Our journey

We are a growing grassroots community committed to building a world where all people live in safety, abundance, dignity and justice.

To build a better world, we must build our power as a progressive movement for social justice that does not leave anyone behind. We welcome groups, organisations, individuals who share in our commitment for dignity and justice. Explore our journey below and join us.

Key milestones

2023

People power is unlimited! We organise against the Rwanda deportation flights; take action for better housing conditions; build powerful coalitions to access the healthcare we deserve; and build solidarity with migrant workers to demand dignity; and so much more.

We create spaces to uplift each other at national and regional Summits and deepen our political education through collective learning spaces like the “Stand Up, Speak Out” series.

2022

End the Hostile Environment! We take to the streets and we 60+ actions to end the Hostile Environment. From protests, trainings, art installations, film, manifestos, carnivals, gigs, leafleting, solidarity picnics, public lectures! We target the pillars that hold up this cruel and racist system – with actions in 12 different towns and cities. The movement is growing!

2021

We organise together! Until we win! We come together at the ‘2021 Solidarity Knows No Borders National Summit’ to share struggles on access to healthcare, asylum accommodation, immigration raids, detention and migrant surveillance, workers solidarity groups as well broader campaigns for social and climate justice.

We build working strategies to care for each other, mobilise together, challenge racist media narratives and share political education.

2020

The system isn’t broken. It’s hostile and racist by design. We launch the ‘Fair Immigration Reform Movement Charter’ and demand an end to the Hostile Environment in its entirety. The Charter is endorsed by over 2000+ migrant and refugee rights groups, organisations and supporters and unites us under a shared framework and vision for justice.

‘Solidarity Knows No Borders Weekend of Action 2020’ takes action in 20 different locations, from Sheffield, Coventry, Dover, London, Manchester, Hastings, Liverpool, Abergavenny, online and more!

2018-2019

Let’s unite to change the unacceptable! June 2018, 40 organisers working on a broad range of issues come together from across the country – we meet at the Manchester People’s Museum to share experiences.

We begin writing the Fair Immigration Reform Movement Charter to articulate our collective demands based on the principles of dignity, justice, welcome and action.

Pre – 2018

I see you, feel you, act with you. The seeds of this movement grows through a series of organised listening campaigns, 121s and organising meetings to build relationships and connect our struggles with past experiences of resistance.

FIRM Charter

In 2018, members of 40 migrant and refugee groups and organisations came together with the commitment to take collective action. The process led to writing the ‘Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) Charter’ , a powerful vision and set of shared demands for migrant justice organisations to unite around and push for transformative change. Solidarity Knows No Borders emerged out of this urgent need for a bold, powerful and sustained migrant-led movement for justice.

The Charter is now endorsed by over 2000+ migrant and refugee rights groups, organisations and individuals and unites us under a shared vision for justice.

Writing the Charter

The Charter emerged as a result of conversations with people at the sharp end of hostile policies: with their family and friends, campaigners, politicians, journalists, case workers, volunteers, and many others affected by the increasingly careless and brutal immigration policies in Britain.
It is a demand for an end to hostile environment in its entirety and sets out our core principles – dignity, justice, action and welcome- by which migrant communities and social justice campaigners, and progressive organisations can work together to realise. It is a shared framework that connects our struggles and acknowledges the past histories of migrant and racial justice organising.

Building the Movement

The process of writing the Charter took several years of listening and organising with migrant, refugee groups, individuals and supporters.
In this time our community grew and went on a process of collective education together.

It revealed a desperate need for a strong migrant-led movement for justice to confront the political moment we are in. Instead of focusing on small, incremental policy led changes we needed a bolder approach to imaging a better world—thus emerged Solidarity Knows No Borders. Join us!