The movements for migrant justice and for the liberation of Palestine are united by a shared struggle against imperialism and its legacies.
We write this—one year into Israel’s genocide in Palestine, and many more years into the ongoing resistance of Palestinians against imperial violence—to highlight the role of British colonial complicity which links our movements.
For us at Migrants Organise, the connection between displacement, forced migration and the legacy of the British Empire is clear.
We see daily how the British state fuels the ongoing genocide in Palestine through its arms trade, selling an estimated £489 million of arms to Israel since 2015 (Oxfam). These weapons are used in a genocide that is estimated to have killed at least 42,000 people and displaced over 2 million people since October 2023.
Simultaneously, the British state doubles down on a racist, hostile-by-design immigration system that denies protection to the people fleeing the devastating impact of occupation, genocide and war fuelled by British colonial complicity.
The impetus for last year’s call from over 100 migrants and anti-racist organisations to #EndColonialComplicity persists: we must recognise and name this connection between the British state’s exported violence and its hostile border policies here at home.
This connection underscores the importance of continued solidarity between those of us organising for migrant justice and those who are harmed by Britain’s role in historic and ongoing violence—from Palestine to Sudan, Lebanon and beyond.
We remain steadfast in our solidarity with the Palestinian people calling for an end to the genocide, and calling for their rights to be upheld, as enshrined in international law; we continue to demand an end to Britain’s hostile immigration system which continues the legacy of empire and systematically punishes people who move here for protection, freedom, dignity and safety.
Stay informed, take action, and as always—organise, organise, organise! Here are some resources from the immense work being done across our movements:
Take action:
- Get involved with the BDS Movement
- Write to your MP to demand the UK stop selling arms to Israel (War on Want)
- Solidarity Knows No Borders – Download the organising toolkit for tools, stories and strategies from migrant and refugee organisers in the UK and start organising to end hostile and racist immigration policies
Resources to share:
- Gaza Families Reunited – A volunteer-led campaign calling for safe routes for Palestinian Families who wish to reunite with their loved ones in the the UK. Gaza Families Reunited is a volunteer led campaign.
- Amnesty UK – Watch and share this short film calling for a ceasefire and an end to apartheid against Palestinians
Space to heal:
- Healing Justice London – HJL offer community support spaces for affected communities
