Advocate
[to uphold, to defend, to intercede for]
ADVOCACY AT JRS UK
JRS UK advocates for the rights of refugees. Advocacy in JRS starts by listening to refugees’ concerns and then working with them to find solutions. Our advocacy involves:
- Raising awareness of policy issues that shape refugees’ lives and experience. We conduct and publish policy research and contribute to public policy consultations and advocacy campaigns, working with other organisations, faith-based and secular, to bring about a more just world;
- Trying to create space where people can encounter refugees as whole people with hopes and dreams, interests and gifts, just like any other; and seek to encourage authentic human relationships to grow;
- Helping to transform the public conversation about refugees, exposing the real stories about their lives, including the hardships that they face in the UK, especially during the period they are seeking asylum. We believe it is vital that refugees’ own voices are at the heart of this conversation.
POLICY AT JRS UK
We advocate on behalf of those we accompany and serve, and we do so with their participation. For this reason, our advocacy at JRS UK focuses on issues relating to detention and destitution, as these are the focus of our services.
JRS UK advocate for policies that protect refugees and allow them to flourish. Much of our current policy and advocacy work focuses around challenging the ‘hostile environment agenda’.
TAKE ACTION
You can support our advocacy work in a number of ways:
REFUGEES CALL FOR CHANGE
Refugees call for change is a group of refugees who come together to make their voices heard and advocate for change in the asylum system and laws and policies that affect them. One of the group’s aims is for their voices to be heard so that others can have an idea about what is life like as an asylum seeker in the UK.
LATEST WORK
JRS Briefing on the experience of reporting to the Home Office among those refused asylum – September 2020 download here
Joint letter to Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care calling for NHS charges to be suspended – Doctors of the World April 2020 download here
Joint letter to Home Secretary & Chancellor of Exchequer to increase asylum support rates – Freedom from Torture. April 2020 download here
Joint AVID member letter sent to Home Office – calling for release of those in detention – April 2020 download here
Joint letter to local authorities in England – to protect homeless migrants during pandemic – March 2020 download here
Joint letter to Prime Minister – policy recommendations to protect people who are experiencing homelessness and insecure migration statuses (NACCOM) – March 2020 download here
Windrush Lessons Learned Review: NGO joint statement
– March 2020 download here
‘For our welfare and not for our harm’: Report on the experience of destitution and detention amongst those seeking asylum: download here
Briefing on survivors of trafficking in detention [Updated Version]: download here
Refugee Stories – Changing the Narrative: Watch the conference highlights
‘Out in the Cold’: Report on homelessness among destitute refuges in London: download here.
Briefing on destitution among those seeking asylum [Updated November 2019]: download here.
Briefing on changes to healthcare charges: download here.
"I advise others who are coming to JRS to 'go for it' as well, not just coming to get bus fares and food. It is good to do something for the community as a way to help yourself." Souleyman, refugee and anti-detention campaigner
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COALITIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
We sustain efforts as part of wider coalitions to make values-based responses to policy and decision-makers about asylum seekers and forced migrants.
We are members of:
