Our letter to 5 Bristol MPs

Dec 11, 2025

3 min read

On 17th November, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced a series of alarming Government policy changes regarding immigration and asylum. Read our letter to 5 Bristol MP's asking them to challenge these changes below.

The below letter was sent to Carla Denyer (Green Party Bristol Central) , Damien Egan (Labour Bristol North East), Karin Smyth (Labour Bristol South also a Minister of State for Health), Kerry McCarthy (Labour Bristol East), and Darren Jones (Labour Bristol North West).

11th December 2025

Dear MP,

On behalf of Bristol Hospitality Network, I am writing to express our deep concern regarding the policies announced on Monday, 17 November by the Home Secretary, which signal a troubling direction in the Government’s approach to asylum. These proposals are not only cruel but will have a profoundly damaging impact on some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. Crucially, they also fail to address the issues they claim to resolve. Communities cannot be strengthened through harsher systems, but through leadership that offers humane, compassionate, and practical solutions.

A Government Minister stated on Tuesday morning that the new measures would prevent families from risking their children’s lives by crossing the Channel in unsafe ways. This explanation fails to acknowledge that families only take these risks because what they are fleeing is far more dangerous. Punitive policies do not remove the desperation that drives people to seek safety.

The proposed changes represent a shift away from protection and towards permanent insecurity. We know from experience what people on Ten-Year Routes to Settlement endure. Having to reapply every 30 months is destabilising, expensive, and deeply damaging to mental health. It undermines employment, pushes already vulnerable families into further hardship, and traps many in poverty. Although it has been suggested that the process will be “smoother”, repeatedly reassessing applications every 30 months will inevitably create a lengthy and burden some administrative cycle. It will place additional pressure on the Home Office, increase the risk of destitution while cases are processed, and ultimately hinder stability and integration rather than support it. This environment also increases opportunities for exploitation.

At Bristol Hospitality Network, we see daily the positive response of local communities who welcome newcomers and foster inclusivity and cohesion. We work with over 150peopleeachweek who are doing their utmost to integrate, contribute, volunteer, and share their skills and knowledge with their neighbours. The interest from the wider community in supporting this work continues to grow.

While there are voices opposed to welcoming new arrivals, they represent a small minority and do not reflect the broader public sentiment or the remarkable work taking place across our city. For this reason, we ask that you use your voice to challenge the Government’s current direction and to advocate for policies that foster stability, dignity, and genuine community cohesion.

We ask that the Government:

Maintains and improves meaningful pathways to permanent protection for refugees
Ensures that people seeking asylum receive adequate support
Makes fair and timely decisions on asylum claims
Invests in integration rather than deterrence
Listens to the voices of communities who are building welcome, rather than those seeking to sow division