As Andy Burnham begins his time as Prime Minister, we congratulate him on his appointment and look forward to working with the new Government to help ensure the UK’s asylum and immigration system is fair, effective and compassionate.

Every day, we support people seeking asylum, refugees and survivors of modern slavery as they rebuild their lives. Through that work, we see both the challenges and the opportunities to create policies that deliver better outcomes for individuals, communities and public services. We believe that everyone, irrespective of their background, should have a right to live in a society that upholds the values of compassion, support, inclusivity and diversity.

We stand ready to support the Government in prioritising:

• Creating safe and accessible routes for people fleeing conflict, persecution and exploitation.
• Ensuring people seeking asylum are treated with dignity while their claims are considered, including reducing reliance on contingency accommodation and improving access to community-based support.
• Reducing delays in asylum and immigration decision-making, providing greater certainty for those affected and improving the efficiency of the system.
• Strengthening support and protections for survivors of modern slavery, ensuring they can recover safely.
• Working in partnership with local authorities, charities and communities to support successful integration and build resilient, welcoming communities across the UK.
• Developing immigration policy in partnership with people with lived experience, frontline organisations and local communities.
  
  

We know that the majority of the British public welcomes the richness that diversity brings to our daily lives, and we encourage the new Prime Minister to seize the opportunity to change the narrative around immigration to help strengthen our communities.

The UK has a long tradition of offering protection to people in need. We hope the new Government will build on that tradition by pursuing policies that are humane, evidence-based and uphold the UK’s national and international commitments.