I think it’s fair to say that this past week, after a winter of lockdown and isolation, has been a lot. Not least, of course, because we’ve seen yet another wave of proposed immigration reforms hellbent on pursuing an agenda, set in place for the past 20 years, which claims that states can reduce immigration- setting aside the question of whether that’s even an aim worth pursuing- by punishing, excluding and impoverishing migrants. There is literally no evidence to suggest this actually does anything other than make people’s lives more miserable than they they need be. Nobody abandons their lives and their families to enjoy the Serco dining experience. Or, as Warsan Shire has told us, nobody puts their child into a boat unless the sea is safer than the land.
And on top of the hostile environment created for our clients, which we try make a little more bearable for them to live in, there’s an ever more toxic chorus of voices denouncing the works of ‘activist lawyers’. The claim here is that people like us, who work to find legal answers to our clients’ legal problems, looking at people’s histories, at the documents they have, and applying the relevant caselaw to their circumstances, are actually trying to cheat the taxpayer, or to abuse the system. And the disastrous consequence of that is that justice is ever more frequently denied to some of the most traumatised and powerless people in the country.
We are proud of what we do, and we are proud to work with the Midland Legal Support Trust, which works to raise funds for organisations like ours, seeking justice for those who would otherwise be denied it. This Wednesday, March 31st, we’re looking to raise funds to support our work by taking part in the Great Virtual Legal Quiz. * You can support us, either by just donating here, or by registering your own teams and donating as the cost of admission. (Our Quizmaster has the questions, and can get them to you if you email her at student@asirt.org.uk. )Thanks, as ever, for your support.
(*And it’s not actually a legal quiz. No legal knowledge necessary!)
