We keep each other safe – a guide for migrants in the UK
A negative shift in how migrants, including refugees and people seeking asylum, are viewed in the UK has been documented in research, including VISION work, and media. Rhetoric about migration has become more aggressive and emboldened racist demonstrations and attacks on asylum accommodation.
VISION partnered with Migrants’ Rights Network (MRN) to co-develop a research project with migrants that maps experiences of harm and identifies community-led safety strategies. The research centred on two cities, London and Belfast, working with communities who have experience of the asylum system / no recourse to public funds. Through a series of focus groups and workshops, migrants shared their experiences of far-right violence, and how they are already keeping themselves and each other safe.
The project brings together MRN’s narrative work, which actively challenges disinformation about migration, while trying to better understand and document the impact of hostile language on people currently in the immigration system.
The key findings and themes of the research are:
- Impact on mental health and change in behaviours
- Role of the state in making migrants unsafe, and low trust in institutions
- Everyone is experiencing it, but no one is talking about it
- We keep each other safe – what are we already doing, and what else can we do together
These insights coalesced into a free workbook available for downloading on the MRN website. The practical guide is for migrants in the UK co-developed with migrants and migrant-led organisations. It features shared knowledge, scenarios, and messages of solidarity.
To download the free resource: We keep each other safe workbook: Migrant community insights on building safety
For further information on the VISION – MRN collaboration, please see the blog, Understanding Violence: The risks for migrants with rising far-right fascism, written by Aya Khedairi, MRN Community Engagement Manager.
AI photo from Adobe Stock subscription
