentary Promise?
- Answer: You may find that your MP says they are supportive of refugees and understands why we need to reset the system but they are not able to sign the Fair Begins Here Parliamentary Promise. Some MPs – for example members of the Government – may not be able to support a campaign which is different to their party’s official position. This does not mean it is not valuable to build a relationship with this MP going forward and there may be other ways they can be beneficial to our campaign. For example, if your MP is a Minister or Shadow Minister they have the ability to privately put pressure on key politicians and change things from the inside.
- Question: How can refugees be more involved in political engagement despite not having relevant knowledge.
- Answer: People with direct experience of the asylum system are best placed to represent their concerns and aspirations for Government policy. Across our movement, there are a number of organisations and initiatives to support those with lived experience to get involved in political engagement. This includes providing training on UK politics, creating platforms for lived-experience voices, and offering tailored support to build confidence and skills. For example, One Strong Voice, who are a key part of the Together With Refugees decision making group, is a coalition of refugee and migrant campaigners.
- Question: Do we ask organisations and groups to sign the Fair Begins Here Promise as well as encourage MPs to sign the Fair Begins Here Parliamentary Promise?
- Answer: Yes, the Fair Begins Here Promise is for civil society organisations and groups and the Fair Begins Here Parliamentary Promise is for Parliamentarians. By signing the Fair Begins Here Promise, we can show the diversity and breadth of local and national support for a fair new plan to politicians and encourage them to represent your community and sign up to the Fair Begins Here Parliamentary Promise. Getting organisations across your community to sign up to the Fair Begins Here Promise is a great start, and then thinking about getting your MP to sign up to the Fair Begins Here Parliamentary Promise feels like a really good next step.