As our political parties gear up for a surprise summer General Election on July 4th, organisations and groups working across the migration, refugee, homelessness and housing sectors are considering how best to engage with political decision-makers to ensure that refugee and migrants’ rights, and the issues that affect them, are high on the policy agenda for any incoming Government.  

NACCOM’s vision is for the UK to have a fair, just and humane asylum and immigration system, which enables people seeking asylum, refugees and other migrants to be free from destitution and to live with dignity and agency. But current policies, including those encompassed by the hostile environment and the Illegal Migration Act, are driving an increase in destitution, homelessness and hardship in refugee and migrant communities, as well as placing frontline voluntary sector organisations, including NACCOM members, under immense and unnecessary pressure.  

Whichever party wins, the General Election and post-election period presents an important opportunity for the NACCOM network and partners to make the case to change key, harmful policies that lead to destitution and homelessness. With any incoming Government, there is also the chance to reset and forge new, productive relationships with the voluntary and public sector, as well as those with lived experience, who stand ready to collaborate and provide evidence-based solutions that benefit and strengthen communities, rather than divide and weaken them. 

Read more about what an incoming Government needs to prioritise to end destitution, our key campaigning asks, and the powerful research, shaped and developed by NACCOM volunteers with lived experience of destitution and immigration control, that underpins our calls for change. 

** Check back in the coming weeks for additional commentary on the main party manifestos, and what they mean for our collective work to end destitution.**

What is NACCOM doing?

As the General Election approaches, NACCOM is working with partners and members, using insights and evidence from our network to highlight the scale and impact of destitution in the asylum and immigration system, and to present policy solutions to decision-makers from across the political spectrum. We’ll also be supporting our members to work with their communities and networks to make their voices heard.

Ending homelessness for all

NACCOM is working with Homeless Link on a Lloyds- funded national influencing project, which also involves collaboration with a wide-range of key partners across the homelessness, refugee and migration sectors, as well as NACCOM’s Community Researchers, to highlight the impact of homelessness amongst migrants, refugees and people in the asylum system. Our aim is to collectively put forward the policy solutions needed to ensure that homelessness can – and should – be ended for all, regardless of a person’s immigration status.

Central to this work are calls to extend the 56-day move-on period for everyone leaving asylum accommodation, extend the duty to refer to the Home Office, improve access to legal aid and advice, and create a cross-departmental taskforce to ensure greater collaboration and communication between all key Government departments, including the Home Office and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. As housing and homelessness are devolved issues, the project will involve the development of resources specific to devolved nations and their unique migration and homelessness contexts.  

Resources and actions:  

  • A Home for Everyone is Homeless Link’s General Election campaign calling on all political parties to commit to building a society with a Home For Everyone. The campaign includes a toolkit and communications pack for organisations to get involved in engaging local party candidates.

Creating a fair and humane asylum system

Through the Together with Refugees (TWR) coalition – which NACCOM helps to shape as a governance group member of the Asylum Reform Initiative (the TWR’s governing body) – we’re joining the call for a fair new plan for refugees that works for everyone. This powerful collective includes grassroots, community and refugee-led groups (including many NACCOM members), international development charities, trade unions and faith groups. Together, we’re urging decision-makers to create a fair, humane and workable asylum system that treats people with humanity and dignity, and respects their rights.  

Resources and actions:  

  • Fair Begins Here promise: Ahead of the General Election, organisations have been invited to sign the Fair Begins Here promise, to pledge their support, stand in solidarity with refugees, and take action to create a fairer asylum system.  
  • Refugee Week, 17th – 24th June: Organisations and individuals can also get involved in Refugee Week, which aims to celebrate and highlight refugee communities, and draw attention to some of the issues they face, through a week-long series of events and actions. This year’s theme is Our Home.  
  • Refugee Festival Scotland also runs between 17th – 24th June, highlighting and celebrating refugee communities in Scotland.  

Other campaigns and actions we’re supporting: 

Many of our members and partners have produced useful resources to enable frontline organisations and individuals to make their voices heard on key issues related to asylum, refugee protection, housing and homelessness in the run up to the General Election.  

NACCOM will continue to update our shared General Election resources folder (members only), and the resources list below, with relevant information as we near the General Election. If you cannot access the folder, please get in touch with Leon Elliott, NACCOM’s Policy and Research Coordinator. 

Asylum and refugee protection

➡️ Asylum Matters: The charity has published new General Election resources to help local groups to engage with prospective parliamentary candidates on the Fight the Anti-Refugee Laws campaign. The resources include;

➡️ Praxis have produced a guide to help change hearts and mind on migration, that explores how to have conversations with people on issues related to migration.

➡️ Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS): NACCOM member JRS has compiled some campaigning resources aligned to some key asks that NACCOM also supports, including the right to claim asylum and the right to work.

➡️ Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) has launched a manifesto for migrant justice, outlining a five-point vision to ensure that all those who migrate are treated fairly and humanely, through rights, safety, dignity, justice and community. They have also produced a set of resources for organisations to use to campaign around six central principles for migrant justice.

➡️ Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) have released a set of expectation aimed at politicians in the Greater Manchester region, to urge decision-makers in the next Government to consider

Homelessness and Housing

➡️ Shelter has produced resources including an MP email tool to empower organisations to contact their MPs/prospective MPs on key issues across housing and homelessness in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, including the critical need for more social housing.

➡️ Crisis is inviting supporters and activists to #MakeHistory and join the call to end homelessness, including signing an open letter to political party leaders urging them to commit to ending homelessness.

➡️ The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has produced a ten-point manifesto, and resources for CIH members ahead of the General Election, focussing on decent and affordable homes, including more social housing.

Other useful resources

➡️ Messaging guides

Language matters more than ever when talking about migration and asylum, which are already significant issues in the upcoming election, with both political debate and media coverage ramping up as we get closer to polling day. The below resources can be used to inform your thinking and help you frame effective communications and messaging aimed at key audiences, both pre- and post-General Election.

➡️ Empowering people to vote

Resources to understand who is eligible to vote and how;

➡️ Charities and election campaigning

Charities are regulated by strict rules around political campaigning, particularly during a ‘pre-election’ period, so it’s essential that you’re aware of your obligations and responsibilities.

➡️ Policy trackers

Resources to help you track what immigration and asylum policies parties are pledging if elected;