Dr. Lucy Mayblin
@mayblin.bsky.social
Senior Lecturer Sociology & Co-Director Migration Research Group, University of Sheffield, UK.
www.lucymayblin.com
www.sheffield.ac.uk/migration-research-group
www.Channelcrossings.org
www.lucymayblin.com
www.sheffield.ac.uk/migration-research-group
www.Channelcrossings.org
Pinned
Dr. Lucy Mayblin
@mayblin.bsky.social
· May 1
(no title)
Visit the post for more.
www.channelcrossings.org
New work from the www.channelcrossings.org team!
We have been gathering a dataset of contracts that the government has with private companies related to Channel crossings. We are calling this the ‘border economy’. We have identified over £3billion worth of contracts...
We have been gathering a dataset of contracts that the government has with private companies related to Channel crossings. We are calling this the ‘border economy’. We have identified over £3billion worth of contracts...
We are so proud to be part of the Migration Scholars Mobilise Global Day of Action today! Sheffield folks, come down to the Jessop Building. Our schedule here: sheffield.ac.uk/migration-re... And to the global network website: migrationscholarsmobilize.org
Mobilise, Resist, Build Solidarity: We Stand with Migrants
A teach-in/out as part of the Migration Scholars Mobilize Network day of action to mobilise on these themes:- A war on migrants is a war on all of us- Migration is a social good- We stand with…
sheffield.ac.uk
November 11, 2025 at 11:00 AM
We are so proud to be part of the Migration Scholars Mobilise Global Day of Action today! Sheffield folks, come down to the Jessop Building. Our schedule here: sheffield.ac.uk/migration-re... And to the global network website: migrationscholarsmobilize.org
Reposted by Dr. Lucy Mayblin
Reposted by Dr. Lucy Mayblin
Evidence of mass killings by RSF in El-Fasher, Sudan, are chilling. They must be a wake up call for the rest of the planet too. Countries must be pressured to stop sending weapons into their proxy war in Sudan. It starts with acknowledging the horror.
November 1, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Evidence of mass killings by RSF in El-Fasher, Sudan, are chilling. They must be a wake up call for the rest of the planet too. Countries must be pressured to stop sending weapons into their proxy war in Sudan. It starts with acknowledging the horror.
Reposted by Dr. Lucy Mayblin
"Legal sources said more migrants were attempting to cross the Channel in small boats because they were being left homeless by the French authorities" www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Migrants try to return to UK after France refuses to house them
Asylum seekers deported under one in, one out deal are being left homeless by the French authorities, legal sources claim, fuelling attempted returns
www.thetimes.com
October 30, 2025 at 1:55 PM
"Legal sources said more migrants were attempting to cross the Channel in small boats because they were being left homeless by the French authorities" www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Translation: Putting people in military barracks is good, because it has connotations of prison, punishment, and control. But only if the barracks are remote and out of sight, with people properly concentrated and fully excluded from society.
Moving people from a hotel in the city centre to a military base, also in the city centre is likely to achieve... Nothing.
October 28, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Translation: Putting people in military barracks is good, because it has connotations of prison, punishment, and control. But only if the barracks are remote and out of sight, with people properly concentrated and fully excluded from society.
Reposted by Dr. Lucy Mayblin
Around 900 men are expected to be moved to military bases in Inverness and Sussex by the end of the year.
The use of large sites has been described as a "sleeper issue", likely to inflame tensions with local communities.
And all to close four or five hotels.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
The use of large sites has been described as a "sleeper issue", likely to inflame tensions with local communities.
And all to close four or five hotels.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Two military sites earmarked as asylum seeker accommodation
Housing asylum seekers in hotels has cost billions, while they have also become a focal point for protests.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 28, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Around 900 men are expected to be moved to military bases in Inverness and Sussex by the end of the year.
The use of large sites has been described as a "sleeper issue", likely to inflame tensions with local communities.
And all to close four or five hotels.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
The use of large sites has been described as a "sleeper issue", likely to inflame tensions with local communities.
And all to close four or five hotels.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Most of the time we ask the wrong questions in relation to asylum policy. What this new report on asylum accommodation shows, for me, is that we need to be asking all the time "who materially benefits from the current policy approach?"
Billions squandered on asylum accommodation by Home Office mismanagement – Home Affairs Committee report finds - Committees - UK Parliament
Flawed contract design and incompetent delivery left the Home Office unable to cope with the surge in demand for asylum accommodation, a report by the Home Affairs Committee has found.
committees.parliament.uk
October 28, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Most of the time we ask the wrong questions in relation to asylum policy. What this new report on asylum accommodation shows, for me, is that we need to be asking all the time "who materially benefits from the current policy approach?"
Today! National Day of Solidarity to End Immigration Detention in the UK. When someone you know is detained it's like they have been abducted or taken hostage. Today we're asking for #DignityNotDetention #TheseWallsMustFall @Right_to_Remain
Find out more here righttoremain.org.uk/category/the...
Find out more here righttoremain.org.uk/category/the...
These Walls Must Fall
Right to Remain works with communities, groups and organisations, providing information, resources, training and assistance to help people to establish their right to remain, and to challenge…
righttoremain.org.uk
October 18, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Today! National Day of Solidarity to End Immigration Detention in the UK. When someone you know is detained it's like they have been abducted or taken hostage. Today we're asking for #DignityNotDetention #TheseWallsMustFall @Right_to_Remain
Find out more here righttoremain.org.uk/category/the...
Find out more here righttoremain.org.uk/category/the...
Political rhetoric isn't just talk, it has real material implications.
"UK charities say toxic immigration rhetoric leading to threats against staff."
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
"UK charities say toxic immigration rhetoric leading to threats against staff."
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
UK charities say toxic immigration rhetoric leading to threats against staff
Voluntary organisations forced to introduce extensive security measures to protect staff and property
www.theguardian.com
October 15, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Political rhetoric isn't just talk, it has real material implications.
"UK charities say toxic immigration rhetoric leading to threats against staff."
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
"UK charities say toxic immigration rhetoric leading to threats against staff."
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Dr. Lucy Mayblin
Yet another case of the Home Office noticing an increase in asylum claims by people arriving via legal routes and responding by immediately slamming that route closed. It’s like they WANT people to travel irregularly.
Here's the parliamentary statement outlining the changes (haven't seen the detail yet) questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-stat...
October 14, 2025 at 10:19 AM
Yet another case of the Home Office noticing an increase in asylum claims by people arriving via legal routes and responding by immediately slamming that route closed. It’s like they WANT people to travel irregularly.
Looking forward to this
JOIN US ONLINE on 22 October at 18:30 BST as we look at the shifting politics of #immigration in the UK, how policy is shaped and challenged, and the state of protest and public debate.
With @michaelacbenson.bsky.social Fizza Qureshi @aaronwinter.bsky.social @mayblin.bsky.social
🎟️ buff.ly/f5IH9pL
With @michaelacbenson.bsky.social Fizza Qureshi @aaronwinter.bsky.social @mayblin.bsky.social
🎟️ buff.ly/f5IH9pL
October 14, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Looking forward to this
How's the one in one out policy going? “The agreement between the UK and France will go down as a dark chapter in history because it has abandoned us completely. The UK government is making an example of us and this is very painful and shameful.”
Human rights groups call for France to suspend ‘one in, one out’ treaty with UK
UK and French organisations file legal challenge against July agreement to swap asylum seekers
www.theguardian.com
October 14, 2025 at 8:00 AM
How's the one in one out policy going? “The agreement between the UK and France will go down as a dark chapter in history because it has abandoned us completely. The UK government is making an example of us and this is very painful and shameful.”
Just digging out this blog I wrote for ECRE 6 years ago about the myth of the economic pull factor for asylum seekers -the myth that very much never dies! ecre.org/op-ed-pull-f...
October 9, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Just digging out this blog I wrote for ECRE 6 years ago about the myth of the economic pull factor for asylum seekers -the myth that very much never dies! ecre.org/op-ed-pull-f...
How to change the dominant narrative on migration? This is a really interesting contribution from the US: "Narrative Guide for Immigrant Futures (2025) How To Create Narrative Interventions That Counter Fear and Change Attitudes" narrativeinitiative.org/resource/nar...
Reshaping The Immigrant Narrative: A Guide To Futures
Counter fear and advance a pro-immigrant vision. Our guide offers research and tools to shift the immigrant narrative for persuadable audiences.
narrativeinitiative.org
October 8, 2025 at 10:02 AM
How to change the dominant narrative on migration? This is a really interesting contribution from the US: "Narrative Guide for Immigrant Futures (2025) How To Create Narrative Interventions That Counter Fear and Change Attitudes" narrativeinitiative.org/resource/nar...
The "one in one out" deal between the UK and France is based on the idea of deterrence. But (and it's getting boring saying this year after year after year) the fabled deterrent effect does not exist. Here's one of the more recent explainers on this topic odi.org/en/insights/...
Migration deterrence strategies are popular amongst politicians, but what do we know about their effectiveness?
Looking to 2025, it is likely that states will seek to implement or expand offshore policies, despite serious human rights concerns and the fact that their effectiveness is far from proven. This blog…
odi.org
October 6, 2025 at 10:01 AM
The "one in one out" deal between the UK and France is based on the idea of deterrence. But (and it's getting boring saying this year after year after year) the fabled deterrent effect does not exist. Here's one of the more recent explainers on this topic odi.org/en/insights/...
Reposted by Dr. Lucy Mayblin
Last weekend, as the weather improved, more people tried to cross the Channel to reach safety in the UK. Four lost their lives in three separate incidents — one was a child. The government’s deterrent policies don’t work; they push people to take greater risks. We need #SafeRoutes now.
September 30, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Last weekend, as the weather improved, more people tried to cross the Channel to reach safety in the UK. Four lost their lives in three separate incidents — one was a child. The government’s deterrent policies don’t work; they push people to take greater risks. We need #SafeRoutes now.
Deeply, deeply, concerning.
"The prime minister told the BBC he did not want to "tear down" human rights laws, but is ready to look again at article three of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects against torture and degrading treatment." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
"The prime minister told the BBC he did not want to "tear down" human rights laws, but is ready to look again at article three of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects against torture and degrading treatment." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
PM wants to change how international law used in asylum cases
The UK needs to "look again" at how to tackle mass migration, but those genuinely fleeing persecution should still be given asylum, the PM says.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 2, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Deeply, deeply, concerning.
"The prime minister told the BBC he did not want to "tear down" human rights laws, but is ready to look again at article three of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects against torture and degrading treatment." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
"The prime minister told the BBC he did not want to "tear down" human rights laws, but is ready to look again at article three of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects against torture and degrading treatment." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
This is a brilliant opportunity for sociologists to join the board of The Sociological Review, practicing the kind of sociology many of us aspire to thesociologicalreview.org/announcement...
Call for new Editorial Board members for The Sociological Review journal for 2026
About The Sociological Review
thesociologicalreview.org
October 1, 2025 at 11:00 AM
This is a brilliant opportunity for sociologists to join the board of The Sociological Review, practicing the kind of sociology many of us aspire to thesociologicalreview.org/announcement...
Brilliant new project!
We are excited to announce the launch of The Channel Monitoring Project.
A new initiative to change reality on the ground and at sea. For the #safety, #dignity and #humanrights of those crossing the border in #smallboats. Counter the toxicity to tell the real story.
A new initiative to change reality on the ground and at sea. For the #safety, #dignity and #humanrights of those crossing the border in #smallboats. Counter the toxicity to tell the real story.
September 22, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Brilliant new project!
100% this
Solidarity with everyone on the anti-racist march in London today, and sorry I can’t be there too. Solidarity also with everyone anxious or in fear of the fascists. Stay safe everyone
September 13, 2025 at 3:25 PM
100% this
Reposted by Dr. Lucy Mayblin
V senior Labour MPs and Hope Not Hate have called on the prime minister and Labour to speak up louder against far right hate and division.
Our story here
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Our story here
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
September 13, 2025 at 10:05 AM
V senior Labour MPs and Hope Not Hate have called on the prime minister and Labour to speak up louder against far right hate and division.
Our story here
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Our story here
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Dr. Lucy Mayblin
It’s being reported that Government are about to announce the furthering the use of Barracks to warehouse Refugees.
Ignoring the findings of the National Audit Office report that these are significantly more expensive than hotels. But that’s just the financial cost
www.nao.org.uk/reports/inve...
Ignoring the findings of the National Audit Office report that these are significantly more expensive than hotels. But that’s just the financial cost
www.nao.org.uk/reports/inve...
September 7, 2025 at 8:21 AM
It’s being reported that Government are about to announce the furthering the use of Barracks to warehouse Refugees.
Ignoring the findings of the National Audit Office report that these are significantly more expensive than hotels. But that’s just the financial cost
www.nao.org.uk/reports/inve...
Ignoring the findings of the National Audit Office report that these are significantly more expensive than hotels. But that’s just the financial cost
www.nao.org.uk/reports/inve...
Reposted by Dr. Lucy Mayblin
Scotland’s leading academic on refugees warns that British political rhetoric is taking the UK ‘into the foothills of genocide’
Professor Alison Phipps, Unesco chair in refugee integration at Glasgow University, says demonisation will end in deaths
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2544663...
Professor Alison Phipps, Unesco chair in refugee integration at Glasgow University, says demonisation will end in deaths
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2544663...
Professor Alison Phipps: "We’re in foothills of genocide" as far-right threat grows
Professor Alison Phipps is the nation’s foremost authority on asylum. She tells our Writer at Large demonisation has gone too far and Westminster…
www.heraldscotland.com
September 7, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Scotland’s leading academic on refugees warns that British political rhetoric is taking the UK ‘into the foothills of genocide’
Professor Alison Phipps, Unesco chair in refugee integration at Glasgow University, says demonisation will end in deaths
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2544663...
Professor Alison Phipps, Unesco chair in refugee integration at Glasgow University, says demonisation will end in deaths
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2544663...
Reposted by Dr. Lucy Mayblin
Thank you to Dr. Nick Maynard — and all of the other witnesses and experts — for sharing your testimony at Day 1 of the Gaza Tribunal.
Join us again today to learn more about this government’s complicity in crimes against humanity. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...
Join us again today to learn more about this government’s complicity in crimes against humanity. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...
UK failing Gaza by allowing jets with British parts to bomb hospitals, says surgeon
It is ‘inconceivable’ that Hamas is using hospitals as command centres, Prof Nick Maynard tells independent Gaza tribunal
www.theguardian.com
September 5, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Thank you to Dr. Nick Maynard — and all of the other witnesses and experts — for sharing your testimony at Day 1 of the Gaza Tribunal.
Join us again today to learn more about this government’s complicity in crimes against humanity. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...
Join us again today to learn more about this government’s complicity in crimes against humanity. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...
Reposted by Dr. Lucy Mayblin
Statement of changes to the immigration rules just published, suspending applications for refugee family reunion from 3pm today. Barely 30 minutes notice. No end for the suspension given www.gov.uk/government/p...
Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 1298, 4 September 2025
Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules published on 4 September 2025.
www.gov.uk
September 4, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Statement of changes to the immigration rules just published, suspending applications for refugee family reunion from 3pm today. Barely 30 minutes notice. No end for the suspension given www.gov.uk/government/p...