Migrants' Rights Network

Migrants' Rights Network

At a glance

Causes

  • Black, asian and minority ethnic groups
  • Campaigning
  • Human rights
  • Refugees / migrants

Other details

Geographical remit: 
National - Britain

Objectives

Migrants’ Rights Network stands in solidarity with all migrants in their fight for rights and justice - we're driven by our values to make our vision for a just society a reality.

Launched in 2006 as a campaigning organisation, our work brings together and deepens connections, understanding and solidarity within the migrants’ rights sector and across sectors to share learning, facilitate access and bring about visionary and practical solutions. As an organisation that is challenging  in our approach, we tackle strategically important but unpopular issues that particularly impact on groups most harmed by anti-immigrant policies and narratives.

Vision

MRN strives to create a situation in the UK in which:

  • People are free to move because migration is and has always been an integral part of the human experience.
  • Everyone, including all migrants, live in a society which is free from all forms of oppression and discrimination.
  • Nobody’s access to safety, rights and security should be determined by their immigration status.

Values

  1. Migrant-centred – MRN places at the heart of its work the experiences and perspectives of migrants to ensure it is accountable to those impacted by immigration and wider policies and practices.
  2. Justice for all migrants – MRN works for the rights of ALL migrants.
  3. Intersectional – MRN approaches its work with the understanding that people will experience multiple forms of oppression, where immigration status/migration experience is but one factor.
  4. Leadership – MRN strives to be daring and determined and speak ‘truth to power’ to obtain justice and equality for migrants. MRN also recognise that where it holds power, it must be held to account by those affected by the immigration systems.
  5. Solidarity – MRN builds the power of those affected by the immigration system and works in alliances to strengthen efforts to further the rights of all migrants.

We have a dynamic approach that uses a plurality of methods for change. These methods include; strengthening and supporting migrant leadership and the capacity of the organisations that work with migrants, policy and advocacy, collective action and legal approaches.

We work as a collective of like-minded people and organisations working to amplify and centre the voices, issues and demands of migrants and grassroots groups. The purpose of the ‘network’ is to redistribute access (including, to knowledge, learning, information and space) to those most impacted by immigration policy and practice. 

 

 

Activities

Our work is based on the following core activities: 

  • Galvanising and growing an agile network of individuals and organisations across the country with a commitment to rights and justice for migrants to collectivise campaigns and action. 

  • Bringing together individuals and organisations within and beyond the migrants’ rights sector to share learning, access and resources. We do this in a number of ways, including; face-to-face meetings, using online facilities to widen access, brokering introductions, sharing access to influential platforms that we have

  • Working with affected individuals and communities to develop Know Your Rights guides and other practical self-help solutions

  • Producing a monthly London newsletter highlighting the work and support needs of migrant-led and other migrants’ rights organisations 

  • Coordinating quarterly meetings and providing ongoing support for collaboration to a London-wide network of migrants’ rights and other intersectional organisations. 

  • Facilitating Know Your Rights workshops to help increase migrants’ understanding of their rights and how to access them

  • Linking grassroots, migrant-led organisations with access and resources, for example, access to power-holders and decision-makers, media and avenues of support.

  • Coordinating a pro bono network of lawyers and grassroots activists to work together on challenging aspects of the hostile environment for migrants.

  • Strengthening and growing migrant leadership through the development of bespoke migrant leadership programmes across the country.

  • Using a radical and visionary approach to policy and campaigning issues brought to us by migrants and grassroots groups.

  • Using legal approaches such as supporting, training and resourcing frontline workers to gather data for a legal challenge, facilitating legal opinions, and making strategic legal interventions where appropriate. 

  • Participating in forums and advisory panels where we can learn and offer our insight and expertise (CORE, PICUM, ACEVO, etc).

No current opportunities

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