The Big Issue - UK (2020-11-30)

FROM 30 NOVEMBER 2020 BIGISSUE.COM| 11

news.

Boxofdelights

Hereareafewsuggesteditemsforyour

adventcalendar.Checkwithyourlocal

foodbank to see what they need most

HomeO�ficeplansto deportmigrantsforcedto sleeproughwillface alegal

challengea�ter lawyerslaunchedasuccessfulcrowdfundingcampaign.

ThePublicInterestLawCentre(PILC)metitsoriginal£5,000goalwithin 24 hoursof

unveilingplansto take theHomeO�ficeto court over itsnewimmigrationrules.

Non-UKnationalscouldfacedeportationfromDecember1,withroughsleeping

consideredareasonfor refusalor cancellationof permissionto stay intheUK.

ThePILCsuccessfullychallengedthepolicytodeportroughsleepersintheHigh

Courtin2017,whenitwas ruledunlawful,buttheHomeO�ficeannouncedplansto

reintroducethelaw inOctober.

BenjaminMorgan,whorunsthehomelessrightsprojectforEuropeancitizens

atPILC,said:“Migrantdestitutionisinlargeparttheresultofdeliberate

governmentpolicy.

“The HomeO�ficecould,ifitchose,take significant steps towardsendingnon-UK

nationalhomelessnessby scrappingthenorecourseto publicfunds(NRPF)regime.

Insteadthegovernmenthase�fectivelycriminalisedroughsleepingfor somecategories

of migrantintheUK.

“Asidefrombeingcrueland,inourview,unlawful,thesechangestotheimmigration

ruleswillbecounterproductiveintermsof e�fortsto reduceroughsleeping.They are

likelytodeterhomelessnon-UKnationalsfromseekingthesupportandadvicemany

urgentlyneedinorderto resolvetheirdestitution.”

PILClawyerssaythatendingthenorecoursetopublicfundsconditionwillprevent

thepoverty,exploitationand abusethatforcespeopleinto roughsleeping.

They willwrite to theHomeO�ficeon December1asking it to reconsider the policy

and follow that up with legal action if there is no U-turn.

Covid-19hasle�trecordnumbersof families

atriskof goinghungry.ButthisChristmasa

ReverseAdventCalendarwillhelpyourlocal

foodbank– andgiveyousomefestivecheer.

It’seasytodo– insteadofa regularadvent

calendar,theideaistoputasideagi�tfor

otherseachday.StartingonDecember1,

addoneitemperdaytoa Christmashamper

(orcardboardbox).ClosertoChristmas,

takeyourcollectionofsuppliestoyourlocal

foodbankandfeeltheglowofknowing

you’vespreadsomecomfortandjoy.

TheTrussellTrustoperatesthelargest

numberoffoodbanksintheUK,andchief

executiveEmmaReviesaid:“Reverseadvent

calendarsarea lovelywaytosupportpeople

whoarestrugglingtoa�fordthebasicsat

Christmastime.

“Wewouldencouragepeopleto

checkwhichitemsareneededmost

withtheirlocalfoodbank,andmakesure

donationsaredroppedo�fassoonas

possibletogivevolunteerstimetoget

thembackouttopeople.”

Checkwhenyourlocalfoodbankclosesfor

Christmasandgetyourdonationstothemin

goodtime.Seeaboveforsomesuggestions

ofwhattoaddtoyourcollection.Afulllist,

withinformationaboutfindingyourclosest

foodbank,canbefoundatbigissue.com

Keepuspostedon how your collectionis

growing! @BigIssue / @bigissueuk

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ADVENT

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Lawyers team up

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sleeper deportations

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