At Praxis we support people to speak out on the issues that affect them, challenging negative perceptions of migration and influencing those in power to create lasting, systemic change to policy and practice.
“I knew my voice would get heard, regardless of what was going on in my life.”
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Members of Praxis’ youth group Brighter Futures were invited to speak at the House of Lords Covid19 Select Committee, to share their views on how to better build back society post Covid-19. They used this platform to advocate for a future where people are not discriminated on the basis of where they or their parents were born, and where everyone has the chance to achieve their full potential. The group subsequently worked together in a series of workshops to create and curate their lockdown art and reflections into a collection entitled: A Migrant’s Covid Journal: A reflection on a selection of covid art from young migrants
Members of Praxis’ groups were invited to speak at two different events hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group on No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF).
Group members spoke to the impact of NPRF on their lives. Members of the group for mothers WINGS later turned their contribution into a series of blogs, where they spoke to the intersectionality between hostile environment policies and structural racism.
“Access to a safety net should not be a privilege but a basic human right.”
In 2020 a Brighter Futures member was featured in a BBC News article on the barriers faced by those who are young and undocumented, which was engaged with by over 1 million people. Another member of both Brighter Futures followed this with an interview on Radio 1 Extra podcast hosted by BBC. After listening to their interview on Radio 1 Extra, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan personally thanked Brighter Futures members for their work advocating for a fairer system for young migrants.
“Thank you to the brave young Londoners of We Belong and Brighter Futures who spoke up about their experiences in this interview and are advocating for a fairer system for all undocumented young people.”
“I can honestly say it was one of the most impactful and moving sessions we have had so far …people on the call will not have been aware beforehand of how hostile environment measures are impacting upon young people... the young people who spoke, they were really eloquent and impactful.here quote on speaking up”
Our NRPF Campaign: Ensure everyone has access to a safety net
At Praxis we believe that everyone should be able to access support when they are in need, regardless of their immigration status. However, the No Recourse to Public Funds condition prevents many people from accessing state-funded support when they’re in crisis.
Evidence shows this policy has devastating consequences: it traps people into a cycle of poverty, leaves children hungry, has a disproportionate impact on women, people of colour and people with disabilities, and it leaves survivors of domestic abuse unprotected. The pandemic has amplified the effects of this policy, hitting those who were already the most vulnerable, hardest.
In 2020, Praxis started work on a campaign co-produced with people with lived experience of the immigration system to challenge the NRPF condition. This campaign aims to a) build a movement for the abolition of NRPF b) create lived experience leaders for change c) improve local authority practice in working with people with NRPF and d) secure commitment to change from decision makers and influencers. We will collaborate with people across and outside the migration sector to synchronise campaigning efforts, gather stories and data to disseminate and align on messaging and priorities.
“We will continue the fight”
“Covid is affecting migrants more than other people – because of No Recourse to Public Funds, migrants can’t get help even during the pandemic, we have fewer resources; it’s making people homeless; it’s giving mental illnesses. And for people seeking asylum, all they can do is sit at home, they don’t have internet, they can’t work, they can’t do anything.
The world should be different, whether you are a migrant or not, the same rules should apply to everyone. Why can’t we get support when we need it? Why can’t we work if we are able to?
Many people don’t know about what we go through, it’s not that they hate migrants, it’s just that they don’t know what’s going on, and when you talk to them about our lives they are so surprised - it’s so important to educate, and we won’t stop doing it.
We will continue the fight – we will campaign to end NRPF, we will write articles, we will educate other people. We need to educate anyone who can help us enable change.”