Responsible leadership is judged on how it brings people together and builds consensus. At a time of divisive discourse, where the memories of the violent disorder of summer 2024 are still fresh, we have a shared responsibility to celebrate the contribution of migrants to modern Britain.
It was not so long ago that UK migration policy was shaped by the ‘hostile environment’, a deeply damaging policy shift at the root of the Windrush scandal, whose legacy still endures today for thousands of British citizens.
Migration has been central always to Britain’s story.
Those who come here to work, to study, to build safer lives for their families are not ‘strangers' — they are neighbours, colleagues, carers and friends. From Irish nurses in the NHS and Commonwealth builders to today’s international students and key workers, migrants have been and always will remain vital to the UK’s future.
Diversity of experience and origin brings economic resilience and cultural richness.
Many Irish people came to Britain in search of work, safety, or opportunity — the same motivations that drive people today. It is not for those of us who have never faced such difficult choices to criminalise their hopes or question their motives.
Our own community history means we do not see diversity as a burden — it is a strength.
We believe that, not because of dogma, but because it's our lived experience.
A sense of pride in one’s origin story and the motivation to contribute and build community is not a zero-sum formula. The history of the Irish in Britain and that of our fellow migrants tell us that both ideas can and do co-exist together – the impact that voluntary and cultural organisations make every day is testament to that.
As a community we are proud to be part of that legacy and to harness our history to make that case every day, through our words and actions as leaders.
Irish in Britain stands in solidarity with all those who seek to build a better life here, just as generations before them have done.
Brian Dalton, CEO Irish in Britain
Gerard McHale, Chair Irish in Britain
The label image is one of the thousands of labels filled in by people who visited our touring exhibition 'Look Back to Look Forward: 50 Years of the Irish in Britain', created to celebrate our 50th anniversary.
You can see the online exhibition and listen to the oral history clips HERE.