The UK saw terrible scenes in August when misinformation concerning the murder of three children in a stabbing led to unprecedented far-riot rioting across much of the UK. Our business, Immigration Advice Service, one of Britain’s leading immigration law firms, and 38 other businesses were named as targets for the rioting online. The brave support of the local community helped protect us from terrible attacks.
A lot of our staff spend a huge amount of time in the office and felt incredibly vulnerable once its location had been exposed. People had been asked to perpetrate violence against us, which was truly terrifying.
What Threat Did IAS and our Clients Face?
Earlier this summer, a horrifying attack occurred in Southport when a British-born knifeman killed three children at a Taylor Swift dance class. The rioting spread soon after, beginning in Southport. The community, still recovering from the shock of the attacks, now had to face rioting, arson, and racist attacks. These riots then spread to locations around the country. The disorder only began to settle down once the British courts began to hand out strong sentences for those involved, going as high as nine years in one case.
The rioting was terrifying for immigrants, asylum seekers, and the companies helping these often vulnerable clients. Far-right hooligans were conducting racist attacks, arson, and looting aimed at foreigners and companies deemed to be helping them. This was despite the fact that the Southport attacker is British-born.
The threat presented to asylum seekers, many of whom had near-death experiences while fleeing war zones, was horrifying. Hotels housing asylum seekers were targeted and rioters used burning wheelie bins in an attempt to set fire to them. Staff at these hotels recall barricading themselves in safe rooms, fearing for their lives, to protect themselves from violence.
Our staff also faced horrifying threats. We had seen premises like ours set alight and were constantly worried that people would do the same to us. Some staff members also had their LinkedIn accounts shared among far-right groups, so we were concerned they might face personal attacks if spotted by hooligans. These leaks prevented any of our staff from being able to attend the counter-protests that were organised in Oldham to show that the local community would not accept racist violence.
What Protected IAS?
Like many targeted businesses, IAS needed the support of the local community to survive. When 7 August rolled around, the date we feared the attack would come, rioters never came to attack our premises. Instead of masked hooligans, we watched their CCTV feeds fill with 150 counter-protesters. These were well-wishers from the local community who wanted to prevent violence and express their support for the work that IAS does.
We could not be more grateful to the local community in Oldham, which has continued to be supportive and share kind words now that the initial threat has passed. IAS may not have survived the summer of 2024 without their active support.
We have also had to take new measures to ensure our staff and clients will stay safe if racist attacks begin again. There is still the possibility for immigration services like ours to be a flashpoint for violence. We began by hiring a private security company that could keep watch of our building during the disorder, but have also had to think about more long-term measures.
Firstly, our staff have been asked to up their vigilance and be aware of the threats they have faced. This particularly relates to their online presence as this was something used by far-right groups during the riots.
We are also making sure to keep in line with the latest advice and work of the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner. They have worked to remove the addresses and names of companies like ours from public platforms. We thank the Office of Immigration Services Commissioner for this work, but it has brought new challenges to our day-to-day operations. Prospective clients are no longer able to find us independently. We have had to be more proactive to find the vulnerable people who need access to our services. Now, it is harder to publicise our work.
Continuing to Provide Immigration Services
The 2024 riots will go down in UK history as one of the ugliest racist events. Only the help of local communities helped businesses like ours to survive the unprecedented threats we were facing.
The rioting has also changed the immigration services industry forever, but we will work hard to make sure that the people who need us the most can still access support. One area we have been working particularly hard in recently is Leave Outside the Rules. This applies in cases where the Home Office decides that someone should be allowed to remain in the UK despite not meeting the current immigration rules. Common reasons that someone may be eligible for Leave Outside the Rules include the following:
- Medical reasons.
- The applicant is a victim of modern slavery.
- Family or private life reasons.
- Compelling compassionate grounds for why they should remain in the country.
The rights that you could have under Leave Outside the Rules are specific to the applicant’s case. Sometimes, they will be allowed to work or study in the UK but this is not always possible.
IAS has an experienced team of capable immigration lawyers and advisers that have experience in Leave Outside the Rules cases. We help applicants to determine if they are eligible, gather documentation and supporting evidence and make the application. Once the application is submitted, IAS staff liaise with the Home Office to make sure it is being given due consideration. We also offer round-the-clock support during your case so you can be guided every step of the way.
