The last Conservative government built a brutal and inhumane border regime, and scapegoated migrants for low wages, crumbling services and a housing crisis that, in truth, were caused by austerity and exploitation. So far, this Labour government has continued on the same path. These scaremongering myths have fuelled anti-migrant violence on the streets, and Reform’s rise in the polls. At Labour Party Conference this September, let’s take a stand and tell the government to change course.
We need as many local parties as possible to submit this contemporary motion to the Conference. CLPs have until 5pm on Thursday 11th September to submit motions. Many CLPs require a certain notice period to submit motions before a meeting, so act fast. There is a word limit of 250 (excluding title) and the motion must reference an issue that has arisen after 8 August – we’ve written this draft to meet those conditions.
There are 3 ways to put it forward to your CLP:
- if your CLP is small and holds all members’ meetings, you can submit it directly to your CLP secretary;
- if your CLP has a General Committee made up of delegates from wards/branches, you may need to submit it to your ward/branch secretary and pass it there first;
- affiliated unions can also submit motions to CLPs.
Please let us know if you are submitting the motion, and whether it succeeds, by emailing info@labourfreemovement.org. Please also get in touch if you need advice or you would like to help us promote the motion at conference.
MOTION TEXT:
An immigration policy based on human rights and solidarity
On 11 August, 200 organisations, including unions and charities, published an open letter which identified mainstream political leaders’ divisive policies and hostile rhetoric as fuelling hatred, xenophobia and anti-migrant riots.
The Tories constructed an inhumane border regime, scapegoating migrants for low wages, crumbling services and a housing crisis that, in truth, are caused by austerity and exploitation. This scapegoating myth is fuelling the rise of Reform and anti-migrant violence. To beat Farage, Labour must not prop up that myth but dismantle it, and counter with real solutions that build solidarity – taxing the rich to build good homes, jobs and public services for everyone.
Within one year, Labour will:
- scrap the Safety of Rwanda Act 2024, Illegal Migration Act 2023, Nationality and Borders Act 2022, Immigration Acts 2014 and 2016, Immigration White Paper 2025;
- reverse this government’s increases to visa income thresholds and permanent settlement wait times, the separation of care workers from their families, and refugee citizenship restrictions;
- restore the fundamental right to have asylum applications heard fairly regardless of arrival route;
- guarantee safe, legal routes for asylum seekers which are not conditional on deportations;
- grant day-one equal rights to work, services and social security;
- abolish “no recourse to public funds” and NHS charges.
Before the next general election, Labour will:
- grant all UK residents equal voting rights;
- halt immigration raids
- end immigration detention;
- introduce a simple process for all residents to gain permanent residency;
- re-enter Europe’s free movement area, and pursue free movement agreements with other countries.