Praxis Media Page

For any questions, to book interviews or request background information on any migration-related issue, please get in touch with Praxis’ Media and Stories Coordinator Laura Stahnke at laura.stahnke@praxis.org.uk or get in touch by phone on 07862007367

What we do

Praxis is a human rights charity that has been supporting migrants and refugees since 1983. Every year, we support 2,000+ people through our frontline services - including legal advice, immigration casework, welfare support and peer support groups.

At Praxis we use the evidence from our frontline work to illustrate the impact of hostile immigration rules and to influence policy and practices.

We advocate for a world where people are not defined by their immigration status and everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

Who we support

We support people penalised by a punitive migration system, such as families forced into destitution by extortionate Home Office fees; survivors of domestic violence who have nowhere to turn to because of their immigration status; young people stuck in the asylum system, waiting for years for the Home Office to make a decision on their case.

We have developed a strong expertise in migrant homelessness. Through outreach and extensive casework we support people to access vital papers and the services they need to get back on their feet.

We work with and train local authorities, service providers and homeless charities to improve their practices in supporting people with a migrant background.

What we can help you with

We have been working with journalists from printed, TV, radio and online outlets for years, providing insight on a number of migration-related issues.

We can support with most migration-related issues, including:

• asylum and refugee issues;

• channel crossing and deportation deal with Rwanda;

• Windrush;

• domestic violence;

• the hostile environment;

• impact of migration policies on specific groups, including young people, women and single parents;

• relation between migration policies and issues including destitution, homelessness, racism

• policies we hold specific expertise on include No Recourse to Public Funds; the 10-year-route; the Nationality and Borders Act

If you have questions on other issues please do still get in touch.

We will be happy to help you with:

• background information, policy analysis and dedicated briefings;

• interviews with people with lived experience and/or members of staff;

• hard data and figures and other evidence from our front-line services.

In the Media

Praxis first gained widespread media attention and recognition for its vital work when we played a key role in uncovering the Windrush scandal in 2018 and 2019. By working very closely with journalists as Amelia Gentleman (The Guardian), Simon Israel (Channel 4) and Adina Campbell (BBC News) among others we exposed the true extent of the scandal.

Our expertise and experience in supporting victims of the scandal through legal advice was key in demonstrating the true nature and impact of the scandal, and ultimately in securing policy change.

Since then, Praxis has been collaborating with dozens of outlets and publications. Recent examples of our media work include:

• Collaborating with BBC Panorama and The Guardian on documentaries on the impact of migration policies on people in the UK, providing policy expertise as well as sourcing spokespeople;

• Providing hard data and figures coming from our front-line casework on the impact of specific migration policies - such as in this piece with New Statesman;

• Commenting on policies and legislation as new, time sensitive developments are announced - like in this live interview with Times Radio;

• Sourcing strong case studies and experts by experience - like in this piece with The Mirror;

• Op-eds by experts by experience of migration policies in Metro and The Independent;

• Working on articles and op-eds with sector specific publications, such as business oriented outlet Raconteur, faith-based publication Church Times, legal publication Free Movement and education-focused outlet School Week on issues close to their audiences.

Benefiting from an unique wealth of evidence coming from our front-line services, Praxis can offer a diverse range of spokespeople - including people with lived experience of the migration system.

You can see a list of our recent press releases here.

Spokespeople: experts by experience

We support people with lived experience of the migration system to speak with journalists on a number of issues, depending on their experience and expertise and on the needs of the media agenda.

Experts by experience are supported by staff members throughout the process of engaging with journalist - which ensures that at the interview stage they will feel ready and confident.

We work both with people who have engaged with the media a number of times, and therefore have more in depth experience as spokespeople; and with people who have never engaged with the media before - thus securing fresh and exclusive stories.

Spokespeople: members of staff

Our staff members have a unique wealth of experience in migration issues - both from policy and practical perspectives. Interviews can be arranged with a number of spokespeople, depending on the need for the piece.

Staff members available for interviews include

Get in touch

For any questions, to book interviews or request background information on any migration-related issue, please get in touch with Praxis’ Media and Stories Coordinator Laura Stahnke at laura.stahnke@praxis.org.uk or get in touch by phone on 07862007367