On Wednesday, 11 March, representatives from ARF (Aderonke, Luca and Akindele) joined a powerful delegation of community leaders, unions, and faith groups at the Houses of Parliament for a National Mass Lobby.
Coordinated by the NRPF Partnership, the event brought together advocates from across the UK to voice a unified opposition to the Government’s proposed “Earned Settlement” changes.
Why We Were There
The proposed changes to settlement rules risk deeply harming migrant families, destabilizing local communities, and weakening our wider economy. At ARF, we believe that the current consultation period provides insufficient space for evidence-based concerns to be heard. By joining the lobby, we ensured that these concerns were delivered directly to the heart of government.
Direct Dialogue with MPs
During the afternoon, our team met with several local MPs to discuss the specific impact these proposals would have on our constituents. We used this opportunity to:
- Present evidence of how “Earned Settlement” creates unnecessary barriers to integration.
- Highlight the risk of increased poverty and housing instability for vulnerable individuals.
- Demand a fairer consultation process that genuinely considers the lived experiences of those affected.
Strength in Unity
The lobby was a vital reminder of the depth and breadth of public concern. Seeing so many diverse organisations standing together made it clear that this issue is impossible to ignore.
ARF remains committed to protecting the rights of our community members. We would like to thank everyone who supported our trip to London and those who signed up to help shape this collective action.
