More than 200 refugee organisations, charities, and trade unions have issued an open letter calling on Britain’s political leaders to confront the “pernicious and insidious currents” of racism and hatred driving UK refugee protests.
The letter, coordinated by the campaign coalition Together With Refugees, was signed by major organisations including Amnesty International UK, City of Sanctuary UK, Care4Calais, Doctors of the World, the End Violence Against Women Coalition, Freedom from Torture, Islamic Relief, Oxfam, the Public and Commercial Services Union, Refugee Action, and Safe Passage.
It was written in response to weeks of demonstrations outside asylum seeker hotels across the UK, many of which have been met by counter-protests from anti-racism activists.
Concerns Over Political Rhetoric and Misinformation
The protests have intensified amid inflammatory rhetoric and disputed claims from political figures, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and senior Conservative MP Robert Jenrick. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also faced criticism for past comments warning Britain could become an “island of strangers.”
Jenrick sparked fresh outrage over the weekend by claiming that mass migration endangered women and girls, citing controversial statistics about sexual assault in London — figures that have been challenged by fact-checkers. Reform UK further claimed that asylum seekers from Muslim countries pose a threat to women’s safety, with MP Sarah Pochin alleging that small-boat arrivals hold “medieval views.”
Call for Unity and Compassion
In their letter, the charities wrote:
“Anti-refugee protests across the country have been distressing to witness, with echoes of last summer’s riots making them all the more alarming. The responsibility to end divisive politics, racist rhetoric, and demonising language is yours. Only then will you bring unity instead of division and cohesion rather than hate.”
They stressed that refugees often arrive in the UK after experiencing severe trauma, including torture, and deserve compassion, not hostility.
Sonya Sceats, CEO of Freedom from Torture, said:
“To meet with hate on the streets of Britain, whipped up by politicians for their own ends, makes survivors feel hunted again. This isn’t who we are as a country.”
Public Support Outweighs Hostility
Across the country, counter-protesters have often outnumbered anti-refugee demonstrators. In Bristol on Saturday, an estimated 400 people rallied in support of refugees compared with around 50 in the opposing group.
Jo Benefield of Bristol Defend the Asylum Seekers Campaign said local communities are showing solidarity, recalling that last summer, counter-protesters protected hotel residents until police arrived.
Tim Naor Hilton, CEO of Refugee Action, urged politicians and media outlets to stop “vicious and relentless attacks” on asylum seekers, and instead strengthen “resilient and welcoming communities.”
Demand for a National Refugee Strategy
Together With Refugees, the largest pro-refugee coalition in UK history, is urging leaders to:
• Honour the UK’s obligations under international law to the right to claim asylum
• Create a strategy for welcoming refugees
• Work with international partners to address the root causes of displacement
The coalition insists that compassion, not division, should define Britain’s response to those seeking safety.
