Profoundly unhelpful and flat out untrue. No parent would endure the misery of the ECHP system unless they felt it was really necessary.
Immigration flavoured children's rights researcher, lawyer in a past life. Also geekery various. "Gary Sherman's Nemesis" (Abertoir, 2023) Almost certainly not in the mood for this. https://linktr.ee/SianP
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Profoundly unhelpful and flat out untrue. No parent would endure the misery of the ECHP system unless they felt it was really necessary.
Oes rhywun yn gwybod am lyfr neu adnodd am ysgrifennu llythyrau/e-byst yn y Gymraeg? #cymraeg
This is an incredible thread
Guys guys guys, you'll never believe this - race blind casting for Saxons in the BBC King & Conqueror is Geoffrey of Monmouth's fault. Historia Regum Britanniae is WOKE
Here is our guide to making refugee family reunion applications: freemovement.org.uk/refugee-fami...
Thinking about "who is the real villain in Frankenstein?" discourse and the trouble I think is that I don't think Mary Shelley was all that interested in who is the baddie.
I really couldn't be more excited about presenting at this next month: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/meeting-of...
My latest blog post is a detailed invitation to join a research network devoted to critical pedagogies of race and imperialism in law. In it, I outline who its organisers are, the reasons why we have set up the network,and what we hope to achieve in it. Welcome! folukeafrica.com/invitation-t...
This story might be worth bearing in mind next time shadow justice secretary @robertjenrickmp.bsky.social talks about law and order😐 From today's Northern Agenda newsletter, great scoop by @paddyedrich.bsky.social in the Liverpool Echo 1/2
Speaking about this government's attack on international students seeking asylum, Nazek Ramadan, director of Migrant Voice, calls it “yet another example of this government attempting to scare people who have come to this country”. www.bigissue.com/news/interna...
Everyday is Halloween when you have Halloween in your heart.
In other news, Showcase just offered me a cream tea with my ticket for the Conjuring. I was sorely tempted.
Long thread: There are two main "defences" I see put forward of Labour which crop up: 1) If you don't vote for Labour you'll get Reform 2) It's all the fault of right wing media painting Labour in a bad light. The thing is that neither of these are actually a defence of what Labour is doing. 1/23
📣📣 Our Head of Campaigning explains in @bylinetimes.bsky.social how Labour's suspension of family reunion is cruel, self-defeating, unprincipled and plays right into Reform's hands. Labour must reverse this and recognise that refugee families need to be together. bylinetimes.com/2025/09/03/t...
Polanski does incredibly well here but it should never cease to amaze us that what passes for journalism in this country is being hectored by the husband of the Home Secretary
Every time Ed Balls interviews an opposition politician, especially where he’s implying it would be mean of said politician to take seats from Labour, there should be a written message on screen explaining that he is married to the current Labour Home Secretary. This is just outrageous.
Remember that what they are actually saying is that people should be removed to face torture and persecution
Not a single Reform UK MP attended today's Commons statement on child rape gangs.
Cooper revs up the bus as Starmer looks around for which marginalised groups to throw under it next to boost his polling.
Apparently Guillermo Del Toro has ruined Frankenstein by… being relatively faithful to the source material. Oh my.
Sent a rather angry email to a consultant who, after 2 months of chasing, refuses to provide a supporting letter on how the current accomodation is unsuitable. Said in one line to ask the GP, completely ignoring my explanation as to why that would not be as good.
This whole 🧵 explains, once again, for those willing to hear it, why UK (& US) asylum processes are dysfunctional & also how eminently fixable they are, in service of both asylum-seekers & recipient communities — if politicians just had the courage & desire to do so.
You can't get this expertise on Twitter.
Asylum protests vs the local park run. @lgeraghty23.bsky.social runs the numbers for the Big Issue www.bigissue.com/news/social-...
The Conservatives' Chris Philp has asked an Urgent Question on rape gangs. NPCC data indicates that 85% of child rape gang suspects are white. 3.9% of suspects are of Pakistani-origin. Philp's statement only mentioned crimes committed by "Pakistani", "Muslim" and "illegal immigrant" men.
you can’t just *oppose* Reform that’s cheating!
I look forward to every media outlet that platformed Nigel Farage and Reform for the entire summer now giving us wall-to-wall coverage of Zack Polanski and The Greens.
We've got an open goal for the Greens round here in terms of the seemingly intractable coal tip problem, but I don't think it's on anyone's radar.
For me they are still struggling with issues linked to economic deprivation (and their welsh language policies are a bit of a mess). They sent a candidate from the Vale of Glamorgan to stand in Merthyr, who was very nice but didn't seem to get that this was probably going to play badly.
Debating giving them another go.
I know Twitter used to be AMAZING for this kind of thing, so will try here. Can anyone make out what's written in the margins? Over two photos - sorry, it's as good as I can make it.
In this podcast, I mention the initiation song of the Welsh revivalist Society of Cymmrodorion, which celebrated imperial naval victories in the Seven Years' War, portraying them as an Anglo-Welsh collaboration. Far from anti-colonial, sadly! Here's the original and translation from the book
sending solidarity
Without speaking for other human rights advocates, such as @zoejardiniere.bsky.social and @laurenhstarkey.bsky.social et al, but I think it's safe to say we are all knackered. I know there are good Labour MPs out there, we need to hear from them against this government's incessant hostile policies.
When politicians say they “get” the concerns about asylum seeker (AS) accommodation which of the commonly-expressed concerns do they “get”: -AS pose a danger to children in nearby schools? -AS will attack women? -AS will overwhelm our culture? -AS will take jobs and housing from “natives”?
‘these are real people's lives, their families, their children’ I’ve been trying to think of something intelligible to say about yesterday’s announcement. In reading Kelly’s piece I’ve realised that I’m struggling for words because the policy is so unfathomably cruel. People will die because of it.
Nicola Kelly: How the small boats crisis convulsed Britain With talk of mass deportations entering our politics, the human victims of a broken system are being forgotten. @nicolakellywrites.bsky.social
There’s multiple reasons why you might claim asylum after coming as a student- you always intended to & the student visa was your only escape, you became politically active here, your family found out you’re gay- but bad luck, the UK govt is making an example of you to prove to racists they “get it”
Until now, family reunion has been one of the only safe and legal routes available that allows refugees fleeing war and persecution to be reunited with their partner and children. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Another day, yet ANOTHER stupid, pointless announcement on immigration from this stupid pointless government. Today: you are a student - we're going to write you a stern letter about how you better not be thinking of staying! Insanity. Racist, cowardly, insanity. #r4today
Just reported: a court judgment case with probably the most intriguing first line in UK judicial history: (I can't lie to you; it gets more boring very quickly. But then it gets intriguing again, I promise.)
Anyone who says that immigration lawyers love profiting from immigration has never met an immigration lawyer. We hate the heartless, gutless cruelty we have to deal with every day. We could make a lot more money doing literally any other kind of law (except maybe criminal legal aid, to be fair.)
Sickening footage from Nuneaton tonight, where a Sky News interview with a local businessman was disrupted by racists hurling abuse. Another local said, "Warwickshire Council Council has gone to Reform... It's given certain people a licence to be aggressive and racist."
"Stand down boys, put the flags and crusader costumes away! Yvette is introducing a new independent body to deal with immigration and asylum appeals fully independent of government, staffed by professionally trained adjudicators! Vote Labour!"
Yvette Cooper: "We're bringing forward new immigration rules this week to temporarily suspend new applications under the existing dedicated refugee family reunion route" and "Refugees will be covered by the same family migration rules and conditions as everyone else". Shameful and appalling.
Labour's latest act of pure cruelty in talking about further restricting family reunification routes is a perfect example of making things worse. When you close these routes you don't change why people seek asylum in the UK, you just force them to use irregular routes to do so. #r4today 7/
It is also important to recognise that actually seeking asylum, of which about 99% of those crossing the channel do, is not only not illegal, no matter the route, but also a secondary consideration to actually being reunited with families or communities. 8/
A thread of just some of the times Home Secretary Yvette Cooper passionately advocated for family reunification.🧵
I mean mine seems to spend his days running housing disrepair cases and advertising charity coffee mornings...
And while you’re about it, explain this in terms which do the government credit
😡😡😡 Today is a day of national shame. Every single politician who supports Labour suspending #familyreunion for refugees should hang their heads in shame. We'll say it loud and proud, #refugeeswelcome
Rather than absolutely, and unquestionably, caving to the far-right and Reform, Labour could be implementing genuine, humane, policies, which ensure people aren't forced into using channel crossings, and actually help communities as a whole. 5/ bsky.app/profile/dani...
Sorry, but wtaf? This does absolutely nothing but ensure that even more people, including children, have to use irregular crossings, and blocks people who even this government have recognised are refugees from being with their families. This is utterly sickening from Labour. 1/
Even from the relative distance of my research attic I'm reeling at what's coming out of parliament. Sending solidarity to refugee communities and those who support them.
And I know moral panics don't carry 'morality' in that sense, I just couldn't deal with even referring to it in that sense. I'm tamping.
Absolutely noone has asked for this, these are tiny numbers and this is a craven and cruel knee jerk to an entirely manufactured immoral panic.
100%👇, people will act on this, *whilst also still despising the government because they don’t believe they’re racist enough*
Christ, the actual question and answer are even worse than the BBC report makes them look, if that’s at all possible
Oh nothing, just the actual Prime Minister telling people they’re entirely correct to drive asylum seekers out of their communities
"I'm a supporter of flags" What...
Another day, another utterly shameful cruelty against refugees announced. Recognised refugees - so people granted the long term right to stay in the UK because they have escaped real danger - will face new barriers to reuniting with spouses & children safely in the UK #r4todat
being taken out by storm lilith: mythic. biblical. dramatic being taken out by storm dave: oh dear no
When you say that flags on roundabouts isn't about racism, that may well be the case for you. But these are the people you're throwing in with... Every argument about immigration has racism at its core. Peel back even one layer, it's always underpinned by racism and white supremacy. Always.
Thoughts and prayers
YES
Am waiting with my card for the gofundme details...
YES! (But also am 100% behind the Batsignal)
Think our asylum system needs to change? Here's a very obvious place to start: stop banning people from work. Lifting the ban would let people seeking safety start rebuilding their lives - and boost our economy by £1.6bn in taxes, savings and spending.
Any mutuals on here reading Katabasis? (audiobook included)
I was at an event last week where there was someone presenting on their PhD which is on this exact topic, so there does seem to be some research happening.
I turn on my TV and a TV presenter is asking a Govt minister why they are talking about rolling out free childcare when the big issue is asylum hotels. This is objectively insane.
Turns out the Sealand flag is quite easy to paint...
This week I'm launching "The Big Green Books 500 Club". It's a pretty simple plan, but with your help, we can start to regularly send £500 of books into schools who need them. It costs just £1 a week. Here's the plan. biggreenbookshop.com/big-green-bo... Please share (and join!) Thanks.
I am absolutely behind flag anarchy - you wanna play silly buggers, fine I'm claiming this townsquare in the name of Hyrule...
This seems important:
Happy birthday to the Canadian actress and Olympic level swimmer who brought to undead life the iconic Lily Munster, the equally iconic Yvonne de Carlo (R.I.P) 🖤🦇💚💋
Yvette Copper as HASC chair has said numerous times on the record how important family reunification is. How she has children and it’s what every family would want. The mind boggles at how much of a coward she is now.
This is a truly awful move by the govt. Not only is #familyreunion for refugees morally the right thing to do, but its 1 of the very few safe routes available. The system is already way too restrictive & any sensible policy would expand its scope, not restrict it. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
With the return of Parliament, and against the backdrop of yet more attempts to divide us, we need to come together as a community. The government has a choice: to continue down the path of division or to take steps that protect people fleeing persecution. 💻️Read our blog: buff.ly/RQFtpLV
Why bother with a discussion of what family reunion actually is & an analysis of the impact of changes with, say, @ramfel.bsky.social who recently published an excellent report excoriating the system’s EXISTING failures that keep families apart? Nah. It’s #r4today🤷♀️ www.ramfel.org.uk/family-reuni...
Adding literal insult to injury I was then teased at school for my pock marks (not particularly bad ones) because of the perception that you only got them if you scratched your spots and so having them was a sign of moral failure.
September 1. Shadow home secretary is just shouting paeodphiles, drug dealers and deportations on the radio at 7.20am. Welcome to autumn!
But making family reunion harder may force more family members to make dangerous crossings. Another example of the continuing failure to engage with why people attempt to make these awful journeys. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
If someone is granted asylum, it's accepted they are at risk of death/persecution in their country. So how would it make any sense that their spouse and children need to prove they speak fluent English and the family has enough money, for them to live in the same country as their spouse or parent?
Let’s be honest. Carswell is not alone. You don’t tweet unless you know it’s a popular belief. There are many in public roles, in pubs and at dinner tables who believe this. This is a persecution of Muslims in the UK and anyone with any sense of humanity, who cares about Britain must call this out .
(Me, taking pleasure in being right) I take no pleasure in being right
Realised that I've never seen the Chrisopher Reeve version that he made after his accident, and found the most completely deranged contemporary review on the Wikipedia page where the guy seems to think Reeve being seriously disabled was some sort of attention grabbing ego stroking gimmick.
So people who’ve fled death & torture are going to be denied the chance to live with their families- who may themselves consequently be exposed to the same dangers- and I’d suggest not a single Reform voter will vote Labour as a result while other Labour voters will abandon them in disgust
Looks like there will be more detail tomorrow on how the government will restrict access to refugee family reunion - a safe route that grants more than 90% of visas to women and children.
My chicken pox became infected, GP told Mam in younger children (and I was under 10) that infection often killed them.
The Académie Française pushing to replace watersport with "control of the piss" was not on my bingo card for today.
Again - the reason that the Good Friday Agreement locks in the ECHR is that the UK had repeatedly been held accountable by the European Court of Human Rights for human rights breaches during the Troubles - while national courts had failed to do so, even upholding miscarriages of justice
Richard Tice consistently claims to be standing up for "Christian values", on the basis that "we are a Christian nation". If that's your pitch, you can't just tell the Bishops to shut up when they criticise your policies.
This whole thing is great but the highlighted bit made me laugh out loud. 😂 Marlon on Snoop:
I think people made of pure maths who reject their creator to do good is one of the most quietly beautiful ideas in Dr Who. “You made us man of evil but we are free.” RIP Christopher H Bidmead.
A more perfect metaphor for the far right doesn’t exist. We all know that sliced white bread is still widely available and sells as well as ever, probably the majority of bread sales. What Alex finds objectionable is the existence of anything else, even in a minority.
Also white sliced bread is the furthest away from 'normal' bread we've managed to get since we invented bread. (Don't get me wrong, I love a sliced toastie)
