René Cassin, the Jewish voice for human rights, joins new campaign coalition ‘Together With Refugees’

refugees fleeing war and tyranny in their own countries should feel welcome, respected and understood as members of a caring community

René Cassin, the Jewish voice for human rights, announces its membership of a new campaign coalition – Together With Refugees – which launched on the 1st of June, sharing its commitment for a UK asylum system that is effective, fair and humane, so it can uphold its responsibility to offer refugee protection to those who need it (1).

René Cassin works to promote and protect universal human rights, drawing on Jewish experience and values to protect the rights of marginalised groups including asylum seekers. As Jews and as British citizens, experiences of displacement, migration, and detention, inform René Cassin’s campaigns against the ineffective and punitive policy of immigration detention, which looks only to expand under the government’s New Immigration Plan.

René Cassin will run a series of creative campaign actions focused on women’s experiences of detention this Refugee Week (14-20 June 2021), joining more than 200 national and grassroots groups across the country who are calling for a more effective, fair and humane approach to the UK’s asylum system.

“As Jews we are ‘speakers by experience’ when defending the rights of refugees. It is these historic experiences of displacement and persecution that inform our belief that refugees fleeing war and tyranny in their own countries should feel welcome, respected and understood as members of a caring community.

We support Together With Refugees’ call on the government to rethink its new proposals and stand up for people’s ability to seek safety in the UK, including those who had to find any route they could to escape danger.”

If agreed by the UK Parliament the new rules will ensure refugee status is determined more by the method of arrival to the UK than experience of persecution. By severely reducing family reunion options, this will disproportionally affect women and children’s ability to reach the UK safely.

Instead, we need to ensure there is a more effective, fair and humane approach to the UK’s refugee system that: allows people to have a fair and efficient hearing for their claim for protection, including those who endured traumas and struggle to get here; ensures people can live in dignity in communities while they wait to find out if they will be granted protection; enables refugees to rebuild their lives and make valuable contributions to their communities; and where the UK works with other countries to do its part for those forced to flee their homes.

For more information, please contact Esther Raffell at René Cassin, on 07939948186, or find out more visit