On Monday 19th July 2021, Regularise, in collaboration with Voice of Immigrants UK, Kanlungan Filipino Consortium, Migrant Voice and Southeast and East Asian Centre (SEEAC), organised and supported a peaceful demonstration outside number 10 Downing Street in solidarity with all undocumented migrants living in the UK. The demonstration was called for by Voice of Immigrants UK, a grassroots group of migrants that Regularise also supported at a demonstration for the rights of undocumented migrants in August 2020 outside number 10 Downing Street.
The demonstration was held on a day coinciding with the parliamentary debate on the urgent and immediate regularisation of undocumented migrants, resulting from a petition that was signed by 103,440 people in the UK. According to migrant rights activist, Meena Ali, who set up the petition, the status of undocumented people living in the UK must be regularised and rights granted “to enable them to live their lives as decent human beings and help the Country economically”. The petition also called for the UK Government to grant a pathway to citizenship to all undocumented migrants whose home is the UK “since the migrants are already in the UK, it would not only be cost effective but would make sense to keep them in the UK and grant them citizenship so that they are granted their basic human rights.”
During the demonstration, we had speakers from Filipino Domestic Workers Association, Kanlungan Filipino Consortium, Regularise, Status Now Network London, We Demand Safe Bangladesh UK, Zimbabwe Community United, Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation and more. Speakers included people with lived experience speaking about their struggles and why it’s important for rights to be granted, and to also end the cruel and unjust detention and deportation of people whose home is the UK.
We appreciate all those who attended, participated and supported the solidarity rally on the day, and all who signed the petition and wrote to their MPs to attend the debate in support of granting rights to undocumented people, and a safe and more equitable path to settlement and citizenship!
You can read our update, highlights and commentary on the debate here. You can also watch a recording of the debate on YouTube or read the full transcript on the UK Parliament website.
Get in contact if you would like to collaborate with us on future actions at solidarity@regularise.org . Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
#Rights4Undocs #PathwaytoCitizenship #WeAreHomeUK #StandUpForMigrants
About Regularise
Regularise are a grassroots collective of migrants, British citizens and allies campaigning
for the UK government to implement a regularisation scheme for all undocumented
migrants and migrants with insecure status in the UK.
The regularisation scheme must allow undocumented migrants who have lived in the UK
for at least 5 years to be able to apply for settlement (Indefinite Leave To Remain) and
those who have lived here for less than 5 years to be given a ‘right to remain’ similar to
the pre-settled status in the EU Settlement Scheme that will allow them to apply for
settlement after they reach the same period of ‘continuous residence’ (5 Years).
Regularising undocumented migrants will grant these marginalised members of British
society some fundamental rights including being able to work and access housing safely,
and access health services without fear. This will mean that they can live with dignity and
participate in society fully. Regularising undocumented migrants will ensure that they gain
a safe, lawful and defined route to settlement in the UK.
We were founded in 2019 and have been campaigning since early 2020.