JRS in the News
Here are links to some of our publications and media in the news.
*Young adults return from World Youth Day renewed by hope and mission
8th August 2023: The Jesuit Refugee Service tweeted, “We’re really struck by Pope Francis’ message, urging us to wake up to life around us”.
*Church advocacy continues over Illegal Migration Act
1st August 2023: JRS UK says they will continue to oppose the Act and call for it to be repealed.
*’Performative cruelty’: the hostile architecture of the UK government’s migrant barge
26th July 2023: Sarah Teather, director of JRS UK, has described the Illegal Migration Bill as “performative cruelty”.
*Brits take battle to stop the boats into their own hands: Cruise ships set to house 1,000 asylum seekers ‘returned to their owners’ after being blocked from docking – as locals try to stop migrant barge in Dorset and set up roadblocks outside Welsh hotel
19th July 2023: Sarah Teather, Director of JRS UK, said: “The Illegal Migration Bill drags any sense of the UK’s moral leadership on the world stage headlong into a gutter of hate…”
*Joint Civil Society Statement on the Passage of the Illegal Migration Act
19th July 2023: JRS UK have joined with a coalition of 290 organisations representing the human rights, refugee and asylum, children’s, LGBTQI+, faith and other sectors to condemn the passage of the Illegal Migration Act.
*Bibby Stockholm met by protesters as it arrives into Portland Port
18th July 2023: Sarah Teather, director of the Jesuit Refugee Service UK, criticises the passing of the Illegal Migration Bill.
*Illegal Migration Bill to pass into law after Archbishop Welby withdraws his amendment
18th July 2023: the Jesuit Refugee Service describes the new law as ‘wantonly cruel’.
*Ian Linden: The Illegal ‘Illegal Migration Act’
18th July 2023: Professor Ian Linden comments on the passing of the Illegal Migration Bill, and quotes Sarah Teather, director of JRS UK.
*JRS protests as ‘anti-human’ Illegal Migration Bill becomes law
18th July 2023: JRS UK has commented on the passing of the so-called Illegal Migration Bill.
*Church groups appalled at passage of Illegal Migration Bill
18th July 2023: JRS UK is one of 290 signatories to a statement condemning the passage of the Illegal Migration Bill.
*Campaigners demand amendments to Illegal Migration Bill
13th July 2023: Caritas Bakhita House, the Jesuit Refugee Service, and The Passage are among the signatories to a briefing on the Illegal Migration Bill produced by a large number of organisations in the anti-trafficking sector.
*Faith leaders unite in concern over Illegal Migration Bill
11th July 2023: JRS UK asks supporters to oppose the Refugee Ban Bill.
*Charities tell PM: Ditch plans to lock up refugee children
11th July 2023: JRS UK has joined children’s charities, faith charities, faith leaders, medical bodies and others to call on the government to scrap the plans for the detention of children as part of the Illegal Migration Bill.
*Charities demand end of ‘shameful’ Rwanda policy after new ruling
29th June 2023: Catholic charities, including JRS, have welcomed the Court of Appeal ruling on government plans to deport people who arrive in the UK by ‘illegal’ routes to Rwanda.
*Religious groups react to Rwanda judgement
29th June 2023: The Jesuit Refugee Service UK has renewed calls for the Government to end plans to send migrants to Rwanda in the wake of the court ruling.
Read more (see update at 11:50am)
*Refugee charities welcome Court of Appeal ruling on Rwanda plan
29th June 2023: Sarah Teather shares that JRS UK welcomes the Court of Appeal’s judgement.
*Policy to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is ‘unlawful’, court rules
29th June 2023: The Court of Appeal has ruled that the government’s plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda are unlawful and the country cannot be considered ‘safe’. Sarah Teather, diretor of the Jesuit Refugee Service UK, comments on the Rwanda plan.
*Bishop renews calls for safe routes for refugees
20th June 2023: JRS joined the monthly prayer vigil outside for the Home Office during Refugee Week. Bishop Paul McAleenan, lead bishop for migrants and refugees, renewed is call for safe routes and justice to be done.
*JRS renews calls for government to abandon Illegal Migration Bill
13th June 2023: JRS speaks out after a new report says the Bill would “deny the vast majority of refugees access to the UK’s asylum system”.
*Haslemere Festival
Haslemere Herald (Print edition)
1st June 2023: Megan Knowles, Deputy Director of JRS UK, spoke at the Haslemere Festival, outlining the UK’s hostile asylum system, the challenges faced by refugees, and the scale of the problem facing the government. The festival has donated the proceeds from ticket sales to JRS. Thank you to James Rapp and Hamish Donaldson for welcoming JRS so warmly.
*Catholic backing for Welby’s criticisms of the Illegal Migration Bill as “morally unacceptable”
20th May 2023: Sarah Teather, Director of JRS UK, describes the proposals as “grotesquely cruel and cravenly dishonest”.
Don’t have a Tablet subscription? – article only link
*Dr Sophie Cartwright comments on the Archbishop’s Statement (3:20 into the programme)
10th May 2023: Dr Sophie Cartwright, Senior Policy Officer at JRS UK, talks to Andrew Easton.
*UK will leave refugees in Limbo (Spanish)
27th April 2023: Churches in the UK criticise the Illegal Migration Bill that is making its way through British Parliament
*Jesuit Refugee Service UK finds asylum seekers housed at Napier Barracks still face serious problems, including a severe lack of legal advice
Electronic Immigration Network
3rd April 2023: A report released on 29 March by JRS UK highlights continuing issues with the use of Napier Barracks in Kent for asylum accommodation.
*JRS speaks to BBC R4 Sunday
2nd April 2023: Listen to former refugee Erfan & JRS Deputy Director Megan on @BBCR4Sunday at 30′ 50″ into the programme talking about conditions at Napier Barracks
*JRS report denounces inhumane treatment of asylum seekers in UK
30th March 2023: JRS UK releases a report on the inhumane conditions of residents in Napier Barracks, a disused ary base in Kent which has been converted into asylum accommodation. They are urging the British Government to close it and to provide asylum seekers with safe and dignified accommodation.
*Jesuit Refugee Service calls for closure of UK detention center for asylum seekers
30th March 2023: Britain’s leading Catholic refugee agency is calling for the closure of Napier Barracks, a former military base converted into a migration detention center.
*Government announcements and JRS UK’s wew report – ‘Napier Barracks: the inhumane reality’
29th March 2023: JRS UK’s Deputy Director, Megan Knowles, was on LBC talking to Shelagh Fogarty about the Napier Report and the Government’s latest shocking plans for refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. Listen to Megan from 03.38 minutes into the programme:
*Napier Barracks – Emblematic of Life in the Asylum System
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
29th March 2023: JRS UK have released an in-depth report into the experiences of people held in asylum camps in Napier Barracks as the Illegal Migration Bill progresses at haste through Parliament.
*JRS issues shocking report on conditions in Napier Barracks
29th March 2023: As the Illegal Migration Bill is being rushed through Parliament, the Jesuit Refugee Service UK has released a report on Napier Barracks, a former army base in Kent where asylum seekers are being held.
*Bishops emphasise dignity in new migrants document
14th March 2023: JRS UK has praised the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales’ latest publication, Love the Stranger, a Catholic response to refugees and migrants. Megan Knowles, Deputy Director, welcomes the document for offering “clear principles for a just and humane asylum system”.
*Social isolation and the search for sanctuary
14th March 2023: During the pandemic, JRS UK hosted a vaccine clinic at its centre for destitute asylum seekers, creating a safe environment for those wanting to access vaccines. Rhiannon Prideaux, former Accommodation and Emergency Response Manager, explains how JRS UK created a healthcare sanctuary for refugees and asylum seekers.
*JRS decries UK’s Illegal Migration Bill and calls for solidarity with migrants
8th March 2023: William Neal, Detention Outreach Caseworker at JRS UK, spoke to Vatican Radio about the Government’s proposed Illegal Migration Bill, and how its measures will punish refugees for the realities of being forcibly displaced.
*Catholic charity says UK plan to ban Channel migrants ‘unworkable’, ‘not rational’
7th March 2023: Sarah Teather, Director of JRS UK, said the proposed Illegal Migration Bill is the latest measure aiming to punish refugees for the realities of being forcibly displaced.
*Rishi Sunak’s plan for small boats ‘will lock up people fleeing war’
6th March 2023: Sarah Teather, Director of JRS UK, responds to and criticises the measures proposed in the new Illegal Migration Bill which was well-leaked over the weekend. She calls the proposals ‘unworkable’ and ‘not rational’, urging instead for the creation of ‘safe, accessible routes’ and ‘a culture of protection in our asylum system’.
*The UK’s welcome to Ukrainians should shape our whole refugee policy
22nd February 2023: On the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, Dr Sophie Cartwright, Senior Policy Officer at JRS UK, reflects on how Britain’s choices on refugee policy stand in sharp relief.
*Ukraine, refugees and church divisions will top the faith agenda in 2023
12th January 2023: JRS UK joined an online briefing hosted by the Religion Media Centre about the major stories for 2023. The workshop hosted a bishop, faith leaders, journalists and academics. Dr Sophie Cartwright, Senior Policy Officer at JRS UK, spoke about the increasing hositlity facing refugees in the UK, as well as the rise in the use of immigration detention
*Asylum seekers face ‘bleak’ cost of living crisis
3rd January 2023: The Jesuit Refugee Service UK is one of many charities calling for an end to the ban on asylum seekers finding work while awaiting status – especially now as prices increase.
*Jesuit Refugee Service will continue fight against Rwanda plan
20th December 2022: The Jesuit Refugee Service has pledged to continue to fight the government’s plan to forcibly remove asylum seekers to Rwanda, despite the High Court judgment that the policy is legal.
*JRS protests after High Court approves ‘cruel’ Rwanda plan
18th December 2022: Today, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) UK has renewed its calls for the government to end plans to forcibly transfer people seeking asylum to Rwanda, following a High Court Judgement that the plans – as laid out – are legal.
*JRS deplores asylum backlog plan
16th December: The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) UK has deplored the Prime Minister’s plan, announced on Tuesday, to clear a backlog of nearly 100,000 asylum claims by the end of 2023.
*JRS appeals for protection of refugees as UK government cracks down on asylum
14th December 2022: Megan Knowles, Interim Deputy Director at JRS UK, spoke to Vatican Radio about the latest government intentions for furthering a hostile asylum system, and how JRS will continue to work to create communities of hospitality and welcome.
*JRS UK condems PM plan to make asylum impossible
13th December 2022: The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) UK has excoriated the PM’s latest announcement doubling down on plans to make asylum impossible.
*Jesuit Refugee Service UK calls dumping migrants at London bus station ‘culmination of cruelty’
5th November 2022: A leading refugee organization has called the dumping of asylum seekers outside a bus station in London in the dead of night was the “culmination of so much cruelty” resulting from UK government’s “hostile environment” policy towards undocumented immigrants.
*A callous disregard for the vulnerable lies at the heart of the UK government
4th November 2022: Dr Sophie Cartwright, Senior Policy Officer at the Jesuit Refugee Service UK, discusses how the latest revelations of mistreatment of refugees reflect a deeply embedded government policy of intentional cruelty.
*JRS comment on attack at asylum processing centre
31st October 2022: Megan Knowles, Deputy Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service UK, comments on the petrol bomb attack on the asylum processing centre at Western Jet Foil.
*UK home secretary should dream of safe routes for refugees, say charities
31st October 2022: The Jesuit Refugee Service UK, along with 110 refuge charities, have called for a “kind and effective system” for those seeking asylum in the UK, in an open letter to Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
*Quasi-Detention: The Expansion of Dehumanising Border Spaces
12th October 2022: Guest post by Dr Sophie Cartwright. Sophie is the Senior Policy Officer at the Jesuit Refugee Service UK and a Research Associate at the Centre for Criminology. Sophie speaks about immigration detention in the UK.
*United Kingdom: Teather (Jesuit Refugee Service) challenges new immigration law. “Prevents refugees from finding a home”
4th October 2022: Sarah Teather, director of the “Jesuit Refugee Service UK”, comments on the new immigration law that the Home Secretary announced.
*United Kingdom: orange airplanes, 500 social and ecclesial realities against the deportation of refugees to Rwanda
INSIEME PER GLI ULTIMI
23 September 2022: JRS participating in Together With Refugees campaign of Filling the Skies With Hope, against the Rwanda plan.
*A Future with Migrants and Refugees: a challenge and hope
21 September 2022: Pope Francis invites us to build a better future with refugees; and Sophie shares a reflection about what this means in practice.
*Westminster Social Justice Forum Focus on welcoming refugees
18 September 2022: Saturday’s online meeting of the Westminster Social Justice and Peace Forum, with the theme, ‘To Accompany Refugees,’ heard inspirational stories from Catholic groups including JRS.
*Afghan refugees left in limbo by government
19 August 2022: JRS calls for Humane and protection for Afghan refugees through a joint letter.
*Signatory to Letter to The Times marking one year of the Taliban invasion of Afghanistan
15 August 2022: Signatory to Letter to The Times marking one year of the Taliban invasion of Afghanistan
Read more ( when you open the page scroll down to Afghan refugees to find the letter).
*Could you consider hosting a refugee in your home?
26 July 2022: Jesuit Refugee Services runs a hosting scheme, At Home, which facilitates short-term hosting placements for our refugee friends at risk of homelessness.
* JRS Condemns Government Rwanda Plans
25 July 2022: JRS has joined refugee charities in condemning the government’s ‘policy of deliberate harm’ against Rwanda.
*Refugee Befriending Programme-Jesuit Refugee Service
27 June 2022: Sharing about the JRS Befriending project which received a grant from Caritas Westminster.
*Mornings with Radio Maria
24 June 2022: Questions of Faith with Fr Dominic, Phil Kerton and our JRS volunteer Debbie O’Brien. They will also be sharing practical ways that the church is supporting in living out our mission as a church.
*Mornings with Radio Maria
24 June 2022: William Neal, Detention Outreach Caseworker at JRS UK, will be sharing the work JRS does with people who are held in detention, explain why they are held, what happens during the detention time and what happens when they leave detention, and how JRS supports them.
*Mornings with Radio Maria
23 June 2022: To celebrate World Refugee Day, Megan Knowles, Communications and Development Manager speaks about JRS and amplifying the voices of refugees through telling stories.
*Prayers for asylum seekers and others during refugee week
22 June 2022: Refugee week events and prayers and events across religious bodies and organisations.
*Mornings with Radio Maria
20 June 2022: To celebrate World Refugee Day, Rhiannon speaks to Radio Maria about what World Refugee Day means to JRS UK, and about our work supporting destitute asylum seekers.
*Refugee week on Radio Maria England
20 June 2022: Refugees Week is June 20th – 26th. Radio Maria England will be taking part by broadcasting speakers that are supporting refugees in England and around the world
*JRS welcomes European court ruling blocking UK deportations to Rwanda
6th May 2022: A statement from JRS about the work they do to help refugees amid the Rwanda plan procedures and about welcoming the European court ruling blocking UK deportations to Rwanda.
*The Nationality and Borders Act is now on the statute books – a time for grief, anger, and solidarity
2nd May 2022: A statement from JRS about the Nationality and Borders Bill.
*Faith groups criticise anti-refugee law
22nd April 2022: A detailed response to the Rwanda plan
*Why plans for removing asylum seekers to Rwanda are so cruel
22nd April 2022: Criticising the model of the Rwanda plan.
*JRS calls on government to protect not punish refugees
19th April 2022: JRS statement, which points out to the expense and impracticality of the Rwanda plan.
*UK plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda ‘morally reprehensible,’ Catholic agency says
15th April 2022: JRS UK objected to the announcement the Royal Navy will be used to try and stop migrants from crossing the English Channel, and the ongoing push to pass the Nationality and Borders Bill.
*JRS UK horrified by plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda
15th April 2022: Jesuit Refugee Services UK has responded to government plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing, with a statement.
*Charities condemn plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda
14th April 2022: Response to Rwanda Offshoring plans & Request from Charles Collins at Crux
*JRS renews call for end to degrading asylum camps
16th March 2022: JRS UK has renewed calls for an end to the use of military barracks as asylum accommodation in the wake of news that Penally Camp in Wales will close on 21st March.
*Forced migration from the Ukraine and the UK’s response
23rd March 2022: Op-Ed piece for the Tablet on UK’s response to the Ukraine crisis.
*UK government defeated on clause penalising refugees in Borders Bill
3rd March 2022: On Monday, 28 February, the House of Lords voted to exclude Clause 11, which would introduce ‘differential treatment of refugees’ from the Nationality and Borders Bill
*Operation mobilisation – JRS helping Ukrainian Refugees in Poland, BBC Sunday Programme
6th March 2022: Following the invasion of Ukraine, we organised interviews with Refugees in Poland and Fr Damian Czerniak SJ helping refugees arriving from Ukraine.
*Over 1000 faith leaders ‘horror’ at Nationality and Borders Bill
28th February 2022: More than a thousand faith leaders have written to the Prime Minister to express their horror at the Nationality and Borders Bill and to urge him to rethink the legislation.
*Asylum detention: A weight of responsibility
28th February 2022: On the feast of St Josephine Bakhita (8 February), William Neal, Detention Outreach Officer at JRS UK (CSAN member charity) reflects on what it means to accompany those who are held in detention.
*Donate your old smartphone and make a difference
11th January 2022: Donate your old smartphone to JRS to help them keep in touch with their family, friends, legal, medical and social services.
