In March 2026, a group of 12 from Boaz went to London to take part in a mass lobby opposing the Government’s ‘earned settlement’ proposals. Our group was made up of members of staff, people we currently work with and people we’ve supported previously. 

We travelled down together on a coach carrying 50 people from organisations and lived experience groups across Greater Manchester, including: These Walls Must Fall, Right to Remain, Status Now 4 All, RAS Voice, Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit, Refugee Action, Asylum Matters and GREAT.

What is a mass lobby?

A mass lobby is a coordinated action where a large number of people meet with their MPs on the same day, typically at the Houses of Parliament. It is a direct, face-to-face form of advocacy that’s designed to raise awareness and influence policy decisions on a particular issue. 

Strength in numbers shows public support for, or opposition to, an issue, raising it up the political agenda. But simultaneously, as constituents meet with their MPs, they have the opportunity to share the direct impact that policies will have on them and demand specific actions.

In our case, some of the asks made to MPs included writing to the Home Secretary requesting a pause on the ‘earned settlement’ proposals until a full impact assessment has been carried out and asking questions of specific ministers in Parliament to draw attention to the damaging effects the plans will have, particularly in relation to child poverty and integration.

What message did we want to send?

Throughout the day, we asked people we’ve supported what message they wanted to send to their MP, and the Government more broadly. We heard so many powerful responses to this question. First and foremost, we want to centre the voices of those who could be directly affected by changes to the settlement rules:

“It has been 4 years and 5 months since I got my refugee status and I'm not sure what to do next. I want to tell my MP how that makes me feel so uncertain about my future. It has already affected my confidence with everything. It made me feel worried about my future, like buying a house or having my own business.”

~ Hirut

“I am here to ask the government to rethink the 'earned settlement' proposals. Doubling the wait for permanent residency to 10 years, especially for those already here, is unfair. It creates long-term insecurity for families and hurts the economy by making the UK a less attractive place for those of us who thought we had found peace. I feel insecure and scared of the future.” 

~ Mary

“I have been here a long time - 20 years. I want to feel part of this society and to make a contribution. We want to be heard. What the Government is planning will make it harder for people. It will lead to destitution and will mean more families are separated for longer.” 

~ Anonymous

“When I get a job I will be paying taxes. I’m living here like this country is my country. But if I am paying taxes and will never get citizenship then is that fair? You lose hope and feel like you are not welcome. If you are not able to settle you feel left out.” 

~ Anonymous

“I want to ask the government about the rights of refugees because it is not fair. We need freedom and safety, and now we are being told that everything is changing and that we will have to wait many years for leave to remain.
I have been here for 13 years. For ten years I lost my life and my mind because I didn’t have papers. Ten years of my life gone. Three years ago I got my status and ever since I have been working and paying taxes, and volunteering. How come I am now being treated like this? I’m starting to feel afraid. Will I be deported? You start to lose confidence in the country.” 

~ Anonymous

What happened on the day?

The day kicked off at Methodist Central Hall with a number of speeches, including from Minnie Rahman (CEO of Praxis), Olivia Blake (MP for Sheffield Hallam), Hannah Spencer (MP for Gorton and Denton), and Bejoy Sebastian (President of the Royal College of Nursing).

Olivia Blake, who sponsored the mass lobby, said: 

“The government claims that these proposals are about ensuring that those who reach settlement are well-integrated, economically self-sufficient and committed to the communities they have joined. But I think that misses a big point. People are already contributing. They already work, pay taxes and follow strict rules for years before they can settle here.

“We know that long and uncertain routes to settlement don’t make people feel welcome and won’t allow people to feel integrated. And in fact the evidence shows the opposite. Settlement should be the foundation for integration, not a reward that comes only after a decade or more of insecurity. I’ve been clear that changing the rules once people have already followed them is deeply unfair.”

Following Olivia Blake, we heard from Hannah Spencer, the newly elected MP for Gorton and Denton:

“We’ve seen government after government make the wrong choices about migration, bringing in increasingly cruel, unworkable changes. And this time throwing hundreds of thousands of people into limbo and uncertainty about settlement, hurting people’s ability to settle and thrive, and to be honest, it’s fuelling even more division.

“Increasing division and uncertainty is not the way to address any problem. We need a fair and compassionate asylum system and we need real action to tackle inequality.”

After heading out for a group photo in Parliament square, the first wave of people joined the queue to enter Westminster Hall. The group from Boaz met with Hannah Spencer and Afzal Khan in person and had the chance to raise their concerns around earned settlement, as well as share a physical briefing document with concrete actions the MPs could take in opposition to the plans. 

The wider Greater Manchester group were also able to meet with Jeff Smith, Connor Rand, Tom Morrison, Michael Wheeler, Jim McMahon, Rebecca Long Bailey, Nav Mishra and Jonathan Reynolds. 

Following the MP meetings we attended a rally in Parliament Square, where we could be loud and visible in our opposition. We also heard speeches from a number of people with lived experience of the immigration system.

What impact did it have?

Since the mass lobby, we have heard from the organisers that they estimate over 80 MPs were engaged through the efforts of around 500 campaigners. 

We will also be following up with the MPs we met with, and those we didn’t, continuing to put pressure on them to oppose ‘earned settlement.’