More than 100 British charities have jointly called on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to shift the focus away from blaming migrants and instead tackle deeper, systemic challenges facing the UK. In a letter sent ahead of her speech at Labour’s conference in Liverpool, the organisations urged the government to abandon “performative policies” that harm vulnerable communities without delivering meaningful change.
The coalition – including prominent names such as Save the Children, Oxfam, Shelter, Mind, Greenpeace, and several migrant and anti-racism groups – insists that targeting refugees and asylum seekers does nothing to solve crises in health care, affordable housing, local government funding, or climate resilience.
“Targeting refugees will do nothing to tackle these structural issues or improve people’s lives. It only serves as a dangerous smokescreen,” the letter states. The charities urged the Home Office to benefit from the perspectives of local authorities, frontline charities, and migrant communities in crafting durable solutions.
They raised concern over recent protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers and large far-right rallies in London, warning these events highlight the dangers of inflaming public tensions.
Tim Naor Hilton, chief executive of Refugee Action, described the letter as evidence that “blaming people seeking asylum for problems not created by them has huge consequences across all parts of society.”
A Home Office spokesperson defended the government’s approach, stating that “secure borders are an essential part of being a tolerant, open, generous country,” and committing to explore options for immigration reform.
