Take Action: Family Reunion
Help us to protect the rights of child refugees in Europe being reunited with family in the UK
The Immigration and Social Security (EU Withdrawal) Bill 2020 represents a crucial opportunity to ensure family reunion rights are protected in primary legislation, and avoid children losing this vital route to sanctuary as a result of the Brexit negotiations.
Hummingbird Project joins Safe Passage to ask MPs to stand up for children and families by supporting cross-party amendment NC29, which seeks to protect family reunion and preserve safe and legal routes to the UK for children who do not have family here.
The Hummingbird and Safe Passage Young Leaders have made this powerful video and need help getting it to Boris Johnson, Priti Patel and MP's. Can you help them?
How Can You Help
Here are THREE ACTIONS you can take today, to help make this campaign a sucess.
- Share the video on social media (using post text below)
- Write to your MP (using the letter below)
- Tweet your MP (using the text below)
Tweet: Young people are seriously concerned about the new #ImmigrationBill! Watch this video from Young Leaders from @safepassageuk & @hummingbirdbtn as they explain why! They would like to meet with @pritipatel & @BorisJohnson! (Please tag your MP!) https://youtu.be/oOQDy78K8cE
Facebook/social media: Watch this moving video written and filmed by Young Leaders of Safe Passage and Hummingbird Refugee Project!
They want to let Boris Johnson, Priti Patel know that they are concerned about the new #ImmigrationBill! Will you help them?
Please write to your MP’s and share this video with them <3 https://youtu.be/oOQDy78K8cE
Writing to your MP: Copy and paste the below, then email or post it to your MP using our lookup tool below.
(Thanks to Safe PAssaging for drafting this excellent letter!)
Dear [recipient name will go here],
Please watch this short video from Young Leaders from the Hummingbird Refugee Project and Safe Passage https://youtu.be/oOQDy78K8cE
I am writing to you to ask you to support Amendment NC29 to the Immigration Bill - supported by Conservative, Labour, SNP and Liberal Democrat MPs - by adding your name and voting for it on Tuesday 30 June.
Without this amendment, I am deeply worried that at the end of the Brexit transition period, child refugees in Europe will lose the ability to reunite with family members in the UK. Coupled with the recent closing of the 'Dubs' scheme, we are facing a situation where child refugees have no safe, legal routes to the UK, pushing them into the hands of people smugglers.
When it removed family reunion protections in the EU Bill in January 2020, the UK Government promised to protect child refugees in its negotiations with the EU. However the draft negotiating text (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/886020/DRAFT_Agreement_on_the_transfer_of_unaccompanied_asylum-seeking_children.pdf) would mean the end of family reunion as we know it. It is discretionary, is missing essential protections, and could leave hundreds of refugees left stranded in camps despite having family here in the UK.
Amendment NC29 would secure these rights for child and vulnerable refugees, as well as ensuring a replacement for the 'Dubs' scheme.
I understand that last winter, Ministers told Conservative MPs that the Government intended to replace the protections removed in January in this Immigration Bill. The Prime Minister also said in the Commons that he was committed to receiving unaccompanied children. But now the Bill is here, and there is nothing for child refugees.
I therefore ask you to please stand up for child refugees by backing Amendment NC29 and giving children a safe, legal alternative to risking their lives in a lorry.
Sincerely,
[....YOUT NAME.....]
PS:
250+ faith leaders recently wrote to the Prime Minister about this issue just last week. You can read more about it in the Daily Mail here: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8441221/Former-Archbishop-Canterbury-faith-leaders-calling-lone-migrant-children-protection.html.
Tim Loughton MP and Yvette Cooper MP also set out the reasons for this amendment in the Times here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/child-refugees-could-lose-their-safest-routes-to-sanctuary-h2hmthlnx