For too long, divisive politics & dehumanising policies have shaped the debate on asylum, unfairly blaming refugees for wider challenges. Together with 200+ charities, we're calling on the new Prime Minister to reject division & instead uphold dignity, humanity and hope for people seeking safety.

The new Immigration & Asylum Bill will significantly weaken the UK's response to trafficking & modern slavery. As John McDonnell MP (@johnmcdonnellmp.bsky.social) explained in yesterday's debate, it will punish survivors by forcing them to disclose traumatic experiences within arbitrary deadlines.

The UK has introduced immigration or asylum legislation almost every year over the past decade. Yet people still wait years for asylum decisions, poor outcomes are routinely overturned on appeal & too many trafficking survivors aren't identified or supported. Today MPs will debate YET another bill 🧵

You cannot address human trafficking without supporting & protecting survivors. The government's new Immigration & Asylum Bill does the opposite. A system that punishes survivors doesn't fight trafficking but enables it. We will keep fighting this. 📑 more: www.helenbamber.org/resources/la...

This #RefugeeWeek we stand with people seeking protection in the UK🧡 The theme this year is 'courage' and at Helen Bamber Foundation, we will keep fighting for the rights of refugees, people seeking asylum, survivors of trafficking and torture. #Courage

Our latest data shows at least 755 children were wrongly treated as adults in 2025 alone. Border officials continue to assess a person's age on appearance alone, which has been widely criticised by experts for years.

According to Home Office data, in the last 6 months of 2025, at least 326 children were wrongly assessed as adults. Another 377 are in limbo, still waiting for a decision. The true number could be far higher.

This week, the House of Lords strongly opposed the govt’s asylum reforms, warning they leave people in fear of being returned to danger. Baroness Lister shared the words of our client: “I wish policy makers could walk in my shoes & understand how difficult life is with insecure immigration status”

After 10 years, Rose was finally reunited with two of her daughters in London. But her eldest has yet to join her. This #MothersDay, she shares her story and asks: “How will making refugee family reunion more difficult affect mothers like me?” Read it here 👇 www.helenbamber.org/resources/re...

The government’s plan to make refugees ‘earn’ protection by proving their ‘contribution to society’ makes their safety and stability in the UK dependent on their economic ‘worthiness.’ These are men, women, children & families who have fled conflict, torture, trafficking & extreme violence. 🧵

The government’s plan to make refugees wait up to 20 years to settle in the UK would leave people stuck in limbo, unable to properly put down roots, build careers, pursue education or feel a sense of belonging. Research across Europe shows that long-term uncertainty doesn’t support integration 🧵

These proposals allow refugees to ‘earn’ settlement by ‘contributing’ to society, but many of our clients cannot work due mental & physical ill-health, caused by violence & abuse. As MP @kirstysnp.bsky.social told Parliament 👇 parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/... 3/4

Refugees need stability & security to recover from profound trauma. But the government's asylum reforms will force them to re-prove their need for protection every 2.5 years for up to 20 years before they can settle in the UK. We're already seeing the impact of this on our clients' mental health 🧵

People seeking asylum get just £6 a week for travel. The Home Office says that's enough for “one return bus fare a week”. But one trip clearly ISN'T enough to access medical care, food & education. People seeking asylum in London urgently need free bus travel. www.helenbamber.org/resources/re...

On #HumanRightsDay today, we celebrate 75 years of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) & 25 years of the Human Rights Act. For generations, these frameworks have protected people’s dignity & safety, limited the misuse of power & upheld fairness. But they are currently under threat 🧵1/5

Trafficking & torture survivors are often traumatised, isolated. Safety & security is vital to their recovery. But since 2019, the Home Office has been placing them in ‘prison-like’ asylum camps or in overcrowded hotels, forcing them to share rooms with strangers which can be re-traumatising. 2/4

25 years ago, the Palermo Protocol provided the ‘gold standard’ definition of human trafficking & mandated governments to protect & support victims. But countries, including the UK, are falling behind in meeting those commitments. Read more: www.helenbamber.org/resources/la...

Legal advice is vital for survivors to navigate complex asylum systems. But many are unable to access it. Ambassadors for Change, a group of campaigners with experience of the UK asylum system, write about the barriers in getting free, quality legal advice 👇 www.helenbamber.org/resources/re...

Refugee family reunion saves lives. Last year, over half of those reunited were children fleeing dangerous situations & joining their parents. But the suspension of family reunion until next spring & plans to tighten rules afterwards could turn temporary separation into permanent loss for many. 1/3

On #AntiSlaveryDay, let's remember that thousands of confirmed trafficking victims are still being left at risk. In 2024, only 4% were granted permission to stay in the UK, leaving 96% facing poverty & possible re-exploitation. Read our latest blog for more ⬇️ www.helenbamber.org/resources/la...

REMINDER: Asylum hotels are NOT places of luxury. They are often dilapidated, squalid & overcrowded. Being forced to live there for months (even years) causes profound harm to people. Those seeking safety in the UK must be housed in communities where they can rebuild their lives with dignity. 👇📽️

The ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally is a terrifying example of what happens when politicians create performative, divisive policies to appease the far-right. With over 100 orgs, we ask the new Home Secretary to end the scapegoating of refugees & migrants. 📜 www.refugee-action.org.uk/OpenLetterHo...

We have been witnessing the fear, sadness & disappointment among the people we support over the last few weeks. The horrific attacks on asylum hotels are a direct outcome of the constant scapegoating of people seeking safety in our politics & the media. This must stop immediately. Our response 👇

We regularly sees reports from our clients’ doctors concerned about children losing weight or not growing as expected due to lack of nutrition & poor-quality hotel food. In one recent case, a young child living in an East London hotel had lost 5kg due to malnutrition. This is unacceptable. 3/4

People seeking asylum receive less than £50 a week for those in self-catered accommodation and less than £10 a week for those in hotels. With the amount being so low, thousands of parents can't afford basic items such as nutritious food, clothing and educational supplies. 2/4

Thousands of families with children arrive in the UK every year to seek protection. But they are pushed into extreme poverty by the Home Office. Two months ago, the government froze the rates of financial support given to people seeking asylum. This has a devastating impact on children. 🧵

Many survivors stay silent due to trauma, stigma & fear of retaliation. We must build trust, create safe reporting channels & remove barriers so they can seek help without fear. On World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, we call for systems that protect & support survivors. #EndHumanTrafficking

Every year hundreds of children seeking protection are incorrectly determined by border officials to be adults based on a cursory visual assessment – over 600 in 2024 alone. Many are forced to share rooms with adults and end up in adult prisons after being prosecuted for illegal arrival. 3/4

🚨 Thousands of trafficking survivors continue to be denied permission to stay in the UK despite their critical need for safety and support — a new report by @helenbamber.bsky.social, ATLEU & @ecpatuk.bsky.social reveals. Instead survivors are left in fear and at risk of further exploitation. 🧵1/3

As a charity that supports survivors of extreme human cruelty, we witness every day the profound & long-lasting trauma caused by torture. On UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, we stand in solidarity with all survivors globally. #UnitedAgainstTorture