These are the stories that make me proud to live in Manchester. These are types of stories that we need more of - stories of solidarity and community - not hostilities and St George’s flags! This is the Britain that we need to get back to ✊🏻

This week, two children died in the Channel.

Ten days earlier the ex-Home Secretary suspended refugee family reunions. That means children have no safe way to reach refugee parents.

It's hard to see how this will lead to anything other than more children being killed.

🚨The UK has suspended all new Refugee #FamilyReunion applications, one of the few #SafeRoutes for people fleeing. This cruelty keeps families apart.

📢We support our partners calling on the government to restore family reunion & expand safe routes.

Still thinking about the @ethnicityuk.bsky.social event ‘Somatics, Yoga & Working Lunch’ for #ECRs working on race and racism. Met a lovely bunch of people doing really important work! Big shout out to Siobhan for creating such a lovely space for radical care, community & wellbeing 👏🏻💫

What if we ~deconstructed~ the idea of starting a podcast… and then did it anyway?
GRABS has entered the chat 🎧👇

Go easy on us, we're new here 😅

Presented at #IMISCOE2025 w my colleague on the ethical challenges of doing research with young people in situations of forced migration

We talked reflexivity, reciprocity, coproduction & uncomfortable realties

📸 our presentation & a reminder that research is entangled with everyday life 👩🏻‍💻🐕

🚨 We found that, in the first half of 2024, over HALF of young people seeking asylum were initially assessed as adults by the Home Office but found to be children after being referred to local authorities – at least 262 children.

This cannot continue. 1/2

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Men in politics: "Relax, I got this"

Trump: [orders military & police violence on protestors]
Netanyahu: [continues genocide, picks fight with Iran]
Starmer: [copies racist border policy]

Can someone else have a go now?

Want your kids to have a better understanding of people seeking sanctuary?

Ahead of Refugee Week later this month, the team behind A Day of Welcome have put together this reading list for children to help to encourage conversation and understanding of refugees:
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...

In Dover, scoping the British side of the Channel border with the team. Met some great people doing brilliant work & visited some important sites. Quick dip in the sea tomorrow morning before driving back up to Manchester via London!

Presented our project to the Migration, Refugees and Asylum Research Group @globaldevinst.bsky.social yday - great discussion & questions. Always valuable sharing work & ideas with researchers working critically & creatively across disciplines. Lots to sit with as we keep developing the project.

I'd take an island of 'strangers' over an island of racists any day of the week. PS: We're not talking about 'strangers'; we're talking about our neighbours, colleagues, friends, classmates, doctors, nurses, lecturers, ...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

Probably about time for an intro: I'm Izzy👋 I'm a postdoc at @univ-paris8.fr / CRESPPA researching young people growing up across borders in the UK, Greece and France on the ERC-funded project @grabsproject.bsky.social. Just finished my PhD @uompol.bsky.social - excited to clog up your feeds!

Attending the @hcrinstitute.bsky.social webinar: 'After the cuts: USAID, UK aid spending and the humanitarian sector' #USAID #UKaidcuts #aidfunding #fundingcuts