Jubilee Debt Campaign works to tackle poverty caused by unjust debt through education, research and campaigning. The lack of safe and legal routes into the UK and the lack of support for asylum seekers and migrants who manage to make it here is pushing many into unjust and exploitative debt and the debt-poverty trap.
Specifically, a lack of safe and legal routes forces those needing to leave their home countries because of conflict, poverty, persecution or the impacts of the climate crisis to take on debt in order pay illegal traffickers, often leaving them and their families in long-term debt bondage.
People who risk their lives to seek sanctuary in the UK and manage to make it here are not allowed to work and have no recourse to public funds while their claims are being processed, again forcing many to take on exploitative and high cost debt just to cover basic needs like food and healthcare.
The British state and British companies have played a key role in establishing and upholding an unfair and exploitative global economic system which perpetuates the impoverishment and debt dependency of countries in the global South, leaving millions of people with no option but to leave their home countries in order to escape poverty and seek a better life.
In addition, through the UK’s significant historic responsibility for the climate crisis, and our country’s role in arms production, unjust military interventions, and support for repressive regimes, the UK contributes significantly to the climate impacts, conflict, political instability, and repression that forces people to flee their countries out of fear for their lives and the safety of their loved ones.
We believe we have a moral responsibility as a country to provide safe and legal routes into the UK, to protect the rights, dignity and humanity of the Windrush generation, migrants and asylum seekers, and to prevent those who are forced to seek sanctuary from being pushed into unjust debt.
We support the calls of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and others for the creation of a safe system for people to come to the UK ,and an evidence-led, compassionate and rights-based immigration policy.