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Lauren Starkey @laurenhstarkey.bsky.social · 1d

Madness.

Lauren Starkey @laurenhstarkey.bsky.social · 1d

Yet another case of the Home Office noticing an increase in asylum claims by people arriving via legal routes and responding by immediately slamming that route closed. It’s like they WANT people to travel irregularly.

Jon Featonby @jonfeatonby.bsky.social · 1d

Here's the parliamentary statement outlining the changes (haven't seen the detail yet) questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-stat...

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Reposted by Lauren Starkey

Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) @gmiau.bsky.social · 2d

📣URGENT

We are sharing this urgent call to action for Arjeta, a much-loved member of her Liverpool community.

She has been served with a deportation order for tomorrow - please share her story + support her campaign.

Donate to the legal fund: www.gofundme.com/f/help-free-...

Sign the petition:

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Reposted by Lauren Starkey

Alasdair Mackenzie @alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social · 12d

“Despite condemning the racist and divisive rhetoric of Farage and his followers, Starmer’s Government continue to accept the central premise of his message that the biggest problem facing the country is the amount of people who want to come and live here.“

Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 13d

🔴Keir Starmer’s Farage-Dominated Conference Takes Labour Up a ‘Darker Path’ Towards a Reform Government

The Prime Minister’s condemnations of Reform’s racist rhetoric, was undermined by him accepting the central premise of Nigel Farage’s anti-migrant politics, argues @adambienkov.bsky.social

Keir Starmer's Farage-Dominated Conference Takes Labour Up a 'Darker Path' Towards a Reform Government

The Prime Minister's condemnations of Reform's racist rhetoric, was undermined by him accepting the central premise of Nigel Farage's anti-migrant politics, argues Adam Bienkov

bylinetimes.com

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Reposted by Lauren Starkey

Colin Murray @colinmurray.bsky.social · 14d

The Home Office doesn't lose as many asylum & deportation cases as it does because of some supposed marginal differences between the application of Art 8 in UK courts and the ECtHR view, it loses so many cases because it's caseload has long been woefully mismanaged...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Starmer wants rethink on international law to tackle migration

The PM gives the clearest sign yet the government wants to reform how human rights laws are applied in immigration cases.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Lauren Starkey

Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 15d

My op-ed for LBC on how, rather than confronting Reform, Starmer's rhetoric and policies are emboldening them. Labour needs to start making positive cases, improving lives, and challenging misinformation, rather reinforcing Reform's own narrative and scapegoating.

www.lbc.co.uk/article/keir...

Keir Starmer sees himself in a battle against Reform. His speeches just amplify Farage's message | LBC

The Prime Minister frames this moment as a crossroads for the country, yet it feels more like one for his government and for Labour itself.

www.lbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Lauren Starkey

Dave @mediocredave.bsky.social · 17d

Every death in the Channel is the avoidable result of a political choice.

The i Paper @theipaper.com · 17d

Breaking news: A child has died off the coast of France while attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat,

trib.al/JD3STCi

Child dies after attempting to cross Channel in small boat

Incident comes after two Somali women died attempting to cross the Channel in a separate incident off the northern coast of France on Saturday

inews.co.uk

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Lauren Starkey @laurenhstarkey.bsky.social · 17d

As with compulsory national service, plans like this never consider what the experience might be like for people who use these charity services when the ‘volunteers’ delivering them have basically been forced to be there against their will.

CJ McKinney @cjmckinney.bsky.social · 17d

“Ms Mahmood said she wants to tighten rules around claiming Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK.

Under her plan, migrants must show they are integrated and ‘contribute’ to the UK through things like volunteering for charities or local projects”

www.thesun.co.uk/news/politic...

Home Secretary to ‘reset’ laws so migrants must prove they ‘contribute’ to UK

SHABANA Mahmood today vows to “reset” laws so migrants must prove their social worth before being allowed to settle in Britain. In her first big interview since being made Home Secretary, she pledg…

www.thesun.co.uk

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Lauren Starkey @laurenhstarkey.bsky.social · 17d

Oh I’m so happy you’re doing that! It’s an absolute delight, and that particular series is a really good one. The one before the one airing now (series 19) is another highlight.

Reposted by Lauren Starkey

MAREcus 👻/ 🏳️‍🌈🇧🇧 @marcusjdl.bsky.social · 17d

The migrant crisis is a crisis for the migrants. They are in crisis and need safe routes, asylum and compassion

weegingerdug @weegingerdug.bsky.social · 18d

Sky News and the BBC repeatedly mention the "migrant crisis" in doing so they are normalising and legitimising far right talking points. There is no "migrant crisis", there is only migrant hysteria, which the British media is feeding into instead of countering.

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Lauren Starkey @laurenhstarkey.bsky.social · 18d

I’ve never seen her stand-up but she was exceptional on Taskmaster. She was just a pure delight at everything she did.

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Natalie Sedacca @nataliesedacca.bsky.social · 26d

Mahmood’s response is ‘completely disingenuous unless she is completely clueless about how the system is operating… the “intolerable” “last minute attempts to frustrate a removal” are a direct result of the system designed by the Home Office’ @sonial77.bsky.social freemovement.org.uk/home-office-...

Home Office amends modern slavery guidance to facilitate returns to France following High Court decision - Free Movement

The modern slavery statutory guidance has been amended yesterday, following a grant of interim relief temporarily halting one man's removal to France this week.

freemovement.org.uk

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Reposted by Lauren Starkey

Patrick Burland @patrickburland.bsky.social · 27d

Three-quarters of negative Conclusive Grounds decisions in the first half of 2025 were due to insufficient information. Only 7% were refused on credibility grounds.
Refusals due to insufficient information increased 3000% between 2022 and 2024. Whereas refusals on credibility grounds fell 300%.

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Lauren Starkey @laurenhstarkey.bsky.social · 27d

Seriously, what an absolutely ridiculous non-story. “Charity does the exact thing it exists to do.”
Much love and solidarity to everyone at @biddetention.bsky.social dealing with these unwarranted attacks.

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Lauren Starkey @laurenhstarkey.bsky.social · 27d

Breaking news: the charity Bail For Immigration Detainees provides advice about bail to immigration detainees. More on this shocking story as we get it.

archive.ph/CwkUu

archive.ph

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Lauren Starkey @laurenhstarkey.bsky.social · Sep 14

I was walking near Liverpool Street earlier when I saw a guy outside a pub with a union flag tied around him like a cape walk up to a young Asian woman who was minding her business and start making thrusting motions at her and sticking his tongue between his fingers. Protectors of women indeed.

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Lauren Starkey @laurenhstarkey.bsky.social · Sep 13

I totally get the instinct as it does highlight Farage’s lies and deceit, but it’s also reductive of the myriad complex reasons people come here AND it plays into the “people are asylum shopping and come here after being rejected elsewhere” narrative which is not true in the majority of cases

Lauren Starkey @laurenhstarkey.bsky.social · Sep 13

Oh, I’ve no doubt about that. Just because I haven’t met anyone in that situation, certainly doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. I just object to the original poster’s description of it as a “major reason” people are coming to the UK which is simply not backed up by evidence or experience.

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Lauren Starkey @laurenhstarkey.bsky.social · Sep 13

I have never met someone who crossed the Channel who’d even heard of the Dublin III regulation let alone been motivated to come here by its absence. It certainly can’t be described as a “major reason” people come here.

Sarah Collins @sarahelizacollins.bsky.social · Sep 13

One of the major reasons that asylum seekers wish to cross the channel to the UK, is that the UK is no longer bound by the EU's Dublin III regulation, which means the UK provides a new opportunity to claim asylum for those who failed in Europe Europe. Brexit has incentivisised channel crossings

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Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · Sep 10

"Tougher" border enforcement won't change this.
Restricting family reunification won't change this.
Returns agreements won't change this.
All the evidence shows it.
Until it is safer and simpler to seek asylum more men, women and children will die in the channel.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Four dead, including two children, attempting to cross Channel to UK in last 24 hours

Attempts to cross Channel from France to UK have been particularly high for several days, say French authorities

Diane Taylor

11:32 Wed 10 September 2025

Four people including two children have died in two separate incidents while trying to cross the Channel to the UK in the last 24 hours, while three others are missing in a third incident.

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Reposted by Lauren Starkey

Alasdair Mackenzie @alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social · Sep 9

A racist mob menacing refugee children and our town. Read this and see what lies ahead, unless we act now

A racist mob menacing refugee children and our town. Read this and see what lies ahead, unless we act now | Anonymous

Last weekend, it fell to ordinary people to oppose the far right and others. The national toxicity has reached us: a kind of hate I haven’t seen since the 1970s

www.theguardian.com

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Lauren Starkey @laurenhstarkey.bsky.social · Sep 9

I think the TikTokification of language around really serious issues is the thing that makes me feel the most old and out of touch. I cannot see the word ‘grape’ one more time. If the app won’t let you say the real word, then maybe that app is not the place for a nuanced discussion on the subject!

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Lauren Starkey @laurenhstarkey.bsky.social · Sep 7

a man wearing a green and white shirt that says cafe tropical

ALT: a man wearing a green and white shirt that says cafe tropical

media.tenor.com

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Lauren Starkey @laurenhstarkey.bsky.social · Sep 7

Unless she’s considering safe routes and humane, dignified care for asylum-seekers then this is just lies. There’s plenty “off the table” with this lot if it would mean treating people seeking safety as human beings with inherent worth.

Lee Hurley @hleehurley.com · Sep 7

"Another party insider said “nothing is off the table” for Mahmood. They said she was likely to want to reform the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and would be far more radical than her predecessor. The source added she would “start with the unthinkable and work backwards”."

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Lauren Starkey @laurenhstarkey.bsky.social · Sep 7

But she won’t. Because this government won’t take unpopular but effective steps when it comes to immigration. They don’t want to do what works, they want to do what makes them look “tough”.
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