Advocacy and campaigning toolkit

Connect with others

 

Don’t launch your campaign in isolation. A good, strong campaign will have community support, and it could be that there are others also pushing for reform on the same, or similar issues. If that is so, it could help your campaign to connect and join forces. Successful campaigns are those able to build enough momentum and pressure to effect change, and the wider the reach of the campaign, the more likely that it will be able to build that momentum. Below are some suggestions of other organisations you could get in touch with to begin to build a network of supporters and allies.

 

EUSS Alliance

 

The Civil Society EUSS Alliance, coordinated by New Europeans UK, is a network of frontline advice organisations operating in the EUSS sphere. They hold virtual meetings each month to share best practices and coordinate on campaigns and policy issues. If you have launched or are launching a campaign it would be a good idea to reach out and connect with the EUSS Alliance.

 

EU Delegation 

 

The EU Delegation to the UK acts as a de facto European Union embassy to the UK post-Brexit. They have a dedicated team focussed on citizens’ rights and are in regular discussions with the UK government, embassies and civil society organisations working in the sector of EU citizens’ rights. They coordinate an EUSS Monitoring Network. Network members meet regularly and also have access to a useful newsletter which sets out what is going on in the sector. You can find out more about the Network here. 

 

Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA)

 

ILPA is a professional association of immigration law practitioners and associated academics and professionals. If you need to find a lawyer, they are a good place to start. ILPA is also engaged in advocacy work with the Home Office to raise systemic problems in the implementation of immigration law/policy, so if it makes sense for your campaign, contact them and see if there is common ground or an ongoing conversation already.

 

Here for Good

 

Here for Good is an immigration advice organisation that works with a network of other legal providers, and which was established in response to the UK’s departure from the EU. They are one part of a new Strategic Alliance For Europeans project (SAFE), alongside Seraphus and Wilson’s solicitors, looking to do strategic legal work to support people to challenge systemic injustices faced by European families. You can find out more about SAFE here.

 

the3million

 

the3million is the largest grassroots organisation for EU citizens in the UK, formed after the 2016 referendum to protect the rights of people who have made the UK their home.

 

the3million is eager to understand the different challenges faced by migrants post-Brexit, whether regarding digital status, access to public services, or anything else. If you have an issue, or know someone else who does, please let us know by reporting it to us here. 

 

We are keen to hear the experiences of EU citizens and their families applying to the EUSS, and accessing welfare support. We are also keen to hear from all migrants who are struggling to prove their immigration status.

 

Decide what action to take

 

You will not always get through the door and hold the meetings that you are seeking with decision-makers. They might not respond at all at first, and it can be a lengthy process. They might ask you to feed into a consultation process that they are already running on their own terms, or pass you on to someone more junior who does not have the power to effect the change needed. 

 

Public visibility can help to get on the radar of your target and demonstrate the collective power that you’ve been building, i.e. show just how much support there is, how many people/organisations are actively involved in the campaign. That is why connecting with others is so vital.

 

Your campaign can aim to both raise awareness and generate a specific reaction from your target. Below are a few suggestions of ways to have an impact.

 

Letter writing campaign

 

You could run a letter-writing campaign, providing people with an outline of what to say in a letter to their local councils or MP. While using template letters can lead to a higher number of letters being sent, they are often more effective when personalised, with the author of each one setting out their concerns and accounts in their own way. Individual letters from a smaller number of people are often more effective than a larger batch of identical letters.

 

Work with your MP

 

What can you ask your MP to do? The following are some suggestions.

 

1. Early Day Motions

 

Ask your MP to submit an Early Day Motion (EDM). These are motions submitted in the House of Commons for debate, on which no date for a debate has been fixed. As a result, most do not get debated but they can attract media attention and get people talking about an issue, and a record of the EDMs raised is recorded in Hansard. They are always short (not more than 250 words) and are formatted as a single sentence. It might be useful if you approach your MP with a ready-formulated one, or ask if they would like your help in drafting it.

 

2. Westminster Hall debate

 

Ask your MP to apply for a Westminster Hall Debate. This is an opportunity for you to get your MP to raise an issue (of either local or national significance) which will require a response from a government minister and generate a debate on it in Parliament.

 

3. Parliamentary Questions 

 

You can also encourage your MP to ask a Parliamentary Question. This means your MP asking a question of a government minister for information or an update about the work of a government department on a particular issue. It can be a helpful way to raise the profile of the issue you are concerned about, and generate a government response.

 

Contact the Independent Monitoring Authority

 

The Independent Monitoring Authority for Citizens’ Rights Agreements (IMA) is an independent public body which was established to monitor the UK’s implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement after Brexit. 

 

As a public body it is government-funded, but it remains independent and has oversight of the ways in which other public bodies treat the rights of those EU citizens and their family members whose rights are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement. 

 

Its focus is mainly on the Home Office, and immigration law and policy, but it can also monitor the actions of other government departments (such as the Department for Work and Pensions), agencies (such as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) and local councils.

 

You can raise concerns you have about citizens’ access to their rights to remain, work and thrive in the UK by contacting the IMA: https://ima-citizensrights.org.uk/report-complaint/

 

Engage with the media to change the narrative 

 

It can be daunting to engage with journalists on your campaign, but it’s one of the most valuable ways of gaining support and changing hearts and minds. There are helpful experts in the sector who can help and have put together valuable resources to get your started. 

 

New Economy Organisers and Heard provide training to charities and campaigners to develop strong progressive messages and frame their campaigns, pitch to the media and tell stories which change the world. 

 

Changing narratives takes time and effort, resources and expertise. Writing messages which will have a real impact with your target audience requires not only in depth knowledge of the issue and proposed solution your campaign is advocating for, but also skills in storytelling and public speaking. NEON’s Messaging Handbook can help steer you through your messaging journey.  

 

Training members of your community to be confident spokespeople is crucial. Messaging workshops can help raise people’s confidence. iMix provide regular masterclasses where professionals in the migration sector can learn tips and techniques. Migrant Voice also provide group training, as well as one to one mentoring sessions and creative training projects.  

 

Audiences are most likely to engage with news stories when they hear from someone who has been personally affected by the issue, speaking about what it means to them. Journalists will also want to include first person stories from people who have experienced the issue you’re drawing attention to. Supporting people with lived experience in speaking out in the media is crucial, and it can be tricky. 

 

Safeguarding campaigners in this situation must be a priority. iMix provide a safeguarding checklist you can use when connecting people with journalists. It is our responsibility as campaigners to ensure people are knowledgeable about the risks of sharing their story, as well as the wider benefits this can have - for them personally, and for the campaign.

  

Timing is very important in working with the media. You need to be clear on what makes the story relevant and newsworthy now - this is called a news peg. A government announcement, a change in the law, an event, or an anniversary can all be good news pegs. Make sure you consider the fresh perspectives you are adding to the unfolding story.  

 

It’s important to understand how migration stories are framed in British media. Journalists are telling a story - and when it comes to migration frames, the most common ways of doing this is through: victim frames (presenting people as victims of inequality or discrimination), hero frames (highlighting contributions to the country) or villain frames (presenting people as threats). 

 

You can learn more about coverage of migration stories through the “Victims and Villains: Migrant Voices in British Media” report by Heaven Crawley, Simon McMahon, Katharine Jones from the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations at Coventry University.

 

In campaigning for citizens’ rights, it’s important to avoid (where possible) these simple frames, and also connect with journalists who are interested in telling complex stories - portraying people accurately, with agency and humanity.

 

Tailor your message 

 

Make sure you are able to explain your proposals as clearly and concisely as possible, and try and tailor what you say to your audience, so that you don’t assume that the people you are talking to have as much insight or knowledge about your campaign as you do, nor lose their interest by explaining basic principles that they are already well acquainted with.

 

Campaign organisers aim to get round the table to negotiate with decision makers. This can be hard, especially if you have lived experience of oppression from the people you’re negotiating with. However, you don’t just want to call for change that others implement, or be included as part of a “consultation”. It is important to have the people who are experiencing the injustice to be at the table for the decision-making process. Make sure you approach the campaign process with this in mind.

 

Practical steps & tips:

• Treat your meeting with the decision maker as a negotiation that you are leading

• Develop an agenda, have a chair in place - you are in charge of how the meeting proceeds

• Meet on your own turf, if you can, invite them to a community based organisation, rather than having the meeting in their own office

• Be clear on what your asks are, as well as any compromises you are willing to make and lines you are not going to cross (deal breakers). Agree your negotiation plan with your team. 

• People with lived experience of the issues playing a meaningful role in this, not just telling their stories of pain and injustice. 

• Address the self-interest of your target throughout the meeting. Frame everything according to that. 

 

Gather evidence

 

To run an effective campaign, it is vital to ensure that you know what you are talking about, and have the evidence to back up your arguments. If you are gathering information about individual experiences, make sure you keep a careful record and are able to set out your evidence clearly. Remember to do due diligence with regard to holding data on individuals though, in line with GDPR requirements, and make sure you have consent from individuals to retain and share their information. Consider whether you could anonymise data instead. In addition to gathering examples from your work, community or individual experiences, below are some further suggestions about how to ensure you have as much information as possible about the issues you are focusing on.

 

Apply for a Subject Access Request (SAR)

 

Anyone can make a Subject Access Request (SAR) in order to see a copy of the files and records held about them by the Home Office. The process is free and it can be helpful to gain a fuller picture of what the Home Office position and processes have been in an individual case. If you are gathering evidence of a systemic problem that affects many people, SARs can also form a useful body of evidence. Bear in mind GDPR requirements and ensure that people’s data is not shared without their express permission. the3million has prepared a step by step guide to help people in making subject access requests, which can be found here. When you are ready to make the application, the link to do so is here.

 

Make a Freedom of Information Request (FOI)

 

The Freedom of Information Act enables individuals and organisations to request information recorded by public authorities, usually for free. This can include information about statistics and figures, policies, contracts and all sorts of other information. It can be hard to know what to ask sometimes in order to generate the response you need, but it can be a very effective mechanism to find out about government data, policies and practices. 

 

You can search here for past FOI requests and the answers they generated. If the information you want isn’t there, you can make your own request here. Remember that this is not a way to access your own case data - for that, make a Subject Access Request (see above). If you have a good relationship with an MP it can sometimes be helpful to discuss this with them in case they can advise how best to frame a question.