Campaign with STAR
The STAR network is a national force made up of 5,000 students across 36 universities who campaign to improve the lives of refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. With activists across 23 cities in England, Scotland and Wales, we are the biggest refugee rights campaigning network in Britain!
STAR campaigns to improve conditions for asylum seekers and refugees through online actions, flashmobs, petitions, meeting with MPs and attention-grabbing stunts.
- Why campaign for refugees and asylum seekers?
- How does STAR campaign?
- STAR’s current campaigns
- Regional asylum activism
Why campaign for refugees and asylum seekers?
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution”, yet in recent years asylum seekers have faced increasingly harsh treatment in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. The process for claiming asylum is difficult and frightening.
Most asylum seekers are not allowed to work and must live on 50% of the Income Support British citizens are entitled to. They also face the threat of indefinite detention. Around 10,000 asylum seekers were locked up last year including 100 children. Many people who are refused asylum live in limbo, destitute and with no safe route home.
Students seeking refugee protection must pay overseas fees at most universities and are not eligible for student finance.
The STAR network believes this is wrong. We are working hard to challenge these policies and campaign for a future where refugees receive a warmer welcome.
How does STAR campaign?
STAR Groups Campaigning Together – Making our voice heard
STAR is made up of thousands of committed and creative student activists calling for a change to the policies and laws which damage the lives of refugees and asylum seekers.
Campaigning for change requires a clear message given in a clear voice. To ensure our voice is heard STAR members campaign together through the STAR network, co-ordinated and supported by the STAR National team.
We focus on a few important topics so that our message is heard clearly. STAR members decide which issues to campaign on through consultations convened by the STAR National team.
Campaigning Partnerships – Making our actions count
STAR is part of a wider movement of activists working to improve the lives of refugees in the UK.
By working together we can make an even bigger difference, so STAR works closely with our friends including: Detention Action, Refugee Action, Still Human Still Here, Amnesty UK, Council for Assisting Refugee Academics (CARA) and National Union of Students (NUS).
This means that STAR members become part of something bigger and can time and theme their campaign actions to make the greatest impact!
Campaigning Focus
Campaigning is STAR’s highest profile activity in the public eye. To be effective it is important to maintain clear and focused messages. As a charity STAR also has a legal responsibility to campaign only on those issues that are stated as our charitable objectives.
If your STAR group is planning a campaign not supported by the STAR network it is important that you discuss this with the STAR National team first.
STAR’s current campaigns
Equal Access Students in the UK seeking refugee protection do not have the same right to university education as their British-born peers. As a student network, STAR believes that this is wrong and that we are uniquely placed to correct this injustice. STAR has partnered up with NUS on a campaign to ensure that asylum seekers have equal access to higher education.
Still Human Still Here Thousands of individuals are living in poverty and homelessness after being refused asylum. STAR is working with over 50 organisations including Amnesty UK and Refugee Action in the Still Human Still Here coalition to end destitution and secure the right to work for asylum seekers.
Detention STAR is launching a new campaign against the detention of asylum seekers.
Regional Asylum Activism
This year STAR launched Regional Asylum Activism. Three dedicated campaigners in the West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside and North East regions are working with local communities to inform and change attitudes and campaign for positive change to the asylum system.
