Getting involved in party conferences

Freedom from Torture will be attending party conferences this autumn to ensure our Proving Torture campaign reaches as many MPs as possible. 

We have had an overwhelming response to our campaign for a Home Affairs Committee inquiry into the treatment of medical evidence in asylum claims – more than 5000 of you have already emailed your MP. Thank you so much to those of you who have forwarded your MP’s response, this is clearly an issue that many MPs care about and we feel confident that we can make real progress.

With that in mind, we are heading to the party conferences to raise the issue further with as many parliamentarians as we can. First stop is Labour in Brighton where we’ll be speaking to MPs and Peers about the issue and hosting our own Fringe event. The event will examine the challenges torture survivors face in getting a fair hearing by the UK asylum system and we are delighted that Lord Alf Dubs and Joan Ryan MP have both agreed to speak. It is taking place on Monday 25 September at 6pm in the Brighthelm Centre, which is outside the conference zone so everyone is warmly welcome to attend, and refreshments will be served.

Following this, we will be making the trip to Manchester for the Conservative party conference. We will again be working to get the issue of medical evidence in asylum claims firmly on the agenda of Conservative politicians and cementing old and hoping to forge new relationships. We’ll be encouraging a greater understanding of the myriad hardships facing torture survivors trying to get a fair hearing as they seek sanctuary from persecution and attempt to rebuild their lives here in the UK. Do look out for us and support us in raising the protection of torture survivors in what we’re sure will be wide ranging debates on the future of human rights and refugee protection under this government.