BLOG: People, power and priorities: Challenges and opportunities in the refugee and migration sector
UK refugee and migration NGOs are growing in number but so, too, are the social and financial challenges they face.
This blog post outlines some of the key takeaways from our July 2023 report, and how a resilient sector can move beyond rapid response and towards securing long-term change.
Overall public attitudes towards migration in the UK are positive, but in contrast, a slew of legislation by the government continues to target people on the move. NGOs in the refugee and migration sector are being besieged by harmful policies designed to cause fear and suffering. With the introduction of the new ‘Illegal Migration’ Act, and life-saving asylum and trafficking protections being removed, it is no surprise that NGOs find themselves forced into ‘firefighting’ rather than ‘setting the agenda’.
Our report People, power and priorities (July 2023) profiles a resilient and committed sector, but pinpoints how its work could be more structurally collaborative, meaningfully informed by people with lived experience, and able to move towards a future in which the rights and dignity of people are secured.
In this blog, we outline some key priorities identified in our research, drawing on the data, views and experiences of a large number of organisations and the people who drive them forward.