Written evidence submitted by New Arrivals Voice (RTS3412)

We are New Arrivals Voice, Derby Strong Together. We are the Lived Experience branch of Derby’s New Arrivals Alliance. The New Arrivals Alliance provides a focus and steering group for the multi-agency, multi-disciplinary body that draws together a wide range of statutory and non-statutory organisations and stakeholders. More information about the NAA can be found here.

Our group, New Arrivals Voice, is comprised of individuals who have arrived in Derby as a refugee or an asylum seeker. Our group has members spanning ten different countries, with a diverse range of experiences and immigration statuses. What we all have in common is that we have navigated the asylum system at some point and been a new arrival in Derby. Due to our experiences, we therefore wanted to share our views on the proposals for Routes to Settlement in this Inquiry.

It is important to mention that our discussion on these proposals happened at the same time as the UK Government announced potential plans to reduce the length of leave to remain granted for refugees, and increase the time period for indefinite leave to remain to 20 years. Therefore, our response to this Inquiry has been impacted by these announcements.

From our perspective, these announcements caused a great deal of stress and anxiety in our communities. People were stopping each other on the street to discuss these proposals. It caused extreme distress-  some of our group couldn’t eat or sleep. We have spent the last few years in the UK terrified and wondering when we will be safe. We still talk about Rwanda, and we are very concerned about the one in, one out scheme. These changes would impact thousands of people across the country. We have spent so much time worrying about whether we will have a future. It is a nightmare.

From our experiences, we know that the majority of the UK are very welcoming. We love Derby because of the community and the people. But these proposals make us feel like we are not wanted here. We are concerned that these policies reinforce the hostile environment, which will encourage those who believe that being British is dependent on race. We are also concerned that these proposals will reduce integration by creating two tiers of society, those who can stay and those who are uncertain of their futures.

We all left our countries and our homes for different reasons, but for all of us, we left because we were not safe.

With these proposals, it feels like once again we have no future. We feel like we can’t have hopes and dreams for the future now, because we can’t build a life here. How can we have children here, if we don’t know if they will be allowed to stay? These proposals have made us question what makes someone British? If a child is born in Britain, and this is the only place they have ever lived, how can they not be British?

Financially, we believe that people in our communities will not want to invest in the UK. We have heard people say that they don’t want to spend their money here now, they will send it back home. We believe people will be disincentivised to work and contribute if they believe there is no guaranteed future for us here. We are also concerned any changes may lead to a rise in illegal work and potentially exploitative situations. Why invest in a future in the UK when there is no guaranteed future here? Why would people invest in somewhere that doesn’t welcome them?

If our homes were safe, we would return. Home is where our families are. But there is a difference between being told we are safe to go back, and feeling safe. We know what the situations are like at home; our families and friends are there. So we know that we are not safe if we go home.

Prospective changes to settlement have also been accompanied by proposals on restricting family reunion. This feels to us like forcing families to be apart. In addition to this, we are concerned that people without indefinite leave to remain may be reluctant to get married and have children in the UK, as once again there are no guarantees they can stay here. 20 years is so long. People’s lives will be put on hold.

Finally, we would like to address the proposals for earned settlement. For many of us, since we have arrived in the UK we have faced hostility at every point. It is a system designed to keep people out, not to welcome people in. Laws and policies are constantly changing. So we would like to know what are the guarantees that the rules will stay the same for earned settlement? Or will it become more and more impossible to reach? We are very suspicious that no one will ever be able to reach the standards that will be set to earn settlement.

Furthermore, we don’t believe we should have to earn settlement. It is not our fault we are here, and the situations in our countries haven’t happened in isolation. We want to work, we want to rebuild our lives, we want to be with our families. But mostly we want to feel safe. And we can’t do this if every few months there is a different proposal that threatens our future. We are not criminals. We have done nothing wrong.

Our final ask is to please think about what it must be like to leave your homes, your families and your entire life. What it must be like to travel across the world seeking sanctuary, only to arrive here and face barrier after barrier. We just want to be safe, and to live our lives. Our lives are not easy, even after we get leave to remain.

Please, stop talking about us. We are not the cause of all the problems in the UK.

Dec 2025