On Monday, activists, anti-racists and refugee rights campaigners gathered outside the Home Office in London for a large-scale protest under the slogan “Stop the Hate”.
The protesters organised the action to express strong opposition to the UK’s migration policy, especially in the wake of the sad incident involving the controversial Bibby Stockholm barge, which was allocated by the government to house migrants.
The protest was sparked by a tragic death last week, further fuelling fears about the treatment of migrants under the current policy. An asylum seeker recently died on the Bibby Stockholm vessel at the centre of the controversy. Weyman Bennett, co-convenor of Stand Up To Racism, expressed profound concern over recent developments. He claimed:
“While our hearts broke watching the news of more lives lost as a result of the racist borders policy, (Prime Minister Rishi) Sunak forced through legislation seeking to override the court’s ruling that the Rwanda plan was illegal.”
He was referring to the government’s controversial emergency legislation to speed up the process of declaring Rwanda a safe haven for asylum seekers, despite the Supreme Court ruling against the original plan last month.
Under the facilitation of the Rwanda plan, people identified by London as illegal immigrants or asylum seekers would be moved to the east African country for processing, asylum and resettlement.
Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn joined the protest, drawing a link between Britain’s military operations and the displacement of countless people. He noted:
“Every single one of those that have come from a war-torn country Britain had been involved in bombing and the war in that particular country.”
The protesters, who were not deterred by recent legislative measures, demanded a more compassionate and inclusive approach to refugees and migrants. Charlotte Khan, project manager of Care4Calais said:
“We are not going to let this government bully us or overwhelm us into silence. We will not stop shouting from the top of our lungs that people seeking safety should be welcomed with compassion and dignity.”
The Rwanda plan, struck in April 2022 by then Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is designed to deter asylum seekers from making the dangerous journey of about 20 miles (32 km) across the Channel from Europe in small boats or inflatable dinghies to England’s southern beaches.
Last year, a record 45,775 people were detected arriving without permission in Britain in this way. So far this year, more than 27,000 have arrived on small boats.
