JRS in the News
Here are links to some of our publications and media in the news.
*Government urged to build ‘more humane’ asylum system
23rd July 2024: The Jesuit Refugee Service has urged the new government to build an asylum system that is “just, humane, and reflects our values as a society”. In a letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Sarah Teather, director of the Jesuit Refugee Service, thanks her for scrapping the “cruel and unworkable” Rwanda scheme.
*Jesuit Refugee Service UK urges new British government to do more for asylum seekers
23rd July 2024: “We accompany people seeking sanctuary here who are let down by a broken system, detained, made destitute, and left vulnerable to exploitation and ill-health,” said Sarah Teather, the Director of Jesuit Refugee Service UK
*Jesuit Refugee Service urges government to create a more humane asylum system
23rd July 2024: The Jesuit Refugee Service has written to the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, thanking her for abandoning the Rwanda bill, which would have seen asylum seekers forcibly transferred. JRS UK urges the Home Secretary to “deliver a more humane system and help create a society rooted in justice and care for one another”.
*JRS UK Letter to Yvette Cooper on building a better asylum system
22nd July 2024: Sarah Teather, Director of Jesuit Refugee Services UK (JRS UK) Yvette Cooper has sent the following open letter to the UK government’s new Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper.
*Deaths of four more migrants in the Channel
18th July 2024: The deaths of four more migrants in the Channel last week prompted the Jesuit Refugee Service UK to say it is “deeply saddened”. JRS said, “As we wait for details of those who lost their lives to emerge, we remember that each one had friends and family who are now mourning, had hopes and dreams and fears.”
*JRS UK and Fr Peter Gallagher SJ celebrate refugee success in ESOL language programme
18th July 2024: Fr Peter Gallagher SJ, Provincial of the Jesuits in Britain, joined refugees, volunteers and staff at the Jesuit Refugee Service UK last week to celebrate achievements in the ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) programme.
*Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre ‘truly shocking’
15th July 2024: Responding to the report, Sarah Teather, Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service, said: “This latest HMIP report shows that people including survivors of torture and trafficking are being locked up in decrepit conditions, in chaotic and unsafe environments, often with little to no access to justice. Suicidal ideation is widespread. Safeguarding is all but absent. Segregation is used to punish detained people. This is further, compelling proof that immigration detention is dangerous, cruel, and profoundly harmful.
*Report on immigration removal centre shows ‘worst conditions ever seen’
10th July 2024: Jesuit Refugee Services have expressed grave concern at a new report by inspectors who made an unannounced visit to Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre earlier this year, and found what they described the “worst conditions” they had ever seen.
*Jesuit Refugee Service calls on Keir Starmer to “end immigration detention and hostile environment”
5th July 2024: “After the elections, there is a vital opportunity to build a politics of humanity,” Sophie Cartwright, head of advocacy for the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in the country, tells Alpha and Omega. “For too long our policy has demonised people seeking safe haven on our shores and subjected them to even greater trauma.” In fact, recent measures “have practically abandoned the principles of asylum”.
*Rwanda gimmick must go
5th July 2024: JRS UK has urged the new Labour Government to scrap the Conservative’s Rwanda policy, something the party had previously described as an “extortionately expensive gimmick”.
*JRS UK member speaks in election briefing on immigration
20th June 2024: Immigration is among the top four concerns driving voters at the general election, and their religious identity impacts how they regard the issue, according to speakers at a Religion Media Centre briefing. Listen to
*JRS UK accommodation team speaks on parishes hosting refugees
16th June 2024: In response to the need for accommodation, an important part of the service provision of JRS UK is a hosting scheme for homeless refugee friends.
*JRS says migrants deserve our compassion as election priority
7th June 2024:Catholic justice charity the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) UK has set out three priorities for candidates. “During the next few weeks, we have a crucial opportunity to let our politicians know that we stand with refugees.” Sarah Teather, JRS UK Director.
*Catholic leaders urge faithful to vote in Britain’s July 4 elections
1st June 2024: “Over a number of years, we’ve seen a shocking rise in hostility, scapegoating and cruel policies targeting refugees and asylum seekers. But so many of us want a different approach: one that welcomes women, men and children who come here in search of safety, treats them with dignity and celebrates the gifts they bring,” Sarah Teather, the Director of JRS UK.
*JRS UK sets out asks for election candidates
31st May 2024: With less than five weeks to go until the General election the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) UK has set out three priorities for candidates. JRS UK is calling for candidates from all parties to support: the repeal of anti-refugee laws; ending immigration detention; lifting the ban on work for asylum seekers.
*Abuse of detainees remains endemic in UK immigration system
17th May 2024: Jesuit Refugee Service’s new report draws on the experiences of men and women detained within the last year at immigration detention centres in the UK. Their evidence was gathered in a workshop and through interviews. Clear parallels between the experiences of the current detainees and those whose experiences were documented in The Brook House Inquiry Report were identified.
*Abuse remains endemic in UK immigration detention, says Jesuit Refugee Service
13th May 2024: Sarah Teather, JRS UK’s director, said: “Immigration detention has destroyed too many lives, it must not be allowed to continue. It is beyond time to end the use of detention for immigration control.”
*New JRS Report reveals nothing learned from 2017 migrant scandal
10th May 2024: Key findings of JRS UK’s research found immigration detentions with prison-like conditions, excessive and gratuitous use of force against detained people and a significant lack of access to medicines.
*Jesuit Refugee Service finds a culture of abuse and mistreatment is endemic in immigration detention in the UK
Electronic Immigration Network
9th May 2024: Sarah Teather, JRS UK’s Director says: “The abuse at Brook House in 2017 was not some sort of anomaly that can be brushed under the carpet as a one-off mistake. The experiences of the men and women who contributed to our research shows that the culture and practices brought to light by the Brook House Inquiry are still happening in detention centres across the UK. Immigration detention has destroyed too many lives, it must not be allowed to continue. It is beyond time to end the use of detention for immigration control.”
*New Report by JRS UK: Continued abuses in immigration detention
9th May 2024: ‘After Brook House’ draws on a workshop and interviews with men and women detained within the last year at various immigration detention centres, and, supported by JRS UK, reflecting on the findings of the Brook House Inquiry Report. ‘After Brook House’ finds clear parallels between their experiences and the events described in that report.
*Jesuit Refugee Service looks at years of abuse at UK detention centres
8th May 2024: After Brook House finds clear parallels between their experiences and the events described in the Brook House Inquiry Report. “The abuse at Brook House in 2017 was not some sort of anomaly that can be brushed under the carpet as a one-off mistake,” said Sarah Teather, JRS UK’s Director.
*Jesuit Refugee Service report finds ‘toxic culture’ of abuse in UK immigrant detention centres
8th May 2024: Key findings of JRS UK’s research that show the continuation of abuses highlighted in the Brook House Inquiry Report include immigration detention in the UK entails incarceration in prison-like conditions; the UK is the only country in Europe without a time limit on immigration detention, noting long and indefinite detention are especially harmful; there are huge, routine deficiencies in healthcare; and force is used inappropriately, and often gratuitously, against detained people.
*Detained asylum seekers given Home Office booklet saying Rwanda is ‘generally safe’
3rd May 2024: Sophie Cartwright, the senior policy officer from the refugee organisation JRS UK, said of the document: “This is a pathetic attempt to repackage a flagrant violation of people’s human rights and the dismantling of the UK’s asylum system. “The Home Office’s portrayal could not be more of a contrast to the fear and suffering that people are experiencing because of this appalling cash-for-humans scheme.”
*Catholic agency calls on Brits to ‘stand in solidarity with refugees’
30th April 2024: JRS UK is a leading advocate for refugees seeking asylum in Britain. As well as providing services to meet people’s immediate needs such as food and accommodation, the charity offers casework and legal support to help people navigate the asylum system.
*Jesuit Refugee Service calls for solidarity as detention operation begins
30th April 2024: The Jesuit Refugee Service UK (JRS UK) has called for supporters to stand in solidarity with refugees, amid reports that the Home Office is launching a major operation to detain people in preparation for their deportation to Rwanda.
*”This will destroy lives” Sophie from JRS UK, interview’s on German radio on Rwanda plan
29th April 2024: Asylum seekers in the UK shall be deported to Rwanda, following an new plan by the British government. Jesuit Refugee Service UK condemns this idea. It won’t solve any problems but will exacerbate an already existing crisis, says Sophie Cartwright, Senior Policy Officers of JRS UK.
*Britain’s Anglican, Catholic churches condemn new law to deport migrants to Rwanda
26th April 2024: In an April 23 letter to Sunak, co-signed by 250 organizations, Britain’s Jesuit Refugee Service said the new law was not supported by “the wider public,” and would enable children and “survivors of trafficking and modern slavery” to be summarily expelled to a country they had no connection with, despite “grave risk of harm and human rights abuses.”
*Runners raise thousands for Catholic charities in London marathon
23rd April 2024: JRS UK had a team of 26 runners, including a refugee supported by JRS. “I was struck by the gratitude of refugees when they learnt how many people were running to support them this year,” said JRS’s Eileen Cole. “Their effort is vital to enable JRS’s work with refugees and to enable us to continue to fight the Rwanda plan, and support those potentially affected by it.”
*UK Parliament passes Rwanda refugee bill that is ‘as inhumane as it is absurd’
23rd April 2024: JRS UK’s director, Sarah Teather, said the law will destroy lives, plunge vulnerable people into danger and sees the UK abandoning its duty towards people seeking sanctuary in the country.
*Catholic charities condemn ‘terrible day for human rights’ as Rwanda bill passed
23rd April 2024: Jesuit Refugee Service UK pledged to keep on campaigning for the UK to uphold its responsibility towards refugees. Director Sarah Teather said, “JRS UK will continue to oppose this and all attempts to outsource asylum. We remain at the side of women, men, and children whose rights are threatened by this cruel plan, and all those arriving in the UK in search of safety.”
*Five migrants drown in English Channel as Rwanda asylum bill passes
23rd April 2024: Sarah Teather, Director of Jesuit Refugee Service UK, said her organization will continue to “oppose this and all attempts to outsource asylum.”
*Rwanda Bill clears Parliament despite Lords’ objections
23rd April 2024: The prime minister’s speech prompted a backlash from refugee charities, including the Jesuit Refugee Service, which described the Rwanda plan as remaining “as inhumane as it is absurd. It will destroy lives, plunge vulnerable people into danger and sees us abandon our duty towards people seeking sanctuary here. And all for the sake of an election gimmick. This is not who we are.”
*British parliament passes controversial bill sending asylum seekers to Rwanda
23rd April 2024: The Jesuit Refugee Service UK says it will continue to campaign for the UK to uphold its “responsibility towards refugees.” JRS UK’s Director, Sarah Teather said the law will destroy lives, plunge vulnerable people into danger and sees us abandon our duty towards people seeking sanctuary here.
*JRS: Outsourcing asylum puts lives at risk, must be abandoned
23rd April 2024: Over the past two years, the UK Government has introduced a series of laws and policies designed to make most people’s asylum claims inadmissible and forcibly send those affected to Rwanda. These inhumane plans have been consistently challenged by the Jesuit Refugee Service, along with others upholding the rights of refugees and forcibly displaced people. However, new legislation passed this week brings the forcible transfer of people to Rwanda a step closer.
*Five migrants, including child, die in English Channel small boat crossing
23rd April 2024: More than 250 organisations from across civil society in Britain including Jesuit Refugee Service UK have signed a letter sent to the Prime Minister after the Rwanda act passed, saying the plan breaks international law and “abandons our duty to share in the global responsibility towards those forced to seek safety”.
*Jesuit Refugee Service: we will continue to stand with refugees
22nd April 2024: The Jesuit Refugee Service will continue to campaign for the UK to uphold its responsibility towards refugees, following the Prime Minister’s announcement that people seeking asylum here will begin being forcibly removed to Rwanda in the next 10-12 weeks.
*The JRS London Marathon team – defiant hope in the face of the Rwanda Bill
16th April 2024: Sophie, Senior Policy Officer at JRS UK, reflects on why the Rwanda scheme is deeply destructive. She also shares the hope she finds in people standing up against the hostile environment in solidarity with refugees – such as JRS UK’s team of 26 marathon runners.
*Charity finds unsafe food given to asylum seekers
17th March 2024: A report has found evidence of poor food safety in meals given to people seeking asylum in the capital of England. Concerns were raised about food in catered accommodation in London, with reports of unsafe products and a lack of provision for people with allergies. Sustain, Jesuit Refugee Service UK, and Life Seekers Aid conducted the research between October 2023 and February 2024.
*Rotten Food Fed to Asylum Seekers
ECRE European Council on Refugees & exiles
15th March 2024: Sarah Teather provides commentary on the report regarding concerns about the food provided to asylum seekers in catered accommodation.
*JRS demands action after report slams food given to asylum seekers
15th March 2024: Jesuit Refugee Service UK is calling for change after a ‘horrifying’ report revealed that asylum seekers in London face malnutrition due to the poor quality of food provided by the Home Office.
*Home Office facing further criticism after report finds poor quality food provision for asylum seekers
13th March 2024: ‘This should not be normal. As this report reveals these realities, it also shows that it doesn’t have to be this way. We can, and must, change this.’ Jesuit Refugee Service UK Director, Sarah Teather
*New report warns of food safety issues for asylum seekers in England’s capital
12th March 2024:“For years, JRS UK have worked with people made destitute by the asylum process and facing food insecurity,” said Sarah Teather, the Director of Jesuit Refugee Service UK.
*Rotten food given to asylum seekers charity finds
12th March 2024:Asylum seekers are being left malnourished and in some cases hospitalised due to rotten or contaminated food provided by the Home Office, charity focus groups have found.
*Home Office food provision leaving some asylum seekers malnourished – report
12th March 2024: Sarah Teather, the director at Jesuit Refugee Service UK, said: “This report lays bare the horrifying impact of food insecurity for people in the asylum system: children going to bed crying in hunger, people becoming ill because of the only food they can eat, a daily struggle to make ends meet. These are ultimately the result of a deliberate policy to force people seeking asylum to live in poverty.”
*Westminster Volunteering Fair
4th March 2024: Jesuit Refugee Service joins other charities at Caritas Westminster’s Volunteering Fair.
*UK’s Rwanda Asylum Plan Sparks Outrage: Breach of Human Rights?
20th February 2024: The Jesuit Refugee Service UK has strongly condemned the plan, stating it violates human dignity and outsources the asylum process to a distant third country. The organization has highlighted the deteriorating human rights record in Rwanda and the inadequate social protections for the most vulnerable.
*Analysis: Britain’s bizarre, costly and cruel plan to deport migrants to Rwanda
20 February 2024: Condemned by the Jesuit Refugee Service UK as a “cruel plan” that “violates human dignity,” the policy authorises deporting people who come to the United Kingdom in search of safety to Rwanda.
*Bishop encourages the work of Jesuit Refugee Service UK as it launches Lent Appeal for refugees facing destitution
20th February 2024: Bishop Paul McAleenan, the lead Catholic Bishop for Migrants and Refugees in England and Wales has welcomed the friendship extended by the Jesuit Refugee Service UK to refugees facing destitution.
*Bishop McAleenan praises work of JRS with destitute refugees
20 February 2024: The Bishop reflected: “People who come here are known as refugee friends – it’s a beautiful expression and those I have met today truly experience friendship.”
*JRS responds over powers given to British special forces to deny requests to relocate to the UK
19th February 2024: A spokesperson for the UK branch of the Jesuit Refugee Service said: “There are vanishingly few safe routes for people to seek sanctuary in the UK. Today’s troubling reports highlight that even these are failing to offer protection for those who need it.”
*JRS Welcomes first residents to Amani House
9th February 2024: JRS UK has welcomed the first residents to Amani House in London. For many years JRS UK has provided a Hosting Scheme, with volunteers welcoming refugee friends into their homes. Amani House offers the chance to live within a shared residence, for those who require longer-term accommodation.
*Welcome home: JRS throws open doors to refugee house
9th February 2024: JRS UK (Jesuit Refugee Service) has welcomed the first residents to Amani House in London. The new home for male refugees was made possible by the generosity of the Jesuits in Britain, other religious orders, and JRS UK supporters.
*Catholic groups join opposition to the UK to deport migrants to Rwanda
31st January 2024: Sarah Teather, the Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service which signed the appeal, called the proposed legislation “cruel and risible.”
*As the Rwanda Bill passes second reading in the Lords, this country desperately need a politics of humanity
30th January 2024: JRS UK’s Senior Policy Officer, Dr. Sophie Cartwright, emphasises the urgency of placing human value at the centre of politics as the Rwanda Bill advances, highlighting the impact on asylum seekers’ lives and the need for a more compassionate approach.
*JRS, ‘Rwanda Bill will destroy lives of people who have already lost everything’
29th January 2024:”If enacted, the Rwanda scheme will destroy the lives of people who have already lost everything. It is these people- men, women, and children- who should be foremost in this discussion. For them, we continue to oppose this Bill and the Rwanda scheme as a whole.” Sarah Teather, JRS UK Director.
*JRS reject ‘cruel and unworkable’ Rwanda Bill
21st January 2024: Dr Sophie Cartwright, Senior Policy Officer at the JRS told ICN: “In the wake of the ‘Safety of Rwanda Bill’ passing through the Commons yesterday, we are continuing to oppose the cruel and unworkable plan to forcibly transfer people seeking sanctuary here to Rwanda. This is a plan that if implemented would destroy the lives of people seeking protection – of women, men, and children with hopes and fears. As the Bill continues its passage through parliament, we must all remember this.”
*Catholic group calls UK attempt to send refugees to Rwanda ‘profoundly troubling’
17th January 2024: JRS UK condemns the proposed “Safety of Rwanda (asylum and immigration) Bill” and emphasises the need for a humane approach to refugees seeking sanctuary in the UK.
*Leading UK Catholic refugee agency ‘profoundly troubled’ by Rwanda plan
17th January 2024: JRS UK expresses profound concern over the UK’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, a move described as “cruel and unworkable.”
*JRS is proud to accompany refugees on their journeys to a safe haven in the UK
5th January 2024: Eileen Cole looks back at the Jesuit Refugee Service’s work throughout 2023.
*Report on the Rwanda Plan
*Jesuit Refugee Service calls for Bibby Stockholm barge to be closed
13th December 2023: Sarah Teather, JRS UK Director, says “The government must immediately stop placing people on the Bibby Stockholm, and instead ensure they can access safe and dignified accommodation in our communities.”
*Bibby Stockholm barge costs taxpayers £22m amid calls for asylum seekers to be rehomed following death
13th December 2023: The council has also received almost £380,000 in a one-off grant to help support local charity and voluntary organisations provide services on board.
*Promises made by Cleverly to investigation after asylum seeker dies on Bibby Stockholm
12th December 2023: Jesuit Refugee Service UK repeated calls for the barge to close.
*English Catholics say immigrant’s suicide shows ‘cruelty’ of government policy
12th December 2023: “Large-scale, detention-like sites such as this expose people who have fled danger to severe re-trauma; cause near universal, chronic sleep deprivation; and rapidly lead to deterioration in their mental health,” JRS UK had earlier warned.
*Cleverly promises investigation after asylum seeker dies on Bibby Stockholm
12th December 2023: Amnesty International UK said it was “time for the UK to drastically change course on asylum” and the Jesuit Refugee Service UK repeated calls for the barge to close.
*JRS UK calls for Bibby Stockholm to be closed following reported suicide
12th December 2023: Forcing people to live on the barge is part of a wider move to place those seeking asylum in large-scale, institutional, out-of-town, and quasi-detention settings, that is strongly opposed by JRS UK.
*English Catholics say immigrant’s suicide shows ‘cruelty’ of govt policy
12th December 2023: “These are the real human consequences of deliberate and performative cruelty against people seeking sanctuary in the UK,” said Sarah Teather, Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service in the U.K.
*JRS UK calls for refugee ‘prison barge’ to be closed after reported suicide
12th December 2023: The Jesuit Refugee Service UK (JRS UK) has repeated calls for the government to close the Bibby Stockholm barge.
*Delicious refugee recipes and Thanksgiving Mass mark JRS Founder’s Day celebrations
1st December 2023: Fr Michael Holman SJ, Chair of the Management Committee of JRS UK, celebrated a Thanksgiving Mass at St Patrick’s Church Wapping, which was followed, and enjoyed, by a delicious shared lunch prepared by refugee friends of JRS at the nearby Hurtado Jesuit Centre.
*JRS UK Condemns ‘Rapid Evictions’ as Thousands of Refugees Face Homelessness This Christmas
1st December 2023: JRS UK has criticised the UK government’s policy of “rapid evictions,” warning that tens of thousands of refugees could end up homeless during the Christmas season.
*JRS UK director Sarah Teather, urges people to work towards a more compassionate system
16th November 2023: The Jesuit Refugee Service has welcomed the Supreme Court decision against government plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. Director Sarah Teather continues to urge the government to work towards a more compassionate system.
*Catholics praise UK court for ending rule sending migrants to Rwanda
16th November 2023: JRS UK and other catholic organisations welcomes the Supreme Courts rulings, whilst emphasising scrapping the policy all together.
*JRS UK calls to abandon the policy immediately
15th November 2023:“Forcibly removing people to Rwanda would achieve nothing except to violate their basic rights, trash the UK’s reputation on the international stage, and exacerbate fear and uncertainty among those seeking sanctuary here,” Sarah Teather, JRS UK Director.
*JRS UK Director Sarah Teather urges “people to get involved and help us to advocate for a more compassionate system.”
15th November 2023: JRS UK has directly supported more than twenty people facing removal to Rwanda, through their accompaniment of refugees, they understand the human impact of this policy and the profound dangers it presents to people in search of safety.
*Sarah Teather voices for the proposal to be permanently scrapped
15th November 2023: “JRS UK has consistently opposed this cruel and unworkable policy. We now call for the government to abandon it. Forcibly removing people to Rwanda would achieve nothing except to violate their basic rights, trash the UK’s reputation on the international stage, and exacerbate fear and uncertainty among those seeking sanctuary here.” Sarah Teather, JRS UK Director
*JRS UK welcomes the Supreme Court decision
15th November 2023: The Catholic bishops’ conference has joined justice groups JRS UK and CAFOD in welcoming the Supreme Court decision against Government plans to transfer people seeking asylum to Rwanda-and urged the Government to scrap the plans completely.
*JRS to celebrate founder’s day and work with world’s refugees
11th November 2023: On 14th November, the Jesuit Refugee Service will be celebrating its Founder’s Day, marking 43 years of serving, accompanying and advocating on behalf of refugees across the world.
*JRS UK criticises return of asylum seekers to Bibby Stockholm barge as ‘cruel and dangerous’
24 October 2023: The Jesuit Refugee Service expressed concern and condemned the decision to house asylum seekers back on the Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset, calling it cruel and dangerous, despite the government’s claim that necessary health tests have been conducted.
*Sarah Teather, JRS UK’s Director, challenges Home Secretary on Refugee Agreements
3rd October 2023: Sarah Teather, JRS UK Director, says the UN Refugee convention “Is a vital and core mechanism to protect people fleeing persecution, and it is badly needed, now as much and more than ever.”
*JRS UK condemns home secretary’s speech as “Cruel Attack on Refugees”
29 September 2023: JRS UK Director Sarah Teather criticised Braverman’s comments as a broader attack on refugees and LGBTQI+ communities, emphasizing the importance of the Refugee Convention.
*Bishop of Leicester and religious leaders criticise Home Secretary’s immigration remarks
27 September 2023: The UK director of the Jesuit Refugee Service, Sarah Teather, said that the Refugee Convention was a “vital and core mechanism to protect people fleeing persecution, and it is badly needed, now as much and more than ever.
*JRS UK Director criticises Braverman’s proposal
27th September 2023: JRS UK Director Director Sarah Teather criticises UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s proposal to scrap the UN Refugee Convention. She says “The government should work to extend protection to those who need it, not to find new ways to deny sanctuary. These comments from the Home Secretary are the latest in a cruel, vaunting attack on refugees.”
*Home secretary’s critique of Refugee Convention sparks concern
6th September 2023: Sarah Teather, JRS UK Director, voices concern over Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s reported criticism of the UN Refugee Convention’s principles, emphasising the importance of protecting refugees and calling for a humanitarian approach.
*JRS UK calls for end to Immigration Detention amid shocking Abuse Report
22nd September 2023: JRS UK calls for an end to immigration detention in response to a distressing report on conditions at Brook House. The report, based on an independent inquiry, revealed physical violence and abusive language towards detainees, with 19 incidents of mistreatment identified in a five-month period in 2017.
*JRS urges end of detention as means of immigration control
21st September 2023: JRS UK is urges the UK government to cease using detention as an immigration control method following a damning report on abuse at Brook House. JRS UK’s director, Sarah Teather, emphasised the need to end immigration detention, highlighting its destructive impact and the government’s plans for expansion, including the upcoming Illegal Migration Act.
*JRS UK Urges reform following ‘Toxic’ culture and abuse at Immigration Detention Centre
20th September 2023: JRS UK called for systemic changes, including a 28-day detention limit, to address the mistreatment of detainees. The Home Office acknowledged past failings and pledged improvements.
*JRS UK calls for an end to Immigration Detention amidst Abuse Report
19th September 2023: JRS UK has reiterated its call to end immigration detention following the release of a report documenting abuse at Brook House.
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*Tragic death in UK Immigration Centre raises concerns
14th September 2023: Jesuit Refugee Service UK has been supporting some of the detainees in the Heathrow immigration removal centre.
*Harrowing incident unveiled at UK Immigration Centre Following Detainee’s Death
13th September 2023: Internal documents have revealed that there was an “attempted mass suicide” at the UK’s largest immigration removal centre Harmondsworth IRC. JRS UK expressed concern over the distress and frustration among detainees, particularly those with asylum claims refused after being detained upon arrival in the UK.
*Channel deaths avoidable says JRS amid new calls for safe routes
18th August 2023: JRS UK say the death of six people when a boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of France was a “wholly avoidable tragedy”.
*Young adults return from World Youth Day renewed by hope and mission
8th August 2023: The Jesuit Refugee Service tweeted, “We’re really struck by Pope Francis’ message, urging us to wake up to life around us”.
*Church advocacy continues over Illegal Migration Act
1st August 2023: JRS UK says they will continue to oppose the Act and call for it to be repealed.
*’Performative cruelty’: the hostile architecture of the UK government’s migrant barge
26th July 2023: Sarah Teather, director of JRS UK, has described the Illegal Migration Bill as “performative cruelty”.
*Brits take battle to stop the boats into their own hands: Cruise ships set to house 1,000 asylum seekers ‘returned to their owners’ after being blocked from docking – as locals try to stop migrant barge in Dorset and set up roadblocks outside Welsh hotel
19th July 2023: Sarah Teather, Director of JRS UK, said: “The Illegal Migration Bill drags any sense of the UK’s moral leadership on the world stage headlong into a gutter of hate…”
*Joint Civil Society Statement on the Passage of the Illegal Migration Act
19th July 2023: JRS UK have joined with a coalition of 290 organisations representing the human rights, refugee and asylum, children’s, LGBTQI+, faith and other sectors to condemn the passage of the Illegal Migration Act.
*Bibby Stockholm met by protesters as it arrives into Portland Port
18th July 2023: Sarah Teather, director of the Jesuit Refugee Service UK, criticises the passing of the Illegal Migration Bill.
*Illegal Migration Bill to pass into law after Archbishop Welby withdraws his amendment
18th July 2023: the Jesuit Refugee Service describes the new law as ‘wantonly cruel’.
*Ian Linden: The Illegal ‘Illegal Migration Act’
18th July 2023: Professor Ian Linden comments on the passing of the Illegal Migration Bill, and quotes Sarah Teather, director of JRS UK.
*JRS protests as ‘anti-human’ Illegal Migration Bill becomes law
18th July 2023: JRS UK has commented on the passing of the so-called Illegal Migration Bill.
*Church groups appalled at passage of Illegal Migration Bill
18th July 2023: JRS UK is one of 290 signatories to a statement condemning the passage of the Illegal Migration Bill.
*Campaigners demand amendments to Illegal Migration Bill
13th July 2023: Caritas Bakhita House, the Jesuit Refugee Service, and The Passage are among the signatories to a briefing on the Illegal Migration Bill produced by a large number of organisations in the anti-trafficking sector.
*Faith leaders unite in concern over Illegal Migration Bill
11th July 2023: JRS UK asks supporters to oppose the Refugee Ban Bill.
*Charities tell PM: Ditch plans to lock up refugee children
11th July 2023: JRS UK has joined children’s charities, faith charities, faith leaders, medical bodies and others to call on the government to scrap the plans for the detention of children as part of the Illegal Migration Bill.
*Charities demand end of ‘shameful’ Rwanda policy after new ruling
29th June 2023: Catholic charities, including JRS, have welcomed the Court of Appeal ruling on government plans to deport people who arrive in the UK by ‘illegal’ routes to Rwanda.
*Religious groups react to Rwanda judgement
29th June 2023: The Jesuit Refugee Service UK has renewed calls for the Government to end plans to send migrants to Rwanda in the wake of the court ruling.
*Refugee charities welcome Court of Appeal ruling on Rwanda plan
29th June 2023: Sarah Teather shares that JRS UK welcomes the Court of Appeal’s judgement.
*Policy to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is ‘unlawful’, court rules
29th June 2023: The Court of Appeal has ruled that the government’s plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda are unlawful and the country cannot be considered ‘safe’. Sarah Teather, diretor of the Jesuit Refugee Service UK, comments on the Rwanda plan.
*Bishop renews calls for safe routes for refugees
20th June 2023: JRS joined the monthly prayer vigil outside for the Home Office during Refugee Week. Bishop Paul McAleenan, lead bishop for migrants and refugees, renewed is call for safe routes and justice to be done.
*JRS renews calls for government to abandon Illegal Migration Bill
13th June 2023: JRS speaks out after a new report says the Bill would “deny the vast majority of refugees access to the UK’s asylum system”.
*Haslemere Festival
Haslemere Herald (Print edition)
1st June 2023: Megan Knowles, Deputy Director of JRS UK, spoke at the Haslemere Festival, outlining the UK’s hostile asylum system, the challenges faced by refugees, and the scale of the problem facing the government. The festival has donated the proceeds from ticket sales to JRS. Thank you to James Rapp and Hamish Donaldson for welcoming JRS so warmly.
*Catholic backing for Welby’s criticisms of the Illegal Migration Bill as “morally unacceptable”
20th May 2023: Sarah Teather, Director of JRS UK, describes the proposals as “grotesquely cruel and cravenly dishonest”.
Don’t have a Tablet subscription? – article only link
*Dr Sophie Cartwright comments on the Archbishop’s Statement (3:20 into the programme)
10th May 2023: Dr Sophie Cartwright, Senior Policy Officer at JRS UK, talks to Andrew Easton.
*UK will leave refugees in Limbo (Spanish)
27th April 2023: Churches in the UK criticise the Illegal Migration Bill that is making its way through British Parliament
*Jesuit Refugee Service UK finds asylum seekers housed at Napier Barracks still face serious problems, including a severe lack of legal advice
Electronic Immigration Network
3rd April 2023: A report released on 29 March by JRS UK highlights continuing issues with the use of Napier Barracks in Kent for asylum accommodation.
*JRS speaks to BBC R4 Sunday
2nd April 2023: Listen to former refugee Erfan & JRS Deputy Director Megan on @BBCR4Sunday at 30′ 50″ into the programme talking about conditions at Napier Barracks
*JRS report denounces inhumane treatment of asylum seekers in UK
30th March 2023: JRS UK releases a report on the inhumane conditions of residents in Napier Barracks, a disused ary base in Kent which has been converted into asylum accommodation. They are urging the British Government to close it and to provide asylum seekers with safe and dignified accommodation.
*Jesuit Refugee Service calls for closure of UK detention center for asylum seekers
30th March 2023: Britain’s leading Catholic refugee agency is calling for the closure of Napier Barracks, a former military base converted into a migration detention center.
*Government announcements and JRS UK’s wew report – ‘Napier Barracks: the inhumane reality’
29th March 2023: JRS UK’s Deputy Director, Megan Knowles, was on LBC talking to Shelagh Fogarty about the Napier Report and the Government’s latest shocking plans for refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. Listen to Megan from 03.38 minutes into the programme:
*Napier Barracks – Emblematic of Life in the Asylum System
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
29th March 2023: JRS UK have released an in-depth report into the experiences of people held in asylum camps in Napier Barracks as the Illegal Migration Bill progresses at haste through Parliament.
*JRS issues shocking report on conditions in Napier Barracks
29th March 2023: As the Illegal Migration Bill is being rushed through Parliament, the Jesuit Refugee Service UK has released a report on Napier Barracks, a former army base in Kent where asylum seekers are being held.
*Bishops emphasise dignity in new migrants document
14th March 2023: JRS UK has praised the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales’ latest publication, Love the Stranger, a Catholic response to refugees and migrants. Megan Knowles, Deputy Director, welcomes the document for offering “clear principles for a just and humane asylum system”.
*Social isolation and the search for sanctuary
14th March 2023: During the pandemic, JRS UK hosted a vaccine clinic at its centre for destitute asylum seekers, creating a safe environment for those wanting to access vaccines. Rhiannon Prideaux, former Accommodation and Emergency Response Manager, explains how JRS UK created a healthcare sanctuary for refugees and asylum seekers.
*JRS decries UK’s Illegal Migration Bill and calls for solidarity with migrants
8th March 2023: William Neal, Detention Outreach Caseworker at JRS UK, spoke to Vatican Radio about the Government’s proposed Illegal Migration Bill, and how its measures will punish refugees for the realities of being forcibly displaced.
*Catholic charity says UK plan to ban Channel migrants ‘unworkable’, ‘not rational’
7th March 2023: Sarah Teather, Director of JRS UK, said the proposed Illegal Migration Bill is the latest measure aiming to punish refugees for the realities of being forcibly displaced.
*Rishi Sunak’s plan for small boats ‘will lock up people fleeing war’
6th March 2023: Sarah Teather, Director of JRS UK, responds to and criticises the measures proposed in the new Illegal Migration Bill which was well-leaked over the weekend. She calls the proposals ‘unworkable’ and ‘not rational’, urging instead for the creation of ‘safe, accessible routes’ and ‘a culture of protection in our asylum system’.
*The UK’s welcome to Ukrainians should shape our whole refugee policy
22nd February 2023: On the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, Dr Sophie Cartwright, Senior Policy Officer at JRS UK, reflects on how Britain’s choices on refugee policy stand in sharp relief.
*Ukraine, refugees and church divisions will top the faith agenda in 2023
12th January 2023: JRS UK joined an online briefing hosted by the Religion Media Centre about the major stories for 2023. The workshop hosted a bishop, faith leaders, journalists and academics. Dr Sophie Cartwright, Senior Policy Officer at JRS UK, spoke about the increasing hositlity facing refugees in the UK, as well as the rise in the use of immigration detention
*Asylum seekers face ‘bleak’ cost of living crisis
3rd January 2023: The Jesuit Refugee Service UK is one of many charities calling for an end to the ban on asylum seekers finding work while awaiting status – especially now as prices increase.
*Jesuit Refugee Service will continue fight against Rwanda plan
20th December 2022: The Jesuit Refugee Service has pledged to continue to fight the government’s plan to forcibly remove asylum seekers to Rwanda, despite the High Court judgment that the policy is legal.
*JRS protests after High Court approves ‘cruel’ Rwanda plan
18th December 2022: Today, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) UK has renewed its calls for the government to end plans to forcibly transfer people seeking asylum to Rwanda, following a High Court Judgement that the plans – as laid out – are legal.
*JRS deplores asylum backlog plan
16th December: The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) UK has deplored the Prime Minister’s plan, announced on Tuesday, to clear a backlog of nearly 100,000 asylum claims by the end of 2023.
*JRS appeals for protection of refugees as UK government cracks down on asylum
14th December 2022: Megan Knowles, Interim Deputy Director at JRS UK, spoke to Vatican Radio about the latest government intentions for furthering a hostile asylum system, and how JRS will continue to work to create communities of hospitality and welcome.
*JRS UK condems PM plan to make asylum impossible
13th December 2022: The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) UK has excoriated the PM’s latest announcement doubling down on plans to make asylum impossible.
*Jesuit Refugee Service UK calls dumping migrants at London bus station ‘culmination of cruelty’
5th November 2022: A leading refugee organization has called the dumping of asylum seekers outside a bus station in London in the dead of night was the “culmination of so much cruelty” resulting from UK government’s “hostile environment” policy towards undocumented immigrants.
*A callous disregard for the vulnerable lies at the heart of the UK government
4th November 2022: Dr Sophie Cartwright, Senior Policy Officer at the Jesuit Refugee Service UK, discusses how the latest revelations of mistreatment of refugees reflect a deeply embedded government policy of intentional cruelty.
*JRS comment on attack at asylum processing centre
31st October 2022: Megan Knowles, Deputy Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service UK, comments on the petrol bomb attack on the asylum processing centre at Western Jet Foil.
*UK home secretary should dream of safe routes for refugees, say charities
31st October 2022: The Jesuit Refugee Service UK, along with 110 refuge charities, have called for a “kind and effective system” for those seeking asylum in the UK, in an open letter to Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
*Quasi-Detention: The Expansion of Dehumanising Border Spaces
12th October 2022: Guest post by Dr Sophie Cartwright. Sophie is the Senior Policy Officer at the Jesuit Refugee Service UK and a Research Associate at the Centre for Criminology. Sophie speaks about immigration detention in the UK.
*United Kingdom: Teather (Jesuit Refugee Service) challenges new immigration law. “Prevents refugees from finding a home”
4th October 2022: Sarah Teather, director of the “Jesuit Refugee Service UK”, comments on the new immigration law that the Home Secretary announced.
*United Kingdom: orange airplanes, 500 social and ecclesial realities against the deportation of refugees to Rwanda
INSIEME PER GLI ULTIMI
23 September 2022: JRS participating in Together With Refugees campaign of Filling the Skies With Hope, against the Rwanda plan.
*A Future with Migrants and Refugees: a challenge and hope
21 September 2022: Pope Francis invites us to build a better future with refugees; and Sophie shares a reflection about what this means in practice.
*Westminster Social Justice Forum Focus on welcoming refugees
18 September 2022: Saturday’s online meeting of the Westminster Social Justice and Peace Forum, with the theme, ‘To Accompany Refugees,’ heard inspirational stories from Catholic groups including JRS.
*Afghan refugees left in limbo by government
19 August 2022: JRS calls for Humane and protection for Afghan refugees through a joint letter.
*Signatory to Letter to The Times marking one year of the Taliban invasion of Afghanistan
15 August 2022: Signatory to Letter to The Times marking one year of the Taliban invasion of Afghanistan
Read more ( when you open the page scroll down to Afghan refugees to find the letter).
*Could you consider hosting a refugee in your home?
26 July 2022: Jesuit Refugee Services runs a hosting scheme, At Home, which facilitates short-term hosting placements for our refugee friends at risk of homelessness.
* JRS Condemns Government Rwanda Plans
25 July 2022: JRS has joined refugee charities in condemning the government’s ‘policy of deliberate harm’ against Rwanda.
*Refugee Befriending Programme-Jesuit Refugee Service
27 June 2022: Sharing about the JRS Befriending project which received a grant from Caritas Westminster.
*Mornings with Radio Maria
24 June 2022: Questions of Faith with Fr Dominic, Phil Kerton and our JRS volunteer Debbie O’Brien. They will also be sharing practical ways that the church is supporting in living out our mission as a church.
*Mornings with Radio Maria
24 June 2022: William Neal, Detention Outreach Caseworker at JRS UK, will be sharing the work JRS does with people who are held in detention, explain why they are held, what happens during the detention time and what happens when they leave detention, and how JRS supports them.
*Mornings with Radio Maria
23 June 2022: To celebrate World Refugee Day, Megan Knowles, Communications and Development Manager speaks about JRS and amplifying the voices of refugees through telling stories.
*Prayers for asylum seekers and others during refugee week
22 June 2022: Refugee week events and prayers and events across religious bodies and organisations.
*Mornings with Radio Maria
20 June 2022: To celebrate World Refugee Day, Rhiannon speaks to Radio Maria about what World Refugee Day means to JRS UK, and about our work supporting destitute asylum seekers.
*Refugee week on Radio Maria England
20 June 2022: Refugees Week is June 20th – 26th. Radio Maria England will be taking part by broadcasting speakers that are supporting refugees in England and around the world
*JRS welcomes European court ruling blocking UK deportations to Rwanda
6th May 2022: A statement from JRS about the work they do to help refugees amid the Rwanda plan procedures and about welcoming the European court ruling blocking UK deportations to Rwanda.
*The Nationality and Borders Act is now on the statute books – a time for grief, anger, and solidarity
2nd May 2022: A statement from JRS about the Nationality and Borders Bill.
*Faith groups criticise anti-refugee law
22nd April 2022: A detailed response to the Rwanda plan
*Why plans for removing asylum seekers to Rwanda are so cruel
22nd April 2022: Criticising the model of the Rwanda plan.
*JRS calls on government to protect not punish refugees
19th April 2022: JRS statement, which points out to the expense and impracticality of the Rwanda plan.
*UK plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda ‘morally reprehensible,’ Catholic agency says
15th April 2022: JRS UK objected to the announcement the Royal Navy will be used to try and stop migrants from crossing the English Channel, and the ongoing push to pass the Nationality and Borders Bill.
*JRS UK horrified by plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda
15th April 2022: Jesuit Refugee Services UK has responded to government plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing, with a statement.
*Charities condemn plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda
14th April 2022: Response to Rwanda Offshoring plans & Request from Charles Collins at Crux
*JRS renews call for end to degrading asylum camps
16th March 2022: JRS UK has renewed calls for an end to the use of military barracks as asylum accommodation in the wake of news that Penally Camp in Wales will close on 21st March.
*Forced migration from the Ukraine and the UK’s response
23rd March 2022: Op-Ed piece for the Tablet on UK’s response to the Ukraine crisis.
*UK government defeated on clause penalising refugees in Borders Bill
3rd March 2022: On Monday, 28 February, the House of Lords voted to exclude Clause 11, which would introduce ‘differential treatment of refugees’ from the Nationality and Borders Bill
*Operation mobilisation – JRS helping Ukrainian Refugees in Poland, BBC Sunday Programme
6th March 2022: Following the invasion of Ukraine, we organised interviews with Refugees in Poland and Fr Damian Czerniak SJ helping refugees arriving from Ukraine.
*Over 1000 faith leaders ‘horror’ at Nationality and Borders Bill
28th February 2022: More than a thousand faith leaders have written to the Prime Minister to express their horror at the Nationality and Borders Bill and to urge him to rethink the legislation.
*Asylum detention: A weight of responsibility
28th February 2022: On the feast of St Josephine Bakhita (8 February), William Neal, Detention Outreach Officer at JRS UK (CSAN member charity) reflects on what it means to accompany those who are held in detention.
*Donate your old smartphone and make a difference
11th January 2022: Donate your old smartphone to JRS to help them keep in touch with their family, friends, legal, medical and social services.
