Too often, we’re referred to as “asylum seekers,” as if our entire identity is defined by a process, not by who we are. But we are people - people seeking safety, people with stories, families and futures. Words matter.

When we’re spoken about in cold, dehumanising terms, it makes it easier for the public to forget our humanity.

We’ve seen how this rhetoric fuels real-world harm. Look at what happened in July and August 2024. The riots, the hate, the violence - fueled by lies, by toxic narratives that paint us as a threat. It’s exhausting, but it’s also why we’re fighting harder than ever.

This is a campaign to reclaim our humanity, to ensure that people understand what’s at stake when they speak about us in these dehumanising ways. We refuse to be seen as a problem to be solved.

TAKE ACTION:

• Say “people seeking asylum,” because that’s who we are. It’s not about being politically correct - it’s about being human.

• Say “movement of people” rather than ‘flood’ / ‘wave’ / ‘invasion / ‘swarm’ / ‘crisis’ because these words bring with them the language of fear and chaos, evoking imagery of unmanageable forces. It strips away individuality and context, reducing people to something uncontrollable and dangerous.

• Say "safe routes" rather than ‘safe and legal routes’ because the term ‘legal’ should inherently imply safety. The moment we feel the need to qualify legal routes as ‘safe’, we subtly acknowledge a failure in our obligations to protect those fleeing from harm.

• Say "two-way integration" rather than ‘assimilation’ because integration requires both sides to adapt, creating a shared space where multiple identities coexist and enrich each other. ‘Assimilation’ demands that newcomers abandon their own culture entirely, which strips away diversity and reduces the potential for mutual growth.