This Valentine’s Day, we are coming together to show compassion not cruelty.
Last year, the Government announced a raft of draconian and cruel new policies that risk eroding refugees’ rights. Their plans are all politics and performance. They will only feed division and hostility in our communities. They send a message to our neighbours, colleagues, friends, and their families that they will never be truly welcome here.
These plans do not represent us. Every day, communities up and down the country show warmth and kindness to refugees. And we know when given a chance, refugees do so much to enrich our lives.
There is a massive power in visibility. We’ve all seen it in the consistent, relentless drumbeat of fear and division from politicians and the media. Their politics is fuelled by fear, and it feeds on people feeling alone or isolated. But we – people who believe in compassion and unity – are raising our voices too. We’re fighting back with a message of our own. We stand together with refugees.
This Valentine’s Day is an important opportunity to demonstrate local community opposition to the asylum plans and call on the Home Secretary to instead focus on what unites us.
There are three ways you can be part of this joint effort:
- Contact or meet with your MP
- Engage your community
- Spreading the word with local media and on social media
To support your actions, we have created a toolkit packed full of resources and ideas!