Hundreds of people join mass lobby of parliament to say no to ‘earned’ settlement

Coachloads of people from all corners of England arrived in Parliament Square yesterday, Wednesday 11 March,  with one goal and one goal only: to tell their MP face-to-face that the government’s plans to restrict settlement rights must be stopped. 

Lead organisers of the event, migrants’ rights charity Praxis and grassroots alliance Citizens UK, estimate that more than 500 people passed through the gates of parliament into the 900-year-old Westminster Hall, to speak to their MP. Members of The Royal College of Nurses (RCN) and healthcare union Unison also turned out in full force, alongside charities Refugee and Migrant Justice (formerly RAMFEL), Migration Exchange, Anti Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit (ATLEU), Refugee Support Devon, migrant homelessness charity Boaz Trust, and of course us at the Work Rights Centre. 

An impressive 80 MPs and MP staffers turned out to meet with their constituents in Westminster Hall, spanning Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrats, Greens, Your Party and independents. While not everyone was successful - some MPs declined or ignored requests from their constituents, including Shabana Mahmood, the architect of these plans, who refused to meet with 10 of her own Birmingham Ladywood constituents - the sheer number of lobbyists demonstrated the widespread dissatisfaction and anger towards the government's agenda.

These are plans for the biggest overhaul of settlement policy in a generation. Introduced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, but adapted from a similar proposal by Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch, they will affect up to 1.35 million people already living and working in the UK. They would increase the wait for settlement from five to 10 years, rising to 15 - 20 years for migrant care workers, refugees, and people who have legally claimed benefits.

Despite the magnitude of these proposals, which could take effect in coming months, no impact assessment has been published to show the effect the loss of workers will have on public services, loss of taxes on the public purse, or loss of security for thousands of families. 

An increasing number of MPs have already spoken out against the plans. Most recently, a private letter signed by more than 100 Labour MPs - around a quarter of the Parliamentary Party - warned Mahmood that they could not support her proposals. This followed a previous open letter, organised by Neil Duncan-Jordan Labour MP for Poole, the Work Rights Centre and Unison, signed by 53 MPs. 

Before heading into parliament, hundreds of lobbyists gathered in the Central Methodist Hall from early in the morning. Co-sponsor of the event, Olivia Blake Labour MP for Sheffield Hallam, told the crowd why these plans anger her so much. In a statement, she said: “Migrant workers who keep our NHS running, care for our elderly and power local economies are being told their future here is conditional and uncertain. It is against British values of fairness to change these rules retrospectively and the Government must urgently change course.” 

Echoing her, Minnie Rahman, CEO of Praxis, urged the government to “guarantee that no changes will retrospectively move the goalposts for people who already call the UK home.” She warned: “The British public will also pay the price for these discriminatory changes through negatives impacts on the economy.”

Recently elected Green MP for Gorton and Denton, Hannah Spencer, also took to the stage to call for a “more sensible approach to migration, one that puts people first and puts our shared humanity at its centre.”

In a rousing speech, Bejoy Sebastian, President of the Royal College of Nurses, said: “Migrant health and care staff aren’t just our colleagues, but part of our communities, our national life and have worked alongside us since the inception of the NHS. It’s difficult to understand why Ministers would create so much uncertainty for those who have made such a vital contribution to society. It is as immoral as it is illogical.”

And lastly, immigration and asylum campaigner, Zoe Gardner, spoke about the rising threat of anti-migrant and racist views on social cohesion: “When our communities are attacked, we are all weaker… We are going to show the government they are on the wrong track, and they have time to turn around. Or they will be replaced.”

Inside Westminster Hall, our Policy Manager Michaela Chen, and Research Officer, Andrei Savitski, acted as stewards to help lobbyists find their MPs. They were inspired by the commitment of many of the attendees, some of whom had traveled from Cornwall, Newcastle, Manchester and the Isle of Wight, and waited hours to put their case to their MP.  

They were pleased to see a range of MPs taking the time to listen to what people had to say, including Labour MPs on the left and right of the party participating, alongside some Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. Co-sponsor of the event, Tony Vaughan Labour MP for Folkestone and Hythe, Neil Duncan-Jordan Labour MP for Poole, and Steve Witherden Labour MP for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr took it upon themselves to meet with those whose MPs hadn’t shown up, as well as their own constituents. 

By bringing together over 500 lobbyists and capturing the attention of 80 MPs from across the political spectrum, this coalition has proved that migrants’ rights will not be sidelined without a fight. Alongside our allies, the Work Rights Centre will continue to demand immigration policy grounded in fairness rather than precarity. This is a movement that is only just getting started.