Strangers into Citizens

Support for Swiss move to regularise children

2010-02-08T14:17:00.000Z

From a Swiss news website:

Political support is growing to improve the plight of thousands of children of illegal immigrants who have spent most of their lives in Switzerland.

An estimated 10-30,000 young “sans papiers” live in Switzerland without legal status. They can attend the state school system, but as a rule only until 16 - the end of compulsory schooling. Professional training and apprenticeships are out of reach.

“It really is a ticking social time bomb,” Green Party parliamentarian Antonio Hodgers told swissinfo.ch.“We let these young people finish their [compulsory] schooling but give them no training prospects or access to a job even if they grow up here.”

At the end of last year Hodgers filed a motion at the House of Representatives pushing for young sans papiers to have access to professional training and for those born in Switzerland to be legally recognised.

His proposal, which has cross-party support, urges the government to apply the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to the children of illegal immigrants. Switzerland ratified the pact in 1997.

“I invite the government to read Article 2 of the convention, which states that children should not be victims of the legal status of their parents,” he said.“Someone who decides to live illegally in a country knows that it’s going to be tough, but that’s their choice which they have to assume. “But a child hasn’t made that choice; they just followed their parents, so they shouldn’t be punished for their parents’ decision.”

Brent Council backs Strangers into Citizens

2010-02-08T14:04:00.002Z

Brent Council became the sixth London local authority (including the GLA) to pass a motion in favour of Strangers into Citizens.

From the Harrow Observer:

Between 500,000 and 950,000 visa over-stayers and failed asylum seekers
have made new lives in the UK; it would take about 34 years and £8billion to
forcibly remove them all, say the Lib-Dems.
More than 69 per cent of Brent residents were born outside the UK and about 20,000 illegal immigrants in the borough are unaccounted for.
Because the allocation of budgets depends on these statistics, councils such as Brent lose out in the distribution of resources such as education and housing.
A spokesman for London Citizens, which is running the campaign, said: "The existence of a large shadow population living outside the law makes it especially hard for councils like Brent, which have many more people living in the area than official statistics identify. "We are delighted that Brent has added its name to the growing list of councils across London which support the Strangers into Citizens call."

Tower Hamlets support Strangers into Citizens

2010-01-06T17:44:00.003Z

Good news from East London - Tower Hamlets Council have passed a motion officially endorsing the Strangers into Citizens campaign. They are the fifth local authority to give their support to the campaign, following the example set by Lambeth, Lewisham, the GLA and Oxford. Read more about it here - and encourage your local council to do the same!

Strangers into Citizens on the Fourth Plinth!

2009-10-02T12:28:00.004+01:00

At 6pm last night, Strangers into Citizens was featured on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square. Supporter Giuseppe Spadone, from Yorkshire, had an hour on the plinth as part of the ongoing One and Other project, and chose to use it to publicise our call for the regularisation of long-term undocumented migrants.

With music, flags and banners - and the curious questions of lots of passers-by - it was certainly a memorable hour. Thanks to Giuseppe for using his spot to support Strangers into Citizens.

Belgian regularisation begins - and Ireland introduces "bridging visas"

2009-09-18T14:38:00.002+01:00

Belgium's regularization programme began on Tuesday and will continue until the middle of December, during which time thousands of undocumented migrants will be brought back within the scope of the law. Like the Strangers into Citizens proposal, eligibility rests on length of stay in the country, ability to speak the language, and integration into the community.

Ireland has also recognised the need to bring undocumented migrants out of the shadows, by confirming earlier this week that they will be introducing "bridging visas". Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern announced that these visas, which give temporary legal residence, will be available for people who have become undocumented "through no fault of their own". Read more about it here - another country recognising the need for routes out of irregularity.

The Independent

2009-09-18T12:55:00.003+01:00

Long-time ally of Strangers into Citizens, Independent journalist Amol Rajan discusses the campaign in this piece in today's Independent. It is only regularisation that will shrink the size of the UK's informal economy - as the piece notes, undocumented migrants are much less likely to return home than those who are here legally, and are more likely to be employed in less productive areas of the economy.

The arguments for regularisation are diverse and many: now it is time for politicians to respond to them.

Over a hundred MPs sign Strangers EDM

2009-08-21T10:43:00.002+01:00

The number of MPs signing the Strangers into Citizens Early Day motion calling for the regularisation of long-term undocumented migrants has reached 105. The MPs are from all three parties, showing again how broad is the spectrum of support for Strangers into Citizens.

There are more than 600 MPs in Parliament so we still have some way to go. In the run-up to next year's general election there will be plenty of opportunity to press our case.

Belgium annnounces regularisation

2009-07-21T11:25:00.005+01:00

According to this piece, the Belgian government has announced a set of criteria for regularisation -- not a "mass amnesty", they stress, and applicants will be assessed on a "case-by-case basis". But the criteria look at lot like SiC's.
Phillippe Courard of the Belgian Government said they would accommodate people who had integrated into villages and towns, those who had make links with society, those who had children for several years in schools. A new circular sets out the precise conditions under which residency permits can be given. Among those who can expect a favourable outcome: long-term residents, parents of Belgian children, parents of children at school, those with work contracts and those whose applications have taken an excessive amount of time. Lawyers for the immigrants expressed a cautious welcome. Alexis Deswaef said: “You can say that for the first time a legal framework has been established. There are rules, there are precise criteria so that those without residency papers can live in dignity and come out of the shadows.”
The story is also carried by another website:
The Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy (Flemish Christian democrat) has released the details of the Federal Government agreement on the regularisation of illegals. In order to be successful, applicants will have to show they are integrated into the community.
Illegals who have lived in Belgium for at least five years will be able to apply for a regularisation of their situation between 15 September and 15 December. If successful, they will be granted papers that will allow them to stay in the country legally.
It is the Secretary of State for Asylum and Immigration, Melchior Wathelet (Francophone Christian democrat), who has the final say.
There's an estimate here that this will benefit about 25,000.

Here it says:
The amnesty being offered only applies to people who have been living illegally in Belgium for at least six years; five if you have a family. Asylum seekers whose claims have been left hanging for four years or more will also be granted legal status here.
There is some interesting background - a hunger-strike by undocumented migrants and a civil-society campaign. This very disapproving piece, for example, gives fascinating info on the Catholic Church opening its doors to undocumented migrants.

If anyone knows more, please comment.

Obama regularisation a step closer

2009-06-29T14:12:00.003+01:00

At least, that's the impression you get in a 26 June New York Times editorial entitled 'A way forward on immigration'. Highlights:

-- at a meeting with Pres. Obama last Thursday, congressmen of both main parties seemed to be in favour of a comprehensive reform bill to go through this year;

-- "It seems, at last, that Congress can reach solid agreement that immigration will not be fixed through enforcement and expulsion alone";

-- "Illegal immigration is wrong. The borders and workplace need tighter enforcement. Illegal immigrants must be required to register, learn English and pay taxes — or face deportation. But they should also be allowed to seek citizenship. The path back to a lawful system is through legalization and an improved, well-managed immigration flow. Polls show that an overwhelming majority of Americans accept these principles, and it’s possible to imagine Congress uniting around them, too."

-- There is a vigorous debate about future immigration flows. But at least it's a real debate, and not the "phony" one which the New York Times describes as turning on "the delusional belief that the mass deportations of 12 million people are realistic or desirable."

If only our press and politicians were capable of this sort of high-minded pragmatism. Instead Labour Party seems determined to see off the BNP by introducing a sort of "British housing for British (white) people" new principle.

It's downhill from here until the general election.

'We were there': Salvationists on YouTube

2009-06-25T18:10:00.003+01:00

A very fine short video recalling 4 May by the Salvation Army on YouTube containing moving comments by Col. Bill Cochrane, second in command of the Army in the UK. Hat tip again to tireless SiC supporter Capt. Nick Coke.

Lewisham Council backs SiC

2009-06-25T17:51:00.008+01:00

Bernadette Farrell, lead organiser of South London Citizens, reports:

Unanimous vote from Lewisham Council last night in support of Strangers into Citizens. The motion was put forward by Steve Bullock (Elected Mayor/Council leader) with a splendid speech.

Does anyone have quotes from the speech -- or the speech itself? It would be nice to see it.

UK's top Conservative blogger backs SiC

2009-06-25T17:29:00.006+01:00

I've only just been alerted to this post of 16 June by Tim Montgomerie at the much-read conservativehome site. His backing for Strangers into Citizens adds another significant voice to the growing chorus of support in the Conservative Party, along with Boris Johnson, John Bercow, Anthony Browne, Philip Blond, etc.

Montgomerie described how he was "instinctively against" regularisation until he read an article by Anthony Browne, Boris's policy man.

Browne set out the three options very clearly: We can oversee a massive deportation of illegal immigrants but "no country that sees itself as civilised wants to send immigration officials into schools, yanking distraught children away from their distressed classmates." There is also the stubborn fact that Britain has a very poor record at deporting large numbers. An estimated two-thirds of illegal immigrants have been here for more than five years. Do we really believe that that is going to change? We can accept the status quo where immigrants and their children live in a limbo land - half in the economy and half out. Or third we can offer immigrants an 'earned regularisation' if they haven't committed crimes.

[snip]

I only support an amnesty as part of a comprehensive immigration policy. It will only work if we have effective border controls and, in a ideal world, that would mean a new deal with the EU so that Britain has full control of the numbers of people entering our country.

Both the Conservative and Labour frontbenches oppose an amnesty (the Liberal Democrats are supportive) but I've come to see earned regularisation as a humane policy. Today's LSE report suggests that it is economically beneficial too.

Regularisation is 'the civil rights issue of the 21st century'

2009-06-23T23:20:00.004+01:00

... according to Will Sommerville, senior policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute in Washington DC, in a thoughtful piece for the Guardian online.

The problem is what to do with the huge illegally resident population in the US, estimated at 12 million, or one in three of the total foreign-born population. (Compare this to the UK, where the estimate is closer to one in 10.) It is a forbiddingly complex policy problem, made even more so by the fact that most illegal immigrants are Hispanic and many live in "mixed-legal" households.
It may be counterintuitive, but the desire to see the problem fixed means people will accept a solution that includes regularisation. In fact, according to the campaigning organisation America's Voice, even swing voters favour comprehensive action on immigration over "enforcement-only" by a margin of 60 to 40.
In the end, though, the most compelling reason reform can succeed lies in the personality and huge ambition of the current White House. For many, and seemingly for the Obama team, immigration reform has become the civil rights issue for the 21st century. This is the prize that makes reform more likely than not, and sooner rather than later.

New Commons speaker backs SiC

2009-06-22T23:22:00.005+01:00

The new speaker of the House of Commons, the Conservative MP John Bercow, is a longstanding supporter of Strangers into Citizens. He is one of the first signatories of the early day motion.

Obama lays out regularisation proposal

2009-06-22T14:05:00.006+01:00

The US President has laid out what is expected to be the framework of his comprehensive immigration reform -- including regularisation -- at a Hispanic prayer breakfast. Full remarks here. Money quote:

The American people -- the American people believe in immigration, but they also believe that we can't tolerate a situation where people come to the United States in violation of the law, nor can we tolerate employers who exploit undocumented workers in order to drive down wages. That's why we're taking steps to strengthen border security, and we must build on those efforts. We must also clarify the status of millions who are here illegally, many who have put down roots. For those who wish to become citizens, we should require them to pay a penalty and pay taxes, learn English, go to the back of the line behind those who played by the rules. That is the fair, practical, and promising way forward, and that's what I'm committed to passing as President of the United States.

SiC debated on BBC1 on two Sunday programmes

2009-06-21T18:19:00.006+01:00

Following the release of the LSE report last Tuesday commissioned by the mayor, regularisation was debated on two BBC1 programmes Sunday.

First was the Big Questions, which you can watch here for the next seven days. The panel -- Germaine Greer, Fareena Alam and Anne Atkins -- is mostly in favour, as is the studio audience. Neil Jameson, lead organiser of London Citizens, represents Strangers into Citizens, along with an irregular Malaysian migrant called Dee who is a friend of the campaign. The discussion lasts 23 minutes.

Second was the Politics Show: click here (for the next seven days only) to watch Austen Ivereigh, SiC policy director, debate the issue with Gareth Bacon, GLA Assembly member. A brief report starts at 0.43 minutes into the programme; the 5-minute debate begins at 0.45.

US Catholic bishops call for regularisation

2009-06-19T08:04:00.003+01:00

In the United States, where the Catholic Church has long been in favour of regularisation, the bishops have made a statement calling on President Obama to do what President Obama has already said he wants to so -- namely, comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway into citizenship for long-term undocumented migrants. In the US the irregular population is 12 million -- rather more than the UK's 725,000 (according to the recent LSE estimate). Here's the key bit of the bishops' beautiful statement, which you can read in full here.

It has been clear for years that the United States immigration system requires repair and that reform legislation should not be delayed.

We urge respect and observance of all just laws, and we do not approve or encourage the illegal entry of anyone into our country. From a humanitarian perspective, however, our fellow human beings, who migrate to support their families, continue to suffer at the hands of immigration policies that separate them from family members and drive them into remote parts of the American desert, sometimes to their deaths. This suffering should not continue.

Now is the time to address this pressing humanitarian issue which affects so many lives and undermines basic human dignity. Our society should no longer tolerate a status quo that perpetuates a permanent underclass of persons and benefits from their labor without offering them legal protections. As a moral matter, we must resolve the legal status of those who are here without proper documentation so that they can fully contribute their talents to our nation’s economic, social and spiritual well being.

Only through comprehensive reform can we restore the rule of law to our nation’s immigration system.

We urge President Obama and congressional leaders to meet as soon as possible to discuss and draft comprehensive immigration reform legislation, with the goal of making it law by the end of 2009. The Catholic bishops of our country stand ready to assist in this effort.

MayorWatch

2009-06-17T22:49:00.002+01:00

Some quotes being carried at MayorWatch in response to the LSE report:

London Assembly Chair Darren Johnson AM said the report “lends further economic weight to the argument in favour of regularising the status of hundreds of thousands of Londoners who are already making a significant contribution to the capital’s wealth.”

Mr Johnson added: “In the midst of a recession it would be tantamount to negligence to ignore the potential to add £3 billion per annum to UK GDP by introducing a limited and earned amnesty for hard working migrants who demonstrate a commitment to contributing fully to our society.”

In a statement issued on Monday, the Mayor [also called Johnson] said the report “has introduced some long overdue facts, hard evidence and academic rigour into a debate which has far too often been dominated by myth, anecdote and hearsay.”

“So far from a financial burden, as some suggest, this new research has found an amnesty could be worth up to £3 billion a year to the country’s economy.”

“The study also demolishes the argument that an amnesty would inevitably lead to increased migration to the UK and identifies effective border controls as the vital factor in controlling and deterring illegal immigration.”

The Londonist

2009-06-17T10:27:00.005+01:00

The web-based newspaper summarises the report.

There are an estimated 618,000 illegal immigrants in the UK, 442,000 of whom live in London. Under the proposed scheme, immigrants who've been in Britain for five years and have no serious criminal record would become legal citizens as part of a one-off amnesty. The people who do the figures on these things reckon about two-thirds of the total would be eligible.

And just to really stick the boot of common sense and decency into those who declare the UK is "full", the legal immigrants would be paying around £846m a year in taxes, as opposed to the short-term costs of £410m a year to the public purse. Longer term, economists think costs would be around £1bn a year but annual GDP would be boosted by £3bn. Surely that's good financial planning in anyone's books?

Read the LSE report

2009-06-17T10:24:00.001+01:00

You can read and download the full LSE report into the economic costs and benefits of regularisation here, in both full and summary forms.

Boris attacked in the Mail (again)

2009-06-16T19:51:00.002+01:00

As an example of fantastically biased journalism, the Daily Mail's article today headlined 'Senior Tories rubbish Boris Johnson's proposal to allow illegal immigrants to work in UK' can hardly be improved on.

Rather than inform us that Boris commissioned the report from the LSE, it tries to claim (initially, anyway) that the mayor himself published the report. Presumably this is because not even the Mail can pretend the LSE is not one of the country's most respectable academic institutions.

And rather than tell the reader what the report actually says, it repeats the MigrationWatch canards that it would be expensive and unpopular.

It's important to remember that the Mail is a carefully packaged product which attempts to reinforce the prejudices of its readers. It is not, in that sense, journalism at all.

Cleaning industry association applauds LSE report

2009-06-16T19:45:00.003+01:00

Over at the Cleaning and Support Services Association (CSSA), which has been consistently supportive of SiC, Andrew Large welcomes today's LSE report.

“The current right to work system imposes serious costs on cleaning businesses, which are essentially being asked to act as unpaid immigration officials. The large numbers of irregular workers are vulnerable to being employed on low wages and in poor conditions, which drags down the rest of the economy. Regularisation is a credible policy response to the current problem of irregular residents in the UK and it should be pursued.”

LSE report out! SiC proposal would bring in £3bn!

2009-06-16T14:57:00.003+01:00

Austen writes:

We've won the humanitarian and moral argument. Now we can safely say there's an economic case, too, for regularisation.

So says the London School of Economics, which this morning released their final report following months of research commissioned by the mayor of London, Boris Johnson -- see Guardian report here -- which says, in effect, that regularisation on the model proposed by SiC and backed by the mayor would bring £3bn into the economy and benefit about two-thirds of the 725,000 irregular migrants in the country. It also scotches the notion that the move would have a "green light" effect on illegal immigration.

The LSE's long-awaited research is one of the ways in which the mayor has made good his pledge his support for Strangers into Citizens at the London Citizens mayoral assembly of April 2009 -- something which Dave Hill, the Guardian blogger, who was sitting in front of me at City Hall this morning, recalls in his post here. "You're very good at getting what you want," Hill turned and told me -- meaning London Citizens, of course.

As well as the Guardian here there's the BBC report here, Telegraph here, Financial Times here, and Ekklesia here.

Beng pro-life = immigration reform

2009-06-16T14:55:00.001+01:00

So says Archbishop Chaput of Denver, bless him. Catholics, take note.

Research helps

2009-06-15T20:19:00.005+01:00

Rahila Gupta of Southall Black Sisters writes in the Guardian's Comment is Free section in favour of regularisation -- but she worries about SiC's proposal:

[H]ow can potential beneficiaries of the amnesty present employer references? When employers are being fined for employing migrants without papers, which employer is going to put his or her neck on the line to give a reference for someone who was employed "illegally"? The real danger of a conditional amnesty, reasonable though it appears, is that it will bring hopefuls out into the open and those who do not qualify will be deported.

Shame Gupta hadn't read Austen Ivereigh's piece in the Morning Star before writing hers. He answered the question of whether those applying would be guaranteed protection from deportation.

The answer is yes. The Home Office would announce a new regulation - no new legislation is needed - with the criteria. Anyone resident for more than four years who entered the country legally could apply for the two-year work permit with a commitment that, if they continue to fulfil the criteria at the end of those two years, they would be given leave to remain. The two-year work permit would free people from unscrupulous employers as a first step. It would also enable churches, mosques and unions to assist those migrants in learning English, helping them to integrate as legal citizens and providing the positive references at the end of the process.

Austen's article also answers her other objections: that the timescale is arbitrary, and that applicants would be unable to present employer references. Shame she didn't read it.

'We were there': the Anglican Franciscans

2009-06-10T10:13:00.002+01:00

Members of the Society of St Francis (SSF) recall 4 May on their website:

Migrants to our country have long been on the edge of society, and often work for less than the minimum wage. SSF has long befriended them. In Plaistow and Hilfield we have room for one or two men in such a situation - some who have lived here for over 14 years, but with no right to work, or claim state benefits. They have blessed our communities in many ways, both in work and worship.

Brothers have been supporting the Strangers into Citizens campaign which calls for these long term migrants to be allowed to become citizens, and have attended the annual May Day rally for several years.

Yesterday, Bank Holiday Monday, Br Hugh SSF and Caroline Ugbo TO attended the service in St Margaret’s (next to Westminster Abbey) with a wonderful choir from Zimbabwe. Others attended Mass in the RC Cathedral or Muslim worship, before processing up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square where Vaughan, a postulant, and Tobias, a volunteer at Hilfield, joined them. It was a very well organised and festive day, a celebration more than a demonstration, as is to be expected from everything organised by London Citizens, the UK’s largest civic alliance. The parish in Plaistow in which the brothers are involved is a London Citizens founding parish.

It was great to be surrounded by people from all over the world, most living in London but with delegations from Birmingham and beyond. We heard Imams, MPs, Bishops and representatives from many countries – all calling for an earned amnesty for those who speak English and who have been here for at least 6 years.

New home secretary supports Strangers into Citizens

2009-06-05T23:03:00.002+01:00

Alan Johnson was one of three candidates to the deputy Labour leadership back in July 2007 to back the campaign. Report here.

Muslim News

2009-05-30T08:13:00.003+01:00

Report of rally -- better late than never-- in this week's edition of Muslim News by its editor, Ahmed Versi. Many supportive quotes.

4 May fab pics No. 20: Carlitos

2009-05-28T16:21:00.008+01:00

More at flickr.

4 May fab pics No. 19: Kuba Roszko

2009-05-28T09:17:00.009+01:00

4 May fab pics No. 18: Slawek Fiedkiewicz

2009-05-26T23:12:00.014+01:00

4 May fab pics No. 17: Alessandra Mannisi

2009-05-26T20:39:00.010+01:00

4 May fab pics No. 16: Adam Scott

2009-05-23T21:16:00.011+01:00

4 May fab pics No. 15: the organisers

2009-05-23T21:04:00.010+01:00

Pictured: Neil Jameson, lead organiser; Ruhana Ali, logistics; Matthew Bolton, TELCO; Jonny Scott, regional organiser (photo: Adam Scott). Austen Ivereigh, policy director, with Julie Camacho, Latin America coordinator (photo: Jean Jameson). Sebastien Chapleau, primary schools organiser (photo: Michel Chapleau).

4 May fab pics No. 14: the Catholic Mass for Migrants

2009-05-23T21:00:00.007+01:00

By Magda.

4 May fab pics No. 13: the Anglican Service

2009-05-23T20:53:00.004+01:00

By Adam Scott.

SiC explains itself to the Left

2009-05-23T19:22:00.008+01:00

After the Morning Star published its news report and editorial in favour of Strangers into Citizens, the newspaper received a number of questions and objections. The campaign's policy director, Austen Ivereigh (pictured here speaking on 4 May), has written a detailed article -- 'Bring them in from the cold '-- explaining the SiC proposal, answering the questions and objections, and inviting the Left to support what he calls a 'democratic movement of ordinary citizens engaged in an urgent political struggle on behalf of the vulnerable and voiceless'.

Philosophically, the No Borders position is unobjectionable. In the world as it should be, there would be no frontiers. Some Muslims dream of a restored caliphate, some Catholics are nostalgic for papal Europe before the nation states and some socialists pine for a revolutionary order without frontiers.
But in the world as it is, where democracies coexist with states which regulate rights and responsibilities, there are and will continue to be borders. It is in this world and not a future one that we must negotiate a humane and sensible policy towards the undocumented.

'We were there': the Steward

2009-05-22T13:42:00.004+01:00

Sho Konno was a steward on 4 May -- one of those who made sure things ran smoothly on the day. He has written about it on an e-magazine called Ctrl+Alt+Shift - "a community for passionate and outspoken individuals, joined in the fight against poverty and injustice" -- and posted some shots.

Oxford City Council passes motion backing SiC

2009-05-18T10:27:00.007+01:00

on 20 April, in fact; but we've only just received the wording of the motion -- which shows ordinary punters (pictured) back the idea.

That this Council recognises the Government's commitment to tighten UK borders and introduce new monitoring and assessment systems into the immigration process. We note the Home Office assessment that at least 500,000 irregular migrants currently live and work in Britain.

We acknowledge the contribution of irregular migrants to Oxford's economy and to our diverse local community. We regret that irregular migrants are not accounted for in the allocation of funding to Local Authorities and believe that Oxford is disadvantaged by this situation.

We endorse the London Citizen's 'Strangers into Citizens' campaign for the one-off regularisation of long term irregular migrants and believe that such a measure would be in keeping with Oxford's tradition of being a welcoming and tolerant city to whom immigrant communities have contributed so much both now and in the past.

This Council supports the regularisation of irregular migrants; encourages other local authorities to do likewise and urges the Government to adopt a proposal for regularisation after consultation with migrants organisations.

4 May fab pics No. 12: Chrysalis

2009-05-16T09:43:00.006+01:00

Seven powerful images from 4 May through the lens of Chrysalis. She combines colour and b&w in these shots for reasons she explains:
When I was processing the images afterwards, I choose to use a specific style, to desaturate some of the colour from the background of the images, as to let the subjects become more prominent. I also think on symbolic level this was a good choice, as the protest, was about foreign individuals being granted citizenship in the UK. With the style I chose, it focuses on the individual, and wo they are, and takes away focus from their surroundings and location. I finally chose what I consider the best 7 shots.

4 May fab pics No. 11: Nicolas de Jesus

2009-05-16T09:31:00.004+01:00

These beautiful pics by Nicolas de Jesus.

The Vibe

2009-05-16T09:24:00.004+01:00

Supportive and thoughtful post at www.the-vibe.co.uk -- "politics for the digital generation" -- which considers the "claim that an amnesty will attract floods of immigrants (a moot point if simply for its ridiculous impracticality) who will somehow ‘poison’ our culture".

What culture? Anyone else who attended the march will attest to the fact that just standing in that crowd full of people different to you in every way imaginable, yet rallying for the same cause, was the best way of expressing our sense of Britishness. By embracing the benefits of globalisation, we must also accept the responsibilities that come with it and the principles of free circulation that it necessitates.

Amen.

MEP candidate backs SiC

2009-05-16T09:10:00.004+01:00

Video by Charles Kelly of Immigration Matters -- "the UK's leading online immigration resource" -- who meets MEP Candidate for London Gene Alcantara at the Strangers into Citizens Rally.

Alcantara (left) is running as an Independent candidate for a London seat in the European parliament in the elections on 4 June, and articulates well the SiC policy: "Keep the borders secure, but once you're in you must be treated decently fairly and justly as a citizen".

God's humble opinion

2009-05-16T09:01:00.004+01:00

is the title of an excellent 3-4 min music video of the 4 May rally posted on YouTube, filmed and edited by Roz Lynch, music written and performed by Patsy O'Brien. Lots of dancing and celebration; watch out for the poster saying "Migration is not a crime" with a picture of Paddington Bear.

Destitution is not a policy

2009-05-14T13:48:00.005+01:00

Sandy Buchan, Chief Executive of Refugee Action and longstanding SiC supporter, on a new report by the Asylum Support Partnership which offers yet more upsetting news on how government policies are failing to protect those who are in most need of sanctuary.

"What makes the current policy so ineffective is that the government is treating all refused asylum seekers the same, so instead of coming up with different solutions for different people in different circumstances, everyone is being told to sign to return home or to lose support and leave their homes. Many are choosing the latter option.
Today's Destitution Tally by the Asylum Support Partnership (ASP), to which Refugee Action has contributed, focuses on solutions that will help the government to reform this woefully inadequate system. This includes giving temporary leave to those from very dangerous countries, and supporting others to take steps to return home rather than throwing them onto the streets and cutting off all contact."

Making people destitute is not helping reduce immigration levels while forcing people deeper into vulnerable situations.

Each individual has a story. To fail to hear the story of why they came -- which is almost never in search of benefits -- is to fail to recognise their humanity.

For the full article, click on the title above.

City Mayors

2009-05-12T23:30:00.003+01:00

Two suprises here: a) an international think tank for urban affairs called City Mayors, which "encourages city leaders from across the world to develop innovative and sustainable solutions to long-standing urban problems such as housing, transport, education and employment". b) a very fine discussion of SiC. Money quote:

A one-off amnesty will not satisfy all pro-immigration campaigners, who range from pro-globalisation commentator and economist Philippe LeGrain through to the far left anti-globalisation ‘No Borders’ campaigners. But it does represent a pragmatic step to restore dignity to an invisible but beneficial underclass that provide the backbone of many parts of the economy and allow them to make a fuller contribution as citizens of their adopted land, rather than a bank of easily expendable labourers.

A blog about a blog about a blog

2009-05-12T23:24:00.004+01:00

Lefty Catholic Red Maria -- who was there -- reviews the diverse reactions in the socialist blogosphere.

'We were there': Clifton diocese

2009-05-12T23:16:00.002+01:00

Catholics from the parish of 'St Nicks' in inner-city Bristol were there.

Chinese lions

2009-05-12T23:14:00.002+01:00

on YouTube. Cute and colourful.

Time Out

2009-05-12T14:52:00.004+01:00

Zak Brophy blogs on 4 May in London's much-read mag.

'We have to befriend them, and we have to risk sometimes,' said Angela, an elderly, white, Anglican lady at the march. 'If you’re kind to somebody, it brings out kindness.' As she joined the thousands in singing 'God Save The Queen' she stood arm in arm with some newly made friends from Ghana. The song, flag and symbols of British patriotism – all too often hijacked by the far right – were being reclaimed by the multiethnic communities of modern Britain

4 May fab pics No. 10: Elsie

2009-05-12T14:51:00.005+01:00

Check out Elsie's pics from the link on the title.

I attended the rally and my journey started off at the Methodist Central Hall in Westminister for a church service with various leaders of the cloth, which later lead to the march all the way down to Trafalgar Square passing Downing Street on the way.

For me it was an very inspirational day.

4 May fab pics no. 9: Simon K

2009-05-10T22:29:00.003+01:00

Some nice shots by Simon Kimber at flickr. Love this one in particular.

Ekklesia

2009-05-10T22:20:00.004+01:00

Fine summary at Ekklesia, which seeks to bring the Christian voice into the public square. Best of all, it contains a quote from Bishop Tom Butler - -pictured here with Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor at SiC 2007 - who preached at the 4 May Anglican service at St Margaret's, Westminster Abbey.

"What is being called for is no idealistic or wild-eyed demand that all barriers should go down. It is simply recognising that those who have been here for four years or more should be given the opportunity to show that they can be productive and useful citizens," he said.

The bishop added: "This is a call to bring hundreds of thousands of irregular migrants out of the shadows and after a two year probation period, give them leave to remain.

Muslim News

2009-05-10T22:15:00.004+01:00

Apologies: this excellent piece by our very own Mousa Baraka should have been posted earlier. It concerns Farhan Zakariah, a friend of the campaign who was there on 4 May, who featured in the Panorama programme in March. Watch a clip about him here and the campaign to prevent his deportation here.

'We were there': the Salvation Army

2009-05-10T22:08:00.006+01:00

Graeme Smith, a Salvation Army leader from Godalming, Surrey, was there.

There were around 80 people connected to The Salvation Army marching amongst the marchers and several people spoke to those around me saying how good it was to see the Army supporting them in this campaign. This is, of course, part of our heritage that we’ve forgotten so it’s great to see the Army out there where it really matters supporting some of the most marginalised people in our society! Let’s hope we keep it up and if anything increase our support for this and other campaigns that are about lifting the mantle of oppression from the lives of individuals and communities.

(Photo: Adam Scott)

SiC makes the front pages (3) The Universe

2009-05-09T13:15:00.005+01:00

After the Express and the Morning Star comes SiC 2009's third newspaper front page -- this time, the popular Catholic weekly The Universe. I can't see it on its website but I have the paper in front of me: CHURCH PLEDGES TO SUPPORT UNDOCUMENTED WORKFORCE is the banner headline alongside a pic of Columban fathers and lay missionaries in Trafalgar Sq. The report is by Paul Donovan -- who has written not a few stories about London Citizens and this campaign in particular -- which quotes from Bishop Patrick Lynch's compelling homily on 4 May, notably his call for a pathway into citizenship for migrants who have been in the UK for more than five years.

The other Catholic weeklies also give the 4 May good coverage.

The Conservative Catholic Herald -- which first tried to ignore SiC, and last year spluttered its disapproval -- has an excellent piece on p. 2 by Mark Greaves using the Press Association angle: 'Avoid scapegoating migrants in the recession, urges bishop' is the headline. The piece, and an accompanying pic (seen here) of exuberant nuns leaving the Mass for Migrants, can be read here. According to the newspaper, Bishop Lynch "strongly defended the idea of a one-off amnesty for illegal immigration" and "said at the Mass on Monday that the human dignity of migrants was separate from their legal status and whether they had the right papers".

The Tablet -- a longstanding supporter of the campaign -- reported (here but login needed) 4 May under the headline: 'Churches show support for migrant workers'. Reporter Christopher Lamb quotes Bishop Lynch -- "There is a clear moral case for undocumented workers of five years or more to be given an opportunity to build a future in the United Kingdom” -- as well as Bishop McMahon in the Square that "for any government to do nothing about regularisation
is irresponsible and leaves countless migrants vulnerable to exploitation and living in fear and limbo."

The venerable Anglican weekly the Church Times reports -- here -- 4 May using a photo and a brief report alongside a story on jail conditions for asylum seekers.

The Universe gave the earliest newspaper backing for Strangers into Citizens in a favourable editorial back in November 2006. The Tablet supported SiC in an editorial in April 2007.

Front covers of newspapers and magazines thus far generated by SiC -- all except the Express favourable to the campaign -- have appeared in:

The Spectator -- The Tablet -- The Universe -- The Morning Star -- The Daily Express -- The Independent

The case for amnesty

2009-05-09T09:58:00.010+01:00

Time for some intellectual input from the US, in the form of a very fine recent essay in the Boston Review, 'The case for amnesty', which is subtitled: "Time erodes the state's right to deport". Joseph Carens's thesis is that "the longer the stay, the stronger the moral claim to remain".

To illustrate the point, he takes the case of Marguerite Grimmond, an 80-year-old woman born in the US but resident in the UK from the age of two, who went on a vacation to Australia, only to be told, on her return, that she had no right to reside in the UK and faced deportation. The case came to light in June 2007 and is reported here by the BBC; she was in every sense an illegal immigrant, who knew that she did not have British citizenship, who had evaded immigration controls. Yet she was allowed to regularise her status, because, as Carens puts it, "the moral absurdity of forcing her to leave a place where she had lived so long was evident, whatever the legal technicalities." Time confers a moral right to remain.

The question then becomes: how much time? And how much of a right? In the case of Mrs Grimmond, she had arrived as a child, which confers rights; but what if she had arrived at 20, not two? Would anyone seriously advocate deporting her after 60 years?

How long is too long? What if Grimmond had been 60, not 80? Would that have diminished her claim to stay? I assume not. What if she had been 40? The poignancy of the case certainly diminishes, but the underlying principle remains: there is something deeply wrong in forcing people to leave a place where they have lived for a long time. Most people form their deepest human connections where they live. It becomes home. Even if someone has arrived only as an adult, it seems cruel and inhumane to uproot a person who has spent fifteen or twenty years as a contributing member of society in the name of enforcing immigration restrictions. The harm is entirely out of proportion to the wrong of illegal entry.

Grimmond was relieved at not being deported because she no longer had a connection to the US where she was born. Her fear and anxiety at being removed to a place she was no longer rooted are similar to what an asylum seeker will feel after 10 years in the UK. Commenting on the shocking case of Hiu Lui Ng, reported here in the New York Times, Carens notes:

In addition to the claim that he had to remain in the United States because of his marriage to an American citizen, Ng had a powerful claim to stay simply because he had already been in the United States so long and thus had become a member of society. Unlike Grimmond, he had not been present for over seven decades, but he had lived peacefully in the United States for fifteen years, getting an education, working, building social connections, creating a life.
Fifteen years is a long time in a human life. In fifteen years connections grow: to spouses and partners, sons and daughters, friends and neighbors and fellow-workers, people we love and people we hate. Experiences accumulate .... We sink deep roots over fifteen years, and these roots matter even if we were not authorized to plant ourselves in the first place. The moral importance of Ng’s social membership ought to have outweighed the importance of enforcing immigration restrictions.

Carens's argument -- which will not appeal to the No Borders crowd, but nicely articulates the position of Strangers into Citizens -- is that the time / morality argument cuts both ways.

If there is a threshold of time after which it is wrong to expel settled irregular migrants, then there is also some period of time before this threshold is crossed. How much time must pass before irregular migrants acquire a strong moral claim to stay? Or from the opposite perspective, how much time does the state have in which to apprehend and expel irregular migrants?
There is no clear answer to that question. The growth of the moral claim is continuous, although at some point it becomes strong enough that further time is unnecessary. The examples I have cited suggest that fifteen or twenty years are much more than enough. Ten years seems to me like a maximum, and I would think that five years of settled residence without any criminal convictions should normally be sufficient to establish anyone as a responsible member of society. On the other hand, it seems plausible to me that a year or two is not long enough.

Interesting that he should settle on five years, which is the SiC and the mayor of London's position.

Carens believes, incidentally, that the policy implications of this are that states "should establish an individual right for migrants to transform their status from irregular to legal after a fixed period of time of residence, such as five to seven years."

That must be right, although it's harder to argue against the green-light effect -- the central objection, after all -- with such a policy. That's why SiC argues in favour of a one-off regularisation in the first instance.

This is an essay which articulates well the central claim of Strangers into Citizens from the beginning, which is that length of residence confers rights that over time erode the right of the state to deport. Or put differently: just as with the statute of limitations, it is a long-established legal principle that for minor, ie administrative, offences, if a person has not been charged or apprehended within a few years he or she can no longer be pursued.

Of course, this is hard to sell to those who have a legalistic view of such matters. "So what you're saying is, all someone has to do is to hang around for a long enough time, and then he can just become legal?" is a scornful question, but the answer to it is: Yes. That is what we're saying. And the law implicitly recognises that -- as the case of Grimmond graphically illustrates. It is also implicitly recognised in the letters currently being received by thousands of irregular migrants in the UK who are being given leave to remain as part of the legacy case clearance exercise. They are being regularised because of their "long association with the UK" -- and for no other reason.

Strangers into Citizens has always started from the reality-check that the state cannot, for practical and humanitarian reasons, deport half a million people, and that the law's obligations to long-term residents should mirror those it has to the native-born. Perhaps we need to be stronger about asserting that the state has no moral right to do so when people have been in the UK for more than five years.

Carens moves on to consider the other "moral" objection to regularisation, one which the immigration minister, Phil Woolas, resorted to in his debate with Austen Ivereigh on 4 May, namely that a regularisation would be "unfair" to those waiting in the queue in the legal immigration channel. But the reality is that "in many democratic states" - -the UK included -- "there is no effective admissions line for those without family ties or special credentials .... Most of those who settle as irregular migrants would have no possibility of obtaining authorized entry." There is no queue-jumping involved, because there is no queue to join.

Carens brilliantly demolishes the "green-light effect" argument, which is the one most often thrown at SiC -- namely, that a regularisation would send a message to the worlds unwashed to make their way to Dover. The evidence (from Spain) suggests otherwise, but the objection sticks if you've never sat down and listened to migrants' stories. As we've always said: "that's not how migrants think." Here's Carens:

If irregular migrants think about their own long-term prospects, then they surely understand that immigration policies shift over time in response to changes in the political climate. Opportunities to move to regular status may disappear when political opposition to immigration increases. Alternatively, new opportunities for regularization may appear if the political dynamics shift again. All this is beyond their control. What they can control is more immediate. Most irregular migrants compare their situation at home with what they think they will face in the near term. Most irregular migrants come because they think they can find work that is considerably more financially rewarding and because they think they will be able to evade the immigration authorities, at least long enough to make it worthwhile. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, it is plausible to suppose that such a long-term consideration as possible regularization years down the road would have little impact.

He concludes:

Even if we accept the state’s right to control immigration as a basic premise, that right is not absolute and unqualified. The state’s right to deport irregular migrants weakens as the migrants become members of society. Over time an irregular migration status becomes morally irrelevant while the harm it inflicts grows. Liberal democratic states should recognize that fact by institutionalizing an automatic transition to legal status for irregular migrants who have settled in a state for an extended period.

[Photo: Lucas]

4 May fab pics No. 8: Lucas

2009-05-09T00:46:00.005+01:00

Hard to improve on this shot of the Chinese dragon by Lucas at Talk Photography. There are more.

'We were there': east London Muslims

2009-05-09T00:38:00.004+01:00

A nice message of congratulations from the East London Mosque, member of the east London branch of London Citizens, TELCO.

'We were there': the passer-by

2009-05-08T19:32:00.002+01:00

I think the group was called Strangers into Citizens. We stayed to watch it for maybe 20-25 minutes. The speakers were immense. I totally had tears.

4 May fab pics No. 7: Trixxtoot

2009-05-08T19:21:00.004+01:00

Half a dozen carefully chosen portraits by Trixxtoot, also on flickr, and well worth pointing your mouse at. This icon of serenity and determination is standing in front of the St Ignatius banner and carrying a copy of the Mass booklet. So that would be Catholic, then.

4 May fab pics No. 6: Luis Rubim

2009-05-08T19:14:00.003+01:00

Check out Luis Rubim's pics on flickr. Some real stunners. Anyone want to nominate one for SiC 4 May Best Pic Award?

Tribune

2009-05-08T11:39:00.007+01:00

Tribune reports the rally in a piece entitled 'Call for Britain to follow Obama on regularisation' which says that Strangers into Citizens has been "cheered by President Obama’s plans, announced last month, to introduce an immigration bill this autumn which could legalise some 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States."

Tribune quotes from the rally speech by Jack Dromey, deputy general-secretary of Unite the Union (pictured):

Three of our own union members were arrested when they were tricked into a ‘training’ day. When they got there, the authorities were waiting to remove them. One worker was in a desperate state because he had to collect his kids from school. They were then deported because they were undocumented but they had been here for years, worked hard and contributed much more to this country than they took out.

South London Press

2009-05-08T11:30:00.007+01:00

South London Press follows our very own Julie Camacho and the Latin-Americans on their journey from Elephant and Castle (or as locals say: Elefante y Castillo).

Julie tells the newspaper:

They can’t report crimes, either as a witness or a victim, they have to go to illegal doctors and dentists and are often paid less than the minimum wage.
An amnesty would not only put a stop to the exploitation, but these thousands of workers would all start paying taxes and help the economy.

Pictured: some of the Latin-Americans on St George's Rd, Southwark. The banner reads: "We are here, we're not leaving, and if we're kicked out, we're coming back."

A 'parish perspective' on SiC

2009-05-07T13:15:00.006+01:00

Great piece by a Jesuit priest in north London whose parish, St Ignatius in Stamford Hill, is seen here lining up before the Mass for Migrants on 4 May. St Ignatius has been an anchor of support for the campaign since the start.
Fr Jim Conway's article in the Jesuits' e-journal Thinking Faith tells how a 'Strangers into Citizens' poster on the parish noticeboard drew an irregular to share his story.

Having sensed that this was a safe place, Ramoz disclosed that he himself ‘lived in the shadows’, and had done for almost nine years. It is difficult to trust people, he explained, as he expressed his relief at finding someone – a priest – who could listen to his story. Ramoz, like Jacob, had three jobs. Early each morning he travelled to the City to clean the offices of a prestigious finance company before going to work in a coffee bar for six hours. From 8pm until midnight he delivered takeaway pizzas in north London. Ramoz was distressed because he had not received payment from his cleaning job for six weeks. His manager, as well as refusing to pay him, had told him not to go back again. ‘But what can I do?’ Ramoz asked. ‘He knows I don’t have any papers.’ The implications of this are enormous because, as well as going unpaid, Ramoz had to change his address. He felt vulnerable because his former manager knew where he lived and, if he wanted to, could tip off the authorities. He described living in such a way that you must always be watching your back, whilst acknowledging the danger of becoming paranoid.

Fr Jim reviews the arguments, and makes a compelling case for the campaign on many levels, but settles on the importance of the moral and civic issue.

The conditions in which many of the undocumented are forced to live and work are an infringement on their human dignity, the dignity that is repeatedly highlighted and celebrated in Catholic Social Teaching. Surely one cannot ignore a situation in which the vulnerable are continuously exploited and silenced through their own fear? This is a problem that, if not addressed, will undermine any attempt to build meaningful local communities and a cohesive society. As a nation we have a duty to support these individuals. If one recognises, as the government does, that a sizable number of undocumented migrants live and work in the UK and that many of them have been here for a significant amount of time, then it must consider ways of resolving their and the nation’s predicament.

Well worth a read.

(By the way, spot the change to the St Ignatius banner.)

Halnya thanks SiC

2009-05-06T22:54:00.004+01:00

Short, powerful video in which a Ukrainian irregular makes a cry from the heart -- and thanks Strangers into Citizens.

You help us, you encourage us, you force us to believe that something will change.

SiC meets shock jock Jon Gaunt

2009-05-06T21:25:00.011+01:00

on SunTalk Radio, the Sun newspaper's new "audio platform" for unvarnished right-wing views.

'Gaunty' -- who was sacked from TalkSport Radio for insulting a councillor -- tears into Austen for half an hour, occasionally letting him finish a sentence. For a ringside seat, download it as a podcast here.

BBC Chinese

2009-05-06T21:15:00.005+01:00

covers Monday here.

Non-Chinese speakers can still enjoy the photos here.

'We were there': the Latin-American

2009-05-06T19:54:00.006+01:00

In these 12 years of Calvary I have lived through, yesterday I felt for the first time hopeful and happy about the future. Thank you for a wonderful day of faith.

'We were there': the Socialist (II)

2009-05-06T12:47:00.004+01:00

Liam's blog is admiring, despite his "strong instinct to run away very quickly from large groups of people carrying union jacks". Money quote:

For my money this demo is the highlight of the political calendar. Once a year the voiceless and invisible hyper-exploited workers of London take to the streets and make themselves heard. They are a multitude drawn from every corner of the planet and maybe, just maybe, they are starting to get a sense of their power and numbers.

'We were there': the Muslim

2009-05-06T12:44:00.004+01:00

I went to this strangers into citizens rally yesterday, it was really amazing mashallah.

(Pictured: Dr Bari of the MCB)

El Pais

2009-05-06T12:33:00.004+01:00

Another one for the Spanish-speakers -- or those using this campaign to brush up on their language skills: Spain's authoritative left-leaning daily carries a brief but nice report here. In the following para the newspaper says that our name plays with the meaning of 'stranger' in English, meaning both 'outsider' and 'unknown'.

Organizada bajo el lema genérico De extranjeros a ciudadanos -jugando con la palabra inglesa stranger, que tiene el doble significado de forastero y extraño, desconocido- la campaña ha sido impulsada por la Citizen Organising Foundation, una alianza de más de un centenar de organizaciones sociales, políticas y religiosas.

Milton Keynes was there

2009-05-06T12:27:00.004+01:00

Specifically, Citizens: MK, part of COF. Snaps and videos here.

4 May fab pics No. 5: Thiha Aung's gallery

2009-05-06T12:14:00.004+01:00

Some gorgeous photos of the Chinese part of the rally here.

4 May fab pics No. 4: Chris Jepson's photo gallery

2009-05-06T12:11:00.003+01:00

Our photographer's selection here.

CNN coverage

2009-05-06T11:57:00.003+01:00

Balanced report featuring South London Citizens leader Kevin Minnott.

4 May fab pics No. 3

2009-05-06T09:11:00.005+01:00

'Immigrant children also want to study!' is what this says in Spanish. Photo taken by a Frenchman, our friend Jean-Jacques Meric, who is one of those behind the inspiring French movement Reseau Educations Sans Frontieres. The RESF has had a number of successes in getting regularisation for sans papiers with children in French schools. Jean-Jacques was deeply moved by this sign.
The fascinating RESF site -- that's JJ's department -- carries a BRILLIANT short DVD of sans papiers children describing what it's like to live with fear and uncertainty. Watch it and read about it here.

'We were there' (4): the Anglican

2009-05-06T08:58:00.002+01:00

Give yourself a huge pat on the back for a wonderful rally of people on Monday! ..... We did the bike ride, one of the masses, the march, Trafalgar Square and then Pizza Express! ... Nice piece of work and thank you for leading the way. Very prophetic.

'We were there' (3): the Catholic

2009-05-06T08:57:00.002+01:00

"I was deeply moved by the Mass in westminister Cathedral and the demonstration, well done all for the excellent organisation. I am an Irish emigrant.God bless the campaign."

Radio 1

2009-05-06T08:22:00.007+01:00

Radio 1 Newsbeat, which carries quotes from Austen, goes out at 1245 and 1745 today.

News report here.

The news reporter joined the UKBA on raids on restaurants in Southampton -- as usual, a curry house. "The officers interviewed 15 kitchen staff and found a single Bangladeshi man suspected of overstaying his short-term marriage visa."

On SiC:

Thousands of people met in Trafalgar Square over the bank holiday weekend in support of an "earned amnesty" for immigrants that have lived here illegally for six years.

The pressure group Strangers Into Citizens, which organised the rally, says the government strategy of heavy fines and document checks is "inhumane, costly and complicated".

The group's director of policy Austen Ivereigh told Newsbeat: "They had an amnesty in 2005 in Spain and made about 600,000 people legal. It resulted in fewer people coming in, so it's actually a good way of tightening the borders.

"They start to pay taxes whereas before they didn't," he said. "And legal workers are not undercut by migrants being paid half the minimum wage."

'We were there' (2): the Green socialist

2009-05-06T01:53:00.005+01:00

At 'The Daily', JimJay, a "socialist in the Green Party", tries to come to terms with things he disliked on Monday -- the Union Jack, the national anthem, religion -- and does:

Slight feelings of alienation aside I thought it was a fantastic event and one of the few demonstrations I actually enjoy going on. Mainly organised through religious groups and London Citizens (who are often spoken of in glowing terms) with refugee groups and anti-deportations thrown in for good measure you get a real feeling of what a progressive movement feels like.

Not that all churchgoers are progressive, of course, but the power of civil society organisations to build movements can't be underestimated or disregarded because of their lack of full and perfect political programme.

El Publico

2009-05-06T01:29:00.008+01:00

'La amnistia inevitable' is the title of an excellent report on Monday's rally and the campaign in El Publico, Spain's third largest newspaper.

If you read Spanish, you'll quickly realise Lourdes Gomez's article is one of the best yet published on SiC -- which is portrayed here as being inspired by the Spanish regularisation process of 2005.

Lourdes has done us an additional favour by including some statistics which have been eluding us. We know that the Spanish regularisation brought in far more revenue than it cost to implement, but we haven't had the figures. Here they are.

The regularisation process cost 12.7 m euros. The year they did it, 2005, the additional income in social security payments and income tax amounted to 190 m euros.

Bit hard to square with the idea that the UK can't afford to regularise, Sir Andrew. On those figures, it can't afford not to.

Excellent quotes, btw, by our very own Laura Zorrilla (pictured here speaking at the Rally), who was managing the media on the day.

Vox Africa

2009-05-06T00:46:00.007+01:00

A thorough report by Vox Africa, French-language African TV channel, on Monday's rally. In Londres, les sans papiers sortent de l'ombre* David Luemba, a Congolese sans papiers describes his situation; logistics supremo Ruhana Ali is filmed with microphone warming up the sans culottes of Tothill St; lots of shots of what the reporter gushingly describes as cette vaste operation de Strangers into Citizens; in Trafalgar Sq. a curious Frenchman resident in London gets interviewed; and the reporter is impressed by the national anthem.

You have to wait 8.35 mins before our very own Sebastien Chapleau answers a great number of very detailed questions about the campaign and its objectives in a seven-minute interview -- a tour de force. Bravo, Seb!

*='the undocumented come out from the shadows'

BBC World Service Africa

2009-05-06T00:33:00.008+01:00

BBC World Service Africa was at the rally. Josephine Hazeley speaks here to a number of Africans -- and interviews COF chair of trustees Bishop Eric Brown (pictured). Plenty of what they call in the trade "atmos" -- one minute it's God Save the Queen, next it's Ludwig the Ukrainian folk singer. Nice piece.

Room for vigorous disagreement

2009-05-06T00:22:00.003+01:00

No one doubts this is an issue about which people are not backward in coming forward with their opinions. Even following this small news item on BBC online -- inadequate in many respects: doesn't name the COF, doesn't name the campaign, and doesn't allow us or anyone else to respond to MigrationWatch's nonsense -- comes a river of comments.

Austen's Guardian online piece on Sunday, meanwhile, attracted a stupendous 288 responses before the comments were closed.

'We were there' (1): the disgruntled left

2009-05-05T23:52:00.006+01:00

Oh dear. Not everyone who came on Monday was impressed. Turns out we were 'infiltrated' by some ideologically committed people who held a counter-demonstration. Reports the author of this post at something called 'The Commune':

An alternative rally was held on the steps at the back of Trafalgar Square, with several dozen people listening to militant speeches by activists such as the Mitie/Willis cleaners and a speaker from the International Federation of Iraqi Refugees. The Coordinadora had produced a Spanish-language leaflet “Amnesty for some, or papers for all?”, criticising the tepid politics of London Citizens and its claim that some immigration controls are “necessary”.

"Several dozen", eh? Not enough for anyone to notice -- apart from the several dozen, of course -- but just enough to make it hard for some people to hear some of the speeches. Presumably that's how some people think you change the world?

According to 'Commune', London Citizens "have an extremely conservative stance similar to that of Mayor Boris Johnson".

Hence the backing from the Morning Star, of course!

The Times

2009-05-05T23:36:00.009+01:00

In Ruth Gledhill's 'Articles of Faith' blog at The Times is a generous and thorough report on Monday by Duncan Brown, a novice journo assigned to the UK's premier religion correspondent. Duncan is pictured above interviewing Rt Rev Thomas McMahon, Catholic bishop of Brentwood, who has a SiC sticker not far from his pectoral cross.

Duncan describes Monday as "a political event, but with a religious message", which is a thoughtful and thought-provoking way of putting it. There are plenty of quotes here, from religious leaders, organisers, leaders, migrants -- just about everyone, in fact. Great job, Duncan.

SiC makes the front pages (2) Morning Star

2009-05-05T23:16:00.003+01:00

We've had supportive articles in the Telegraph, the Guardian, the Independent, the Spectator, the Tablet, the Voice -- and to that roster we can now add the very fine editorial in Tuesday's Morning Star, described as the UK's only Socialist paper. It sure puts to shame all those left-wing blogs out there who regard SiC as a bourgeois conspiracy.

Anyone got a pic of the front page we can put up? LET THEM STAY, runs the splash headline, followed by: 'Tens of thousands march to demand "earned amnesty" for migrant workers" and a piece of expert reporting by -- yes, really -- Paul Haste.

LONDON’S migrant workers emerged from the shadows yesterday to take over the capital’s streets and demand an end to their precarious and undocumented existence.

is how it begins. Read the rest here.

The editorial, entitled simply 'Justice for Immigrants', lets fly at Sir Andrew (and who are we to disagree?) -

The case for offering amnesty to illegal immigrants is overwhelming. So overwhelming, in fact, that pretty much the only people opposing it are the ranting extremists at the Migrationwatch think tank, whose credibility withers more and more with every tirade of nonsense they publish.

- but isn't "think tank" a little too charitable?

4 May fab pics No. 2

2009-05-05T22:54:00.004+01:00

These were taken by UNISON's Jean Geldart. The top pic is of Deborah Littman, a trustee of London Citizens.

SiC makes the front pages (1) Daily Express

2009-05-05T22:20:00.007+01:00

Strangers into Citizens has had newspaper and magazine front pages before. In 2007, we had a Spectator cover; in 2008, a front page in The Independent.

On Monday morning we woke up to a Daily Express front page (above) based on MigrationWatch's bizarre claims that -- well, you can read it for yourself here.

The Express long ago decided it would take Sir Andrew's press releases, beef 'em up, and slap 'em straight on the page. In this case, the enthusiasm in the editor's office may have gone a little over the top.

In his press release, Sir Andrew uses the LSE figure of 750,000 irregular migrants -- but the Express, presumably thinking that's not shocking enough, adds another 200,000, claiming in the first para that regularisation would affect"up to 950,000 foreign nationals".

Some hints that this may be, after all, a typo, lie further down, when the Express says the LSE has estimated there to be between "524,000 and 947,000 'irregular residents' and their children in Britain at the end of 2007".

The normal rules in journalism are that if you are going to present an extreme point of view or a claim, you should see if anyone out there has a different one. But even though the Express mentions us, it doesn't ask us if we, er, you know, have a different take on MigrationWatch's exotic assertions.

Reminds me of when the Express first clocked SiC's existence. March 2007: Express phones Austen to ask him to explain campaign. Austen explains. Reporter: "Sounds brilliant." Austen: "huh?" Reporter: "Yes, makes total sense. I'm all for it." Austen: "Really? I'd have expected the Express to have a different view ..." Reporter: "Yeah well obviously we'll have to say it's rubbish 'cos that's the paper's line, but I think it's great." Sure enough, the next day, the headline was "FURY OVER MIGRANT AMNESTY PLAN".

This was more or less their headline on Tuesday morning: STORM OVER MIGRANT AMNESTY.

(Storm. Fury. You get the idea.)

The UKBA spokesman responded to the Strangers into Citizens proposal with what it hoped would sound like what you might hear in a pub.

“Those here illegally should go home, not go to the front of the queue for jobs and benefits."

That's it. That's the policy.

4 May fab pics No. 1

2009-05-05T21:59:00.005+01:00

And so we begin a "best-of" series from Monday's rally. These were taken by Jean Jameson, wife of COF capo Neil Jameson.

Please email your best QUALITY shots to laura.zorrilla@cof.org.uk. Next week we'll pick a winner.

Prayers for regularisation at the nation's mother churches

2009-05-05T20:51:00.002+01:00

Should there have been any doubt in anyone’s mind that the Christian Churches in Britain are backing the Strangers into Citizens call, Monday’s moving services at St Margaret’s (Westminster Abbey), Methodist Central Hall, and Westminster Cathedral should have removed it. Not only was the call for regularisation, but the campaign was name-checked – not surprisingly, given the biblical resonances of its name, and its origins in the Cardinal’s call at the 2006 Mass.

At the Cathedral, Bishop Thomas McMahon began the Mass for Migrant Workers with a prayer to bring people “out of degradation into dignity, out of darkness into light, from strangers into citizens”.

Over at St Margaret’s, meanwhile, Rev. Ralph Godsall opened the Service ‘to celebrate the presence of migrants in the UK’ by praying “that a pathway into citizenship may be granted those whose basic human rights have been denied”. And he continued: “So today we ask God to turn strangers into citizens.”

Did anyone catch any such prayers at the Gospel service and can share them?

And where do we get Bishop Tom Butler’s homily?

Bishop at Migrants' Mass calls for regularisation

2009-05-05T20:39:00.002+01:00

Rt Rev Patrick Lynch, the Catholic bishop in charge of migration matters, gave the homily at Monday’s Mass for Migrants at Westminster Cathedral. You can listen to it and read it here – congratulations to Eddie at Archbishop’s House for fab communications.

Bishop Patrick said many interesting and challenging things that were picked up in this Press Association report by its religion correspondent, Martha Linden.

On regularisation, Bishop Pat gave a categoric, explicit endorsement of the Strangers into Citizens call. We are profoundly grateful – not least because he puts it so beautifully:

The Church is concerned for all workers - documented and undocumented. A migrant’s legal status is quite separate from his or her human dignity. A human being’s worth is defined by their God given dignity, not by the papers they do or do not carry. There is clear moral case that undocumented workers who have lived and worked in this country for five years or more should be given the opportunity to build a future in the United Kingdom and continue to contribute to British society. You have worked here: your children have been born here and attend school here: you are part of our parishes and our society here and a way should be found so that you can remain here.

Sounds from a great day

2009-05-05T15:25:00.003+01:00

Congratulations to community broadcaster Zak Brophy, who has edited a brilliant little audio package, less than 10 minutes long, from Monday's rally. Atmospheric and powerful. It is posted here and here or download it here.

SiC debates with Phil Woolas, immigration minister, from Trafalgar Square

2009-05-05T13:00:00.003+01:00

Austen Ivereigh, campaign policy director (on the left), goes head-to-head with the immigration minister Phil Woolas (above) live on BBC World Service from Trafalgar Square. And, as if arranged by angels, the BBC’s Madrid correspondent explains how well regularisation worked in Spain. Well worth a listen (only available for a few days) at

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p002yss7

Cycle for Citizens make their presence felt at Kings Cross Station

2009-05-04T16:46:00.000+01:00

Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

The Guardian

2009-05-03T16:13:00.002+01:00

Austen Ivereigh article in The Guardian on why the Strangers proposal makes sense.

Regularisation is the humane and practical solution. Combined with border-enforcement measures, such as those the government is bringing in at the moment, and measures to shrink the shadow economy, it helps to deter further illegal immigration. Such is the experience of Spain, which regularised 600,000 people in 2005 as part of a package of reforms which included tighter borders. Numbers entering Spain between 2001 and 2004 were considerably higher than those that have entered since. That's why, in the United States, regularisation is backed by those who favour more restrictive immigration measures. It enables immigration authorities to concentrate on those who intend to break the law rather than those whom the law is breaking.

Daily Mail

2009-05-03T16:07:00.001+01:00

At the bottom of a spluttering story about judges granting Tamils the right to stay, the Mail notes our rally.

What is says at the end – unattributed and unsupported -- about earned amnesties encouraging more people to come is contradicted by the Spanish example, where after regularisation in 2005 numbers of newcomers entering the country went, er, down.

BBC Radio 4 'Sunday' programme

2009-05-03T14:57:00.001+01:00

The campaign’s policy director explains tomorrow’s event here -- slide player to 38.58 mins.

on the eve of the rally, hard-pressed organisers take to drink

2009-05-03T13:59:00.002+01:00