
27 March 2020 An Open Letter to the Prime Minister of the UK and the Taoiseach of Ireland
We call upon the British and Irish States to act immediately so that all undocumented, destitute and migrant people in the legal process in both the UK and Ireland are granted Status Now, as in Leave to Remain. In this way every human, irrespective of their nationality or citizenship can access healthcare, housing, food and the same sources of income from the State as everyone else.
This is the letter in full below – we have not yet received an answer:
RE: ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, HOUSING AND FOOD FOR ALL
#healthandsafetyforall
cc: UK Home Secretary and UK Health Secretary,
Irish Health Secretary and Irish Minister for Justice and Equality,
All UK MPs,
All Members of the Irish Parliament (the Oireachtas),
All Leaders and CEOs of Local Authorities and Health Services in the UK,
All CEOs of Councils and Health Services in Ireland,
Professor Neil Ferguson, Imperial College, London,
Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Ireland
Prof Ruairi Brugha, Professor of Public Health and Epidemiology, Ireland
Dear Sirs
RE: ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, HOUSING AND FOOD FOR ALL
We call upon the British and Irish States to act immediately so that all undocumented, destitute and migrant people in the legal process in both the UK and Ireland are granted Status Now, as in Leave to Remain. In this way every human, irrespective of their nationality or citizenship can access healthcare, housing, food and the same sources of income from the State as everyone else.
Everyone has the right to be in an environment where they can follow the Public Health directives necessary to limit COVID19 viral transmission to the absolute minimum and to care for themselves, their loved ones and their living and working communities.
It is imperative – being in everyone’s best interests – that the basic needs of all are met.
People living in extreme poverty and/or destitution and/or without immigration status in the UK or Ireland and/or without access to the NHS or the Irish Health System:
- Are unable to socially isolate as needed
- Cannot access health care, and income and other social support
- Cannot contribute openly and without fear, to making the population as safe as possible, alongside everyone else.
Key Points
- Currently, migrant people who are in the legal system cannot keep physically safe on their allowances, because those allowances don’t amount to enough money to eat healthily, or buy and apply appropriate cleaning materials, and many are living in accommodation where they cannot socially isolate as they may want and need to.
- People who are destitute and/or undocumented and living in the shadows fear what will happen to them if they identify themselves, cannot access healthcare, emergency shelter and food, nor report or seek protection from domestic violence, rape, exploitation and other abuses – levels of which are already rising.
Please direct your responses, as a matter of urgency obviously, to admin(at)rapar.org.uk
Yours sincerely,
ORGANISATION SIGNATORIES:
- African Global Voices Ltd
- Akwaaba – Sunday social centre for migrants in Hackney London
- All Africa Women’s Group
- Apoyo Comunitario Sur de Londres
- Asylum Welcome
- ATD Fourth World – All Together in Dignity to overcome poverty
- Banner Theatre
- Baobab Women’s Project
- BARA – Birmingham Asylum & Refugee Association
- BASW Cymru – British Association of Social Workers, Cymru
- BBM BritishBlackMusic.com/ BMC Black Music Congress
- Bent Bars Project
- BFAWU – Bakers’, Food & Allied Workers Union
- Black Women’s Rape Action Project
- Borderlands Charity
- Brighton Migrant Solidarity
- CARAG – Coventry Asylum and Refugee Action Group
- Central England Lipreading Support Trust
- Choose Love
- CivicLeicester
- Comhlámh
- Commonword
- Communities For All
- Coventry Against Racism
- CRoP – Camp Residents of Penally
- Croydon Refugee & New Communities Forum
- De Butterfly CIC Covering Greater Manchester
- diakon
- DocsNotCops
- Doncaster Conversation Club
- Dovetail
- DPAC – Disabled People Against Cuts
- Eagles Wings
- EHID – End Heathrow Immigration Detention
- EYST Wales – Ethnic Minorities and Youth Support Team, Wales
- FAF, GAF, LAFA and Feminist Fightback
- Filipino Domestic Workers Association – UK: FDWA-UK
- Gabriela London
- Glasgow Asylum Destitution Action Network
- GDWG – Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group
- Haringey Welcome
- Highly Skilled Migrants UK
- Inini Initiative Ltd
- Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants – JCWI
- JRS – Jesuit Refugee Service UK
- Kanlungan Filipino Consortium
- Kent Refugee Help
- Labour Campaign for Free Movement
- Legal Action for Women
- Leicester City Mayor and Council
- Leicester City of Sanctuary
- Leicester Quaker Meeting of Sanctuary
- Leicester Secular Society
- Lichfield City of Sanctuary
- Lichfield Quaker Meeting
- Lichfield Refugee Aid
- Magic for Smiles
- Manchester City of Sanctuary
- Maokwo
- MASI – Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland
- MedAct
- Medical Professionals in the UK Seeking Registration
- Middle East Solidarity Magazine
- Migrant Rights Centre of Ireland
- Migrant Voice
- MigrationUK CIC
- Migrants At Work Ltd.
- Migrants Organise
- Migrants Rights Network
- Migration Matters Festival
- MOJUK – Miscarriages of Justice UK
- MRRC – Manchester Refugee Rights Collective
- MU – Musicians Union
- Nanny Solidarity Network
- National Union of Journalists, Manchester and Salford Branch
- No Deportations – Residence Papers for All
- No Impunity for the Congolese State organisation (NICS)
- Nottingham Refugee and Asylum Seeker Friendship and Solidarity Group
- Oldham Unity
- Payday Men’s Network
- Positive Action in Housing
- Poverty Truth Community
- Power Of The Mind Networks
- PPR – Participation and the Practice of Rights
- Project 17
- Public Interest Law Centre
- Quaker Asylum and Refugee Network – QARN
- Race on the Agenda
- RADAR – Rochdale Action on Destitution with Asylum Seekers and Refugees
- RAPAR – Refugee and Asylum Participatory Action Research
- Reclaim the Power
- Regularise
- Remodel
- Samphire
- SARAG – Scottish Asylum and Refugee Action Group
- Sheba Arts
- Social Scientists Against the Hostile Environment
- Southeast and East Asian Centre (London)
- St Nicholas of Tolentino RC Church, Bristol
- Stand Up To Racism
- STAR Student Action for Refugees
- Sussex Refugees and Migrants Self-Support Group
- SYMAAG – South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group
- The BaRE UK
- The3Million
- Thousand4Thousand
- Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association – TSSA
- Ubuntu Women Shelter
- Undod
- Wai Yin Society
- WAST – Women Asylum Seekers Together, Manchester
- WoMen Against Rape
- Women of Colour/ Global Women’s Strike