Sign in

Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡

@helenbamber.org
1K followers 120 following 274 posts

We are a human rights charity. We give survivors of trafficking and torture the strength to move on.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Asylum Matters @asylummatters.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
What this headline doesn't make obvious is that the reason police are concerned is the cost of policing the extremists who gather to harass and threaten people forced to live in asylum camps. Yet another reason why all people seeking sanctuary should be able to live in communities, not camps.
bbc.co.uk
Police resources warning over Linton-on-Ouse asylum centre plan
The Home Office is considering using RAF Linton-on-Ouse to house asylum seekers.
045
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 24/09/2026
23% of children seeking asylum initially assessed as adults were later found to be children. This is the Home Office's own data, shared by the Children's Commissioner for England. We've warned for years that flawed age assessments put hundreds of children at risk. www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
mirror.co.uk
'I shudder to think about wrongly assessed kids forced to sleep next to adults'
EXCLUSIVE: Urgent action is needed to stop child asylum seekers being wrongly assessed as adults, Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza will say today
100
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 23/09/2026
These are mums, dads and children. Families just like ours. They deserve the chance to live with dignity, stability and hope. Our clients speak to @thetimes.com about the realities of life for families living in asylum hotels. 🗞️ Read here: www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
1128
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 21/09/2026
Providing high vis jackets as ‘safety measure’ risks making people seeking asylum more vulnerable to hostility, while raising a much more basic question: why're they being housed in isolated sites where ordinary access to communities & services is so difficult? www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/2656063...
oxfordmail.co.uk
Migrants to be given free high vis jackets in village
Migrants will be given free hi-vis jackets if they move next to a rural village.
122
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Asylum Aid @asylumaid.org.uk · 17/09/2026
We are one of the only charities in the UK providing free legal representation to stateless people. This work is often complex and challenging, and we need your support to continue. Help us provide vital legal support to some of the most vulnerable people in the UK: www.asylumaid.org.uk/support-us
002
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 15/09/2026
Today, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner told the House of Commons why measures in the Immigration & Asylum Bill on disclosure and the credibility of trafficking survivors are so harmful — and why they should be scrapped. Read our new briefing for more: www.helenbamber.org/resources/re...
041
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 15/09/2026
Under proposed changes in the Immigration and Asylum Bill 2026, delays, missing information or inconsistencies in what a survivor of human trafficking says could count against their credibility. But trauma can make remembering and talking about what happened much more complicated. 🧵
101
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Amnesty International UK @amnestyuk.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
150+ organisations are raising the alarm on the horrifying escalation in racist violence and intimidation. We must come together to demand the government takes serious action.
Racial violence is escalating. 150+ organisations have RAISED the alarm and demand the government acts.
76633
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Women for Refugee Women @4refugeewomen.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
🚨Racial violence is escalating. Racist violence, intimidation and hatred is becoming a weekly occurence. Yet the Government response remains woefully inadequate. This is not in our name. It is time for urgent action. Read more below. Thank you @amnestyuk.bsky.social for coordinating. 1/3
amnesty.org.uk
Statement on the escalation in racist violence
Amnesty International UK are raising the alarm on the horrifying escalation in racist violence and intimidation, and we are calling on the UK government to act immediately.
146
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 02/09/2026
This data is alarming but not surprising. For years, we've warned about children, including those whose ages are disputed, being placed in unsuitable accommodation, such as hotels. Without the right support, they're at risk of going missing, exploited or trafficked. inews.co.uk/news/350-chi...
inews.co.uk
350 child asylum seekers have gone missing in the UK
The figure represents a 'profound safeguarding failure', say campaigners
041
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 01/09/2026
£9.95 a week. That’s all some people seeking safety in the UK receive to meet their basic needs. At the end of 2025, 4,419 children were living on less than £10 a week. No child should grow up in poverty because their family is seeking protection. 📝 more: www.helenbamber.org/resources/la...
042
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 26/08/2026
A new report shows profound isolation contributed to the deaths of 100+ care leavers in England in 2025 — 11 of whom were children seeking asylum. It also exposes the devastating impact of wrongly assessing young people seeking asylum as adults. 🧵 www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
theguardian.com
‘Immense drop-off’ in support contributing to care leaver deaths in England, review says
Death rate three to four times higher than among general population blamed on isolation of those leaving care
143
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Asylum Aid @asylumaid.org.uk · 25/08/2026
🚨 Breaking news: Our legal challenge is going ahead. 🚨 We’ve received permission from the court to proceed with our legal challenge to the government’s decision to reduce refugee protection from 5 years to 2.5 years. We’ve also requested a hearing asap. 🧵 www.asylumaid.org.uk/what-we-do/e...
asylumaid.org.uk
We are challenging the reduction of refugee protection in the UK from five years to two and a half years  | Asylum Aid
In March 2026, the Home Secretary announced the biggest change in refugee protection in decades. Instead of being able to apply for settlement after five years, refugees are now forced to renew their ...
12513
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Women for Refugee Women @4refugeewomen.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Yesterday, the Government released guidance on how people seeking asylum in the UK should behave. The Guide: ❌Reinforces anti-migrant rhetoric ❌Distorts the reality of violence against women and girls ❌Distracts from its root causes ❌Impedes access to support and justice for survivors 1/2
refugeewomen.co.uk
Women for Refugee Women - Women for Refugee Women’s statement on the Home Office's "Understanding behaviours and expectations in the UK" guide
Our statement on the harmful "Understanding behaviours and expectations in the UK" guide released by the Home Office on 19 August 2026.
13926
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 19/08/2026
“Secure residence provides the stability necessary for genuine healing.” That is the message from new international guidance on trafficking survivors. As the UK govt tries to weaken protections, this guidance shows why secure status is so vital. 📑 Read more: www.helenbamber.org/resources/la...
helenbamber.org
“Stability necessary for genuine healing”: what new international guidance means for trafficking survivors | Helen Bamber
For ma
034
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Asylum Aid @asylumaid.org.uk · 18/08/2026
Andy Burnham has acknowledged that Labour “didn’t get it right” on Gaza and that the party needs to “do better”. He has called for a stronger UK response and more pressure on the Israeli government. Those words need action. 🧵 www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Home Office blocking evacuation of dozens of women and children from Gaza
Refugee family reunions in limbo, despite Foreign Office saying it is ready to get people out of war-torn territory
14119
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 13/08/2026
People seeking asylum need safe accommodation in communities where they can rebuild their lives, look to the future & live with dignity. But the for-profit asylum housing model is failing them & causing irreparable harm. We’ve joined 50+ organisations calling on the new government to act.
020
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 13/08/2026
“You cannot switch off trauma on demand” Chris*, a trafficking survivor supported by us, speaks about proposed changes to the asylum interview process. Survivors often need time, support & legal advice to disclose experiences of torture, trafficking & persecution. www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
mirror.co.uk
Trafficking survivor pleads with Shabana Mahmood to pause 'devastating' change
EXCLUSIVE: Charities warn that a new streamlined interview process - which means asylum cases with little chance of success can be dismissed faster - will mean torture survivors are at greater risk of...
032
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
We're waiting to see guidance that will implement changes to Immigration Rules which, in our view, represent a substantial shift in asylum procedure & one which should have been subject to consultation & parliamentary scrutiny @freedomfromtorture.bsky.social @helenbamber.org tinyurl.com/2m6mjxj8
ein.org.uk
Lords committee draws latest immigration rule changes to House’s attention over ‘minor’ asylum interview reforms
Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee says Home Office failed to adequately explain new 'merged registration' interview
032
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 29/07/2026
AI cannot account for how trauma, malnutrition & exhaustion affect young people fleeing conflict. AI can replicate human errors & racial bias. The result? Children can be placed in adult accommodation, detention or prison. They need protection, not more harm. www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
theguardian.com
AI tool will lead to more child refugees being treated as adults, charity warns
‘Racist bias’ overestimating ages in Home Office’s facial-recognition software will lead to solo children being housed with adults, says Human Rights Network
133
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency @unhcr.org · 24/07/2026
75 years after the Refugee Convention was opened for signature on 28 July 1951, it remains the foundation of the international refugee protection system and one of the most consequential international legal instruments ever adopted.
75 years on, the Refugee Convention remains a lifeline for millions
24326
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
It shouldn't require legal action to establish the democratic value of consultation but our recent High Court victory, concerning allocation of asylum accommodation, has done just that @freedomfromtorture.bsky.social @helenbamber.org www.civilsociety.co.uk/voices/our-h...
civilsociety.co.uk
‘Our High Court victory shows the Civil Society Covenant must be more than words’
Freedom from Torture and the Helen Bamber Foundation reflect on a recent ruling, which found the Home Office did not sufficiently consult them on policy changes…
075
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 23/07/2026
Our recent High Court victory sends a clear message that consultation with civil society is fundamental to good policymaking. The new government must work with experts & people with lived experience to build lawful, evidence-based policies. Our joint op-ed with @freedomfromtorture.bsky.social 👇
civilsociety.co.uk
‘Our High Court victory shows the Civil Society Covenant must be more than words’
Freedom from Torture and the Helen Bamber Foundation reflect on a recent ruling, which found the Home Office did not sufficiently consult them on policy changes…
054
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Asylum Aid @asylumaid.org.uk · 21/07/2026
It's right that ending homelessness is a priority. But that commitment must extend to migrants, including people seeking safety, who are too often pushed into homelessness by asylum & immigration systems. We see this daily through our work. It's time for change. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
theguardian.com
Burnham pledges to end rough sleeping in England in first speech as prime minister
Additional £340m over three years allocated to get people off the streets ‘at the earliest opportunity’
142
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 20/07/2026
For too long, divisive politics & dehumanising policies have shaped the debate on asylum, unfairly blaming refugees for wider challenges. Together with 200+ charities, we're calling on the new Prime Minister to reject division & instead uphold dignity, humanity and hope for people seeking safety.
062
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 14/07/2026
The new Immigration & Asylum Bill will significantly weaken the UK's response to trafficking & modern slavery. As John McDonnell MP (@johnmcdonnellmp.bsky.social) explained in yesterday's debate, it will punish survivors by forcing them to disclose traumatic experiences within arbitrary deadlines.
120
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 13/07/2026
The UK has introduced immigration or asylum legislation almost every year over the past decade. Yet people still wait years for asylum decisions, poor outcomes are routinely overturned on appeal & too many trafficking survivors aren't identified or supported. Today MPs will debate YET another bill 🧵
1106
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Doctors of the World @dotwuk.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
🔴 Mass asylum camps are a healthcare violation. For a year we ran a clinic at Wethersfield ex-military site, treating men seeking safety. 68% were survivors of violence. 62% had severe mental distress. 30% suicidal. The Home Office MUST #CloseTheCamps & scrap ALL plans to open more.
01510
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 09/07/2026
These are challenging & increasingly hostile times for charities supporting people seeking safety. It doesn't have to be this way. Your generosity helps us stand alongside survivors of trafficking, torture & persecution. To help, visit our website to find out how. news.sky.com/story/staff-...
news.sky.com
Staff at 'thousands of charities' threatened and intimidated for 'doing their jobs'
The Charity Commission surveyed nearly 3,000 charity trustees, and over a quarter said they had been affected by a "challenging social environment"
010
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Asylum Matters @asylummatters.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Shutting people seeking sanctuary in ex-military barracks is dangerous, traumatising and cruel. And every night in barracks costs over FIVE TIMES more than a night in a home in a community. So can anyone explain why the Government wants to open MORE camps?
268
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 02/07/2026
You cannot address human trafficking without supporting & protecting survivors. The government's new Immigration & Asylum Bill does the opposite. A system that punishes survivors doesn't fight trafficking but enables it. We will keep fighting this. 📑 more: www.helenbamber.org/resources/la...
097
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 30/06/2026
This proposal is simply more performative cruelty from the government. Once again, we have an announcement without the detail or a credible plan to tackle chronic delays in the asylum system - the real reason people spend years in asylum accommodation. 🧵 www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Asylum seekers to pay £10,000 towards living costs under new UK law
Means-tested scheme included in immigration and asylum bill condemned by charities for placing tax on refugees
166
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 26/06/2026
We're appalled. For YEARS, our clinical evidence has shown that ex-military asylum sites like RAF Wethersfield cause serious and long-lasting harm. Yet, the government plans to open even more. People seeking protection deserve safety, not further trauma. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
independent.co.uk
Home Office eyes up three more military sites to house thousands of asylum seekers
Former military bases, Bicester, Barnham and Linton-on-Ouse, singled out for asylum seeker housing
02315
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 23/06/2026
We are witnessing the biggest attack on refugee protection in decades. Asylum Aid is fighting back in court but they need your support to challenge these harmful changes & defend refugees' rights. Donate and stand with refugees: www.crowdjustice.com/case/fight-t...
crowdjustice.com
Fight the attacks on refugee protection
Asylum Aid protects people fleeing persecution by delivering life-saving legal advice and representation built on trust and dignity with our team of highly qualified caseworkers and lawyers.
020
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
"....the decision is likely to be one of the most important public law judgments on asylum accommodation policy in recent years." An excellent write-up of @freedomfromtorture.bsky.social and @helenbamber.bsky.social recent win: freemovement.org.uk/home-office-unlawfully-removed-protections/
freemovement.org.uk
Home Office unlawfully removed asylum accommodation protections for torture and trafficking survivors - Free Movement
The High Court has ruled that the Home Office acted unlawfully when it removed long-standing accommodation protections for survivors of torture, trafficking
021
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 15/06/2026
This #RefugeeWeek we stand with people seeking protection in the UK🧡 The theme this year is 'courage' and at Helen Bamber Foundation, we will keep fighting for the rights of refugees, people seeking asylum, survivors of trafficking and torture. #Courage
012
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Asylum Matters @asylummatters.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Racist violence on our streets doesn't appear from nowhere. When our leaders refuse to stand up for sanctuary and migration, when they let social media companies profit from division, they put people in danger. Our communities must come together in solidarity - and demand better from our leaders.
Colourful banner over a range of silhouette figures reads 'solidarity not strangers'
0103
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Refugee Action @refugeeaction.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
No tragedy should be exploited to justify racist violence. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home and neighbourhood. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by Monday's horrific stabbing, and with the migrant, refugee and minoritised communities targeted by the subsequent violence in Belfast.
The statement reads: The horrific stabbing in Belfast on Monday is being used as an excuse for racist violence. Migrants, refugees, people of colour and their neighbours were terrorised in their homes and communities last night. Homes were burned down. Leadership must step up now and defend the right to a safe home that we all need.  

Many politicians and media outlets have learned nothing from the last two summers of violence. They shouldn’t be surprised that it is happening again. Calling such attacks "protests" legitimises those responsible and obscures the harm being done to entire communities.  

This must stop now. We urgently need political and moral leadership that stands up for people seeking safety  - and all migrant and minoritised communities – by rejecting the far-right politics of hate that exploits tragedies to demonise and attack communities.
07130
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 11/06/2026
The racist attacks in Belfast are a direct outcome of the constant vilification & scapegoating of refugees & migrants in our politics & the media. After the far-right riots of the last two summers, survivors of torture and trafficking, including those we support, are more terrified than ever.
1106
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Asylum Aid @asylumaid.org.uk · 10/06/2026
Proud to join the #LondonLegalWalk supporting access to justice. For 35+ years, Asylum Aid has supported some of the most vulnerable people seeking safety in the UK but the demand for our service is greater than ever. If you can, please donate: londonlegalsupporttrust.enthuse.com/pf/asylum-ai...
022
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Free Movement @freemovement.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
The High Court has found the Home Office acted unlawfully in scrapping accommodation protections for survivors of torture and trafficking — no consultation with specialists, no proper equality assessment, no investigation into consequences. A significant ruling covered in our latest piece by…
freemovement.org.uk
Home Office unlawfully removed asylum accommodation protections for torture and trafficking survivors - Free Movement
The High Court has ruled that the Home Office acted unlawfully when it removed long-standing accommodation protections for survivors of torture, trafficking
055
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Asylum Aid @asylumaid.org.uk · 05/06/2026
The Public Accounts Committee report today confirms what we see every day: the UK asylum system is inefficient, costly & is failing the people it is meant to protect. The findings confirm a system characterised by poor decision-making, chronic delays and a lack of coherent strategy for reform. 🧵
112
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Asylum Aid @asylumaid.org.uk · 04/06/2026
We're alarmed by the government’s proposed asylum support reforms & their impact on stateless people, who are already disproportionately trapped in destitution & legal limbo. Read our joint statement w/ @jrsuk.bsky.social @enstatelessness.bsky.social & others: www.asylumaid.org.uk/resources/jo...
asylumaid.org.uk
Joint statement on the impact of proposed reforms to asylum support under the Immigration Act 2016 on stateless people in the UK | Asylum Aid
We are deeply alarmed by the UK government’s proposed reforms to asylum support, set  out in its consultation on implementing provisions of the Immigration Act 2016.
078
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 03/06/2026
High-quality medical evidence is an integral part of a fair & functioning asylum & immigration system. Now, more than ever, it's vital that trust in the integrity of medical expertise isn't eroded. Our latest piece explores why trust in medical evidence matters. www.helenbamber.org/resources/re...
helenbamber.org
Who is a medical expert? How do we know that such experts are impartial? | Helen Bamber
In a new editorial, Professor Cornelius Katona (Honorary Director of Medical and Research at the Helen Bamber Foundation) and colleagues raise two vital questions: Can a GP have sufficient expertise t...
000
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 02/06/2026
Experts working with children are deeply concerned by these proposals. AI cannot account for how trauma, malnutrition & exhaustion affect young people fleeing conflict & persecution. Evidence shows AI can replicate human bias & errors. Child refugees need protection, not to be put at further risk.
001
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Deighton Pierce Glynn @dpglaw.co.uk · 01/06/2026
Our clients, @freedomfromtorture.bsky.social and @helenbamber.bsky.social, challenged the Home Office’s recent changes to the rules on asylum accommodation. The Court found that the Home Office acted unlawfully. See: www.dpglaw.co.uk/news/governm...
dpglaw.co.uk
Government’s allocation of asylum accommodation policy is unlawful – court rules - DPG Law
The High Court has delivered a judgment that could have a major impact on how the UK government treats some of the most vulnerable asylum seekers.
011
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Asylum Matters @asylummatters.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
🚨 UNLAWFUL asylum accommodation policy ignored risks to torture survivors, court finds 🚨 Forcing survivors to share rooms with strangers does huge harm. It's vital these vulnerable groups are protected. But the reality is, no one seeking safety should be housed barracks or converted hotels. 🧵
12514
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 29/05/2026
This is deeply concerning. AI cannot account for how trauma, malnutrition & exhaustion from conflict & dangerous journeys can alter a young person’s appearance. Evidence also shows AI shares the same biases & inaccuracies as humans, putting children at risk. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
independent.co.uk
Controversial AI facial age checks to be used on migrants at UK border
Plans to use AI to assess migrants’ age labelled ‘deeply concerning’
001
Reposted by Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡
Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Thanks to litigation by @freedomfromtorture.bsky.social & @helenbamber.bsky.social the High Court has found that the Government acted unlawfully in introducing changes to the asylum accommodation policy without consultation with experts or due regard to equalities duties tinyurl.com/yujhedzf
theguardian.com
UK government acted unlawfully by forcing torture survivors to share rooms, court rules
Judgment is blow to Shabana Mahmood’s plans to send more asylum seekers to army barracks
11514
Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 29/05/2026
🚨 WE CHALLENGED THE GOVERNMENT IN COURT — AND WON!  Today is a huge victory for survivors of trafficking & torture.  We successfully challenged unlawful policy changes affecting survivors of torture and trafficking 🧵 www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
UK government acted unlawfully by forcing torture survivors to share rooms, court rules
Judgment is blow to Shabana Mahmood’s plans to send more asylum seekers to army barracks
12113