​For weeks, people across Iran have risked their lives in the streets, facing live ammunition, metal pellets, batons, and tear gas at the hands of security forces.  What began as anger at soaring prices and deepening poverty has become a nationwide uprising against nearly five decades of repression, corruption, and denial of basic rights by the Islamic Republic.
 
Iran is not a fragile or newly formed state. It is one of the world’s oldest continuous countries, with a civilisation that has contributed profoundly to science, literature, philosophy, architecture, and systems of governance across many centuries.  Different Iranian ethnicities and cultures together helped pioneer ideas of religious tolerance, legal protection, and civic responsibility that continue to inspire people far beyond Iran’s borders.
 
Since 1979, the Islamic Republic has worked systematically to sever this civilisational continuity and consolidate power through fear and division.  Its security apparatus and unelected institutions have repeatedly crushed protest movements, censored independent voices, criminalised dissent, and used imprisonment, torture, and executions to silence those who demand change.  While a small, connected elite enjoy wealth at home and abroad, ordinary Iranians struggle with chronic inflation, unemployment, environmental crises, and collapsing public services.
 
The current uprising follows a familiar pattern: peaceful demonstrations that quickly spread to cities and provinces across the country, followed by an escalation from slogans about economic hardship to direct calls for an end to the Islamic Republic.  In response, authorities have ordered harsh crackdowns, including internet shutdowns, mass arrests, and live fire against protesters, causing thousands of casualties and creating a near‑blackout of reliable information from many areas.  Hospitals and medical staff are placed under surveillance, and injured protesters risk detention or disappearance if they seek treatment.
 
Despite this, Iranians are rejecting the regime’s attempts to divide them.  Protesters from all backgrounds, Kurds, Azeris, Persians, Baluchis, Lurs, Arabs, Turkmen, and others, are chanting for freedom, dignity, and democratic self‑determination in more than 100 cities and in every province.  Their message is simple: every Iranian, regardless of ethnicity, language, gender, or region, must be equal before the law and free to shape the country’s future.
 
Among the opposition voices, Reza Pahlavi has emerged as a widely recognised figure advocating a secular, democratic transition grounded in Iran’s territorial integrity and equal rights for all citizens.  His platform emphasises separation of religion and state, free and fair elections, and a process in which Iranians themselves decide, through referendums and a constituent assembly, whether their future system of government should be a republic, a constitutional monarchy, or another democratic model.  Many political groups, civil society organisations, activists, and cultural figures in Iran and in the diaspora have rallied around the principle that no form of rule should be imposed; instead, the people must choose at the ballot box.
 
This vision is not a project of fragmentation but of reunion.  The movement growing inside and outside Iran insists that Iran’s territorial integrity is non‑negotiable and that attempts to carve away parts of the country only serve those who benefit from a weakened, divided nation.  It calls for a future where borders are secure, diversity is celebrated, and no Iranian is treated as lesser, displaced, or left behind.
 
Right now, however, many inside Iran cannot speak freely or safely to the outside world.  Internet shutdowns, media restrictions, and intimidation of journalists mean that images of wounded protesters and grieving families often reach the world only in fragments, if at all.  People who film, share, or even watch such footage risk arrest, torture, or worse.
 
This is why the role of the diaspora, allies, and human rights organisations is so critical.  From London to Manchester, Paris to Berlin, Toronto to Los Angeles and beyond, millions have already marched to stand with Iranians demanding change.  Groups such as RAPAR, a Manchester‑based human rights organisation rooted in the experiences of displaced people, work every day with those whose rights have been denied, helping them to organise, speak out, and seek protection.
 
RAPAR stands with the people of Iran in their struggle for freedom, dignity, and democratic self‑determination, and supports their call for a peaceful transition to a secular democracy chosen by the Iranian people themselves.  Governments, trade unions, community organisations, and individuals everywhere are urged to support this movement: by amplifying credible voices from inside Iran, pressing for accountability for abuses, providing practical assistance to those at risk, and refusing to legitimise institutions that shoot, jail, and silence their own citizens.
 
Their courage demands our solidarity.
Their enforced silence demands our voice.
Their struggle demands that we speak clearly, loudly, and without fear, until every Iranian can speak freely for themselves.

People detained inside Harmondsworth and Brook House have shared urgent accounts of the conditions they are enduring and the protests they are organising in response. Collected by Detained Voices, these testimonies cut through official narratives and bring the reality of UK immigration detention directly to the public.
Click Here to read the full article.

​By Kath Grant
​
Nearly 20 years after Labour Home Secretary John Reid declared the UK asylum system “not fit for purpose”, Shabana Mahmood insists nothing has changed and that a wide-ranging transformation is needed.
This summer, far right groups created anger, fear and confusion in their attempts to pit local residents against refugees who live in asylum accommodation hotels. Deliberate targeting of refugees became increasingly febrile as they were scapegoated for shortages of social housing, pressure on school places, and the near collapse of the health service.



​The government's remedy led to the publication this week of Mahmood's new asylum and returns policy, Restoring Order and Control - which proposes the most radical changes to the asylum system in 40 years and removes the right to permanent status for refugees.
Greeted with enthusiasm by the Tories and Reform, with the predictable caveat that it “doesn't go far enough”, it has also impressed far right leaders like Tommy Robinson. He told his followers on X that the Overton window had been obliterated thanks to the work of the “patriots” who spent the summer demonstrating outside hotels and sharing alarmist propaganda and false stories on social media.
Many MPs are dismayed that Mahmood and her ministers have chosen to use language like “a golden ticket” to describe the asylum system and have seemingly suggested that refugees might have jewellery taken from them to pay for asylum accommodation. 
In parliament, the Home Secretary talked vaguely about confiscating assets - but it is questionable how much of this headline grabbing idea is grounded in reality as most refugees spend all their money travelling to the UK in the first place.
Mahmood is dismissive of MPs who have pointed out the cruelty and crudity of her policy. She said illegal migration is dividing communities and claims that people are flouting the rules and abusing the system. 

The far right have fed on concerns in communities, particularly with regard to housing and education, but the Home Secretary's plans will not allay these fears. Alf Dubs, the long-time campaigner for refugee children's rights, argues that they are more likely to exacerbate them as temporary asylum status will not lead to better understanding and integration. 
Mahmood is adamant that removing children is essential if their families’ asylum claims have been refused. When asked by John McDonnell MP for an assurance that no child would be placed in detention, Mahmood did not respond.
The Home Secretary says: “We have a genuine problem to fix. People are angry about something that is real.” And,in a clear reference to the policies of the Conservative Party, Reform and the far right, she adds: "If these moderate forces fail, something darker will follow.” 
She talks about “perverse incentives” in the current system which, she claims, are encouraging families with children to cross the Channel in small boats. Refugees have been living on benefits, she says, but she doesn't mention that most people seeking asylum in the UK are not allowed to work, and the processing of asylum claims is notoriously slow and inaccurate so it can take many years.
Mahmood adds: “In 2024, asylum claims in the UK rose by 18 per cent, a record high. Across Europe, claims fell by 13 per cent.” 
As asylum and immigration lawyer Sonia Lenegan points out, the Home Secretary fails to mention that Germany (218,550) receives twice as many asylum applications as the UK (109,343). The UK is actually in fifth place in Europe, behind Germany, Spain (164,830), France (159,260) and Italy (151,525).
The new policy outlines various “pull factors” for people coming to the UK. No evidence is cited to support these “pull factors” but Mahmood's solution is to quadruple the period of settlement before refugees can apply for citizenship. It will increase from five to 20 years, whereas settlement in Denmark - which Mahmood cites as the model for her policy - can be achieved after eight years.
Refugees’ asylum status is to be reviewed every two and a half years. If their home country is deemed safe, they will be returned.
The two and a half year review as described by the Home Secretary effectively means refugees will have to keep applying for status and the Home Office will only grant the extension if they accept there is still a need for protection. If it is decided there is no longer a need, the person will be removed.  
Sonia Lenegan says: “People will spend 20 years of their lives living in terror of being sent back to a country where the UK has accepted they have previously been at risk of persecution.”
There will be “no automatic right to family reunion”. It will still exist but there will be stricter requirements. Benefits for migrants will also be tightened up with a consultation on the details coming up next year.
The refugees arriving through new “safe and legal” routes may also need to renew their leave to remain applications every two and a half years and live under the threat of removal during a 10 year period.
Lenegan adds: “These proposals are cruel, unnecessary and will have no impact on the desperate people who continue to make the dangerous journey across the Channel.”
The migrant-led national organisation Migrant Voice says genuine safe asylum routes must be provided and adds:
“For those who have fallen out of status we need more effective routes to regularisation, not adding to the number of people waiting 20 years before they get a chance of having some stability in their lives.
“For migrants in general, we need policies which treat us with respect and dignity, not ones which treat us as free labour, such as the ‘mandatory volunteering’, to prove our worth.
“This government had the opportunity to implement policies which actually help people and the communities we live in. Instead, it has decided to push ever downwards in making our lives harder, ripping our families apart, and leaving us scared for our very futures.”


To read more detail on the changes please visit Freemovement and migrantvoice
For existing and government proposed legislation see here


Kath Grant is an NUJ activist and a journalist of over 40 years' experience who contributes to the regional and national media.

Alimamy, Chair of RAPAR, addressing the Sudan solidarity gathering at St Peter's Square 01 Nov 2025

We are devastated by the terrorist attack that took place on Thursday 2 October 2025, outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, on the morning of Yom Kippur. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the wider Jewish community, targeted in a moment of sacred reflection.
RAPAR unequivocally condemns all acts of violence—whether committed in the name of faith, ideology, or vengeance. We stand against antisemitism, anti-Islam, and all forms of faith hatred that seek to divide us. We also affirm the dignity of those who hold no faith, and the right of every person to live free from fear.
Manchester is more than a city—it is a mosaic of the world. From Cheetham Hill to Rusholme, Salford to Longsight, people from every continent have made homes here. Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, secular, and spiritual communities’ live side by side, not in perfect harmony, but in a shared rhythm of everyday coexistence. This pluralism is not a slogan—it is a lived reality, forged through struggle, solidarity, and mutual respect.
But today, that reality is under threat. The UK is in a volatile state—economically strained, politically fragmented, and morally adrift. The erosion of public trust, the scapegoating of migrants, and the normalisation of state violence have created fertile ground for extremism. In this climate, tragedies like Crumpsall are not isolated—they are symptomatic.
We must also speak plainly: the genocide against Palestinians by the Israeli state, backed by Western governments including our own, has deepened global divisions. The refusal to hold power to account, the silencing of dissent, and the dehumanisation of entire peoples has created a climate where rage festers and violence erupt.
We reject the false binary that pits communities against each other. We reject the instrumentalisation of grief to justify surveillance, repression, or war. And we call on all people—especially those in Manchester—to recommit to the principles of justice, solidarity, and truth.
Let this tragedy not be a wedge, but a wake-up call. Let us mourn together, organise together, and build a future where no one is expendable.
to edit.

On 31st August 2025, RAPAR members Ibrahim and Alimamy joined the call from Stand Up To Racism outside Manchester’s South Hotel to counter a demonstration by far-right activists targeting people seeking asylum.
The hotel, currently housing asylum seekers under Home Office arrangements, became the site of a protest rooted in racism, fascism, and hostility. In response, RAPAR members — including our Chair — stood in solidarity with those inside, affirming the dignity and rights of all who seek safety.
RAPAR opposes the politics of division. We stand with people seeking asylum, and we will continue to challenge the systems and narratives that dehumanise us.

Click here to read the ITV Article featuring our Rhetta Moran regarding the raid on hotels housing people seeking asylum

​"Netanyahu’s Push to Reoccupy Gaza Is a Dangerous Gamble That Threatens to Ignite the Entire Region"

Tuesday, August 5, 2025 – London

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled a major and reckless escalation: his government is now moving toward the full reoccupation of the Gaza Strip—a move that would not only destroy any remaining prospects for a ceasefire but plunge the entire region into chaos.

According to today’s report in The Australian, Netanyahu has openly declared that the Israeli military must prepare to seize Gaza completely. A quote from the article states: “The decision has been made. We are going to fully occupy the Strip. If the army chief won’t do it, he must resign.”

This is no longer a war for “security.” It is a blueprint for endless bloodshed.

What this decision means:

A return to direct military occupation of 2.3 million Palestinians, many of them displaced children, under siege since 2007.

The collapse of ongoing negotiations to free Israeli hostages and reach a humanitarian truce.

A likely resurgence of resistance across Palestine, from the West Bank to refugee camps in Lebanon and beyond.

The total breakdown of international humanitarian access into Gaza, where starvation and disease are already rampant.

The possibility of multi-front war, dragging the entire region into a wider conflict—with massive implications for Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iran.

This is not a strategic move. It is a desperate act of political survival by a man facing corruption charges and mass protests at home. Netanyahu is gambling with the lives of millions, Palestinian and Israeli alike, to stay in power.

This moment demands clarity: There is no military solution to this conflict. There is no “victory” in occupying a broken and starving people. And there is no future for Israel in the total destruction of Gaza.

The international community must act immediately. Silence is complicity.

Palestinian refugee Ibrahim addresses the beginning of the Antifascist demo in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens on 2nd of August 2025
Youtube Link:
https://youtu.be/qvnd59ypCp4

RAPAR is proud to spotlight the voices that challenge harmful systems and illuminate lived realities. In this powerful piece for openDemocracy, our volunteer explores how the UK’s modern slavery identification system—intended to protect—can instead obstruct asylum claims and deepen mistrust. Their analysis offers a vital lens on the intersection of policy, perception, and survival. Read the full article on openDemocracy.