In April, we were joined by Ally from the fantastic Right To Remain for the second workshop in our Paths to Power series, ‘Immigration Detention and Enforcement’. Our participants mainly consisted of people working or volunteering in the migrant support sector in Bradford. 

The workshop began by taking us through the excellent Right to Remain toolkit, a free step-by-step guide to navigating the UK asylum and immigration system. The toolkit can be used by people seeking sanctuary, people working in the migration sector, and even people who have been detained and are trying to work out their rights. 

The workshop provided vital context about the current immigration enforcement system, and what recent law changes such as the Border Security, Asylum, Immigration Act 2025 mean for our communities. For example, we were shocked to learn that immigration raids have increased by about 77% since Labour took office, and that there is currently no time limit for detention. There have even been cases of vulnerable people being held in detention centres, including survivors of human trafficking and torture. 

We also learnt about how we can protect ourselves and our communities against enforcement threats, such as creating a clear safety plan, and ensuring to alert friends and supporters if you feel you are at risk of being detained. 

It’s safe to say that everyone who attended came away from the workshop with a far deeper understanding of how to respond to immigration enforcement threats, and how we can keep our communities informed and prepared. Public legal education like that offered by Right to Remain is absolutely vital for empowering our communities and keeping everyone safe, and we are so grateful that they took the time to work with us.