The government is proposing to link volunteering to immigration settlement under a new 'earned settlement' model. People seeking permanent status could be expected to volunteer extensively to shorten their route to settlement.
This new proposal risks undermining the core principle that volunteering must be freely chosen. Making it a condition of settlement places people under pressure to take on roles that may not be safe, suitable, or accessible.
Charities have raised serious concerns about the impact on both volunteers and organisations. The proposal would create new, unfunded burdens for charities, damage trust and weaken the values that hold communities together.
Volunteering is not a transaction and should never be used as a tool of immigration control. We are calling on the government to withdraw this proposal and work with civil society on approaches that genuinely support integration.
The whole idea undermines what volunteering is - this should always be a free choice and not something people feel forced into by their circumstances.
Read our letter to the Home Secretary calling for these proposals to be withdrawn and for volunteering to remain voluntary.
We consulted widely with charities and civil society organisations to understand the real-world impact of these proposals. Our report draws on evidence from over 300 organisations, many working directly with refugees and asylum seekers.
Charities were clear that linking volunteering to settlement would be unworkable and harmful. The evidence shows the proposal is unnecessary: people already want to volunteer. The barriers are practical and structural, not a lack of motivation.
Read the full report to explore the evidence and see our consultation response.
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