Support the Together with Refugees Week of Action: 18-24 October
Every day the Afghanistan crisis exposes the yawning gap between our government’s rhetoric of a ‘warm welcome’ for Afghan refugees and the treatment of people seeking asylum from Afghanistan and beyond in the current system. And it is showing how very much worse this would become if the Nationality and Borders Bill becomes law.That’s why #Together With Refugees Coalition is gearing up for a Week of Action as MPs return to Parliament after the party conferences, and the Bill moves to its next stage. Together With Refugees members and supporters can support this in three important ways:
- Organise a local Show Your Heart event on 20 October
Over the coming months we want to send a loud and clear message to the government that the public want the UK to offer protection to people forced to flee their homes – and reject the cruel approach of the Bill. We’re asking you to organise Show Your Heart mobilisation events to coincide with the rally on 20 October (see below) or, at some point during the Week of Action. This will send a loud message to MPs nationally and locally at a key moment – and help grow the Together With Refugees local mobilisation work as it builds over coming months. For ideas on how to do this see our Orange Heart webpage and campaign pack.
2.Write to your local MP asking for a meeting to discuss the Bill
Use the Week of Action and the return of Parliament as a ‘peg’ to write to your MP to raise your deep concerns about the Bill and request a meeting. You can use the guidance and template letter (page 18) in the campaign pack here.
3. Join the Welcome Refugees 2021 rally outside Parliament 4.30 to 6.30pm, 20 October
Together With Refugees’ members, Solidarity With Refugees, Sisters Not Strangers, One Strong Voice, Women for Refugee Women and IMIX are organising a rally for everyone ‘to show the Government that we oppose this Bill, and that we want to live in a humane and welcoming society’. We’d love to see many of you from across the Together With Refugees coalition there on the day. You can find more details here.
Let Together With Refugees know what you’re planning
The campaign coalition is hoping that members and wider City of Sanctuary networks will focus some of your activities around that week, and particularly 20 October, as we want to amplify all this grassroots campaigning to the wider public through the media and social media at national and local level. Whatever you do, and whatever stage of the campaign you are at, it will be great to have some kind of public activity then. So, if you’re organising campaign action during the week, do let #TogetherWithRefugees know what you are planning here.
Template media materials
Please find three template materials for the media:
- A ‘pre’ press release aimed at getting people to attend your event, such as a rally
- An invitation/planning notice to invite the media to attend your event and/or let them know it’s coming
- A ‘post’ press release to celebrate what happened at your event – aimed at showing decision makers the scale and depth of support from the public in your area
These are generic templates for you to amend to suit the activity you have planned. If you need additional support with your media materials, please email info@asylum-reform-initiative.
And please see this article on tips for media coverage and who to contact for support with getting local media attention and to ensure that Together With Refugees can ensure the widest possible coverage of actions through the week.