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Refugees Welcome: 'Migrants Organise' at the Citizens London rally

May 16, 2016 | Pulitzer Center
By
Abe Kenmore

Before the rally, Migrants Organise, an organization that helps immigrants in all kinds of circumstances in London, had a picnic with food, music and dancing—sharing a message of welcome for all migrants in Olympic Park. Image by Abe Kenmore. United Kingdom, 2016.

The entertainment included music from all over the world, including singing in Arabic and dances from Zimbabwe. Image by Abe Kenmore. United Kingdom, 2016.

Migrants Organise also constructed a Tree of Hope, to which anyone could add a message or a wish for new refugees. Image by Abe Kenmore. United Kingdom, 2016.

The UK has committed to taking 20,000 Syrian refugees from camps in the Middle East over five years alongside their asylum process. The government met its goal to resettle 1,000 Syrians before Christmas 2015, but only 43 were resettled in London. Image by Abe Kenmore. United Kingdom, 2016.

A woman from a local Methodist community adds her message to the Tree of Hope. The rally included leaders from Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities. Image by Abe Kenmore. United Kingdom, 2016.

Before walking over to the rally at the Copper Box Arena the picnic attenders posed for a photo, spelling out “Refugees Welcome,” the name of the national campaign endorsed by Citizens London. Image by Abe Kenmore. United Kingdom, 2016.

On the walk over to the Arena, Migrants Organise sang new words to the old hymn, "When the Saints Go Marching In": “We will dance for refugees, we will dance for refugees. Freedom is a right, not a privilege. We will dance for refugees.” Image by Abe Kenmore. United Kingdom, 2016.

Migrants Organise take their seats in the arena. Citizens London asked both candidates to commit to appointing a Deputy Mayor for Citizenship and Integration and resettling 10 refugee families per borough per year for five years. Image by Abe Kenmore. United Kingdom, 2016.

A parade of all the organizations in attendance around the Copper Box. Image by Abe Kenmore. United Kingdom, 2016.

Khan addresses the assembled citizens. When asked about refugee resettlement, Khan told the crowd, “An asylum seeker is someone fleeing persecution, looking for a safe haven, looking for safety. And for us to walk on the other side, for us not to be the keeper of our brother or sister, the fifth richest city in the world, is a badge of shame.” Image by Abe Kenmore. United Kingdom, 2016.

On May 5, London had its mayoral election and chose Sadiq Khan, the son of a Pakistani bus driver, to lead the city. A week before the elections, the two leading candidates—Khan from the Labour Party and Zac Goldsmith from the Conservative Party—were invited to speak before Citizens London, an organization of faith groups, schools, and NGO’s like Migrants Organise. The candidates were asked publicly to pledge their support for minimum wage, housing, and immigration reform.