How one immigration firm responded to riots

As the tragic events in Southport on 29 July unfolded, never did we expect what happened next. Like everyone, we were appalled by the news. Our thoughts and prayers still go out to the families who lost loved ones.

We grew concerned for our clients as false information circulated claiming the attacker was a failed asylum seeker. Asylum seekers are a big part of our client base so to see them targeted made us worry for their welfare and safety.

Our head office in Oldham was named as a place for masked demonstrators to assemble. We were one of 38 targeted companies across the whole UK. We’d all seen the reports of extensive violence, so the threat was real.

We had to take action to protect our clients and staff. We received support and guidance from the Law Society and the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) to help us navigate the situation. The police were an amazing support. They advised we work from home and take down the signs on our building to make us less identifiable to rioters. It may sound minor, but as many of our clients don’t speak English, clear signage helps them find us. The police support was reassuring, but it made us realise the severity of the threat.

On 7 August over 150 people showed up as a counter demonstration. We were told to keep away as LinkedIn profiles of immigration professionals had been shared. But we can’t thank Oldham enough for the support and huge turnout. If any good has come out of this, it’s the level of togetherness displayed by our community. It proves there are more people with good intentions than those who want to sow discord in our society. But it’s not all over and done with.

For my staff seeing their workplace identified as a potential flashpoint was traumatic. Many still haven’t returned to the office, they feel vulnerable and afraid. Once you’re in the building you don’t know who’s going to come to reception. Anyone with malicious intentions could turn up at any time. That tension isn’t going anywhere, and we’ve still not put our signs back up. We’ve provided counselling to staff who need it. It’s going to take time for people to come to terms with this, there’s real lasting damage because the threat hasn’t gone away.

To protect immigration advice services the OISC have removed the names and addresses of organisations from the public domain. But this limits access to legal representation for those who need it. The OISC now share client details with firms, putting the onus on the company to contact the client.

We need to stay strong and vigilant, but we won’t be deterred from helping those in need. The immigration narrative must change to promote the positive impact migrants have made to society. We need to get past the negative rhetoric which has fuelled the division that leads to events like this.