Statement on Recent Far-Right Targeting of Asylum Justice

Dear colleagues and partners,

Asylum Justice has recently been targeted by far-right groups. Both our Deputy Legal Director and I have been targeted in online posts, and hate mail has been sent to our office.

On Wednesday 29 October, I received a further letter that was significantly more threatening in tone. We have reported this to the police and, as a precautionary measure, made the difficult decision to close our office until further notice. We are continuing to support our staff and volunteers and will review the situation regularly.

These incidents are part of a wider rise in anti-migrant rhetoric and far-right activity across Wales and the UK. Asylum Justice operates in an increasingly hostile environment — one where legal support for people seeking sanctuary is not only under-resourced, but now actively threatened by those seeking to undermine human rights and intimidate frontline workers.

These attempts to frighten or silence us will not succeed. We remain firmly committed to our mission – ensuring access to justice for people seeking asylum and other vulnerable migrants, and standing up for a Wales that is safe, inclusive and rights-respecting.

In response to these incidents, we are taking appropriate safeguarding and security steps to protect our staff and volunteers. We are also supporting colleagues who have been personally targeted. It is appalling that we are having to take these steps but we will do what we need to do so we can continue to deliver against our mission. While this has been a difficult experience, we are drawing strength from the resilience of our team and the values that guide our work.

If you are a funder, partner, or ally, we ask for your continued solidarity and support – both in standing with us and in challenging the harmful narratives that are fuelling hate and misinformation. If you have any questions or concerns, or would like to speak with us directly, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

In solidarity,

Ruth Brown

Legal Director