06.20.23
UK cosmetics retailer Lush, which produces a range of beauty and personal care products, has teamed up with Refugee Action to welcome refugees and asylum seekers to the UK.
Together, Lush and Refugee Action say they want to “counter the government’s racist anti-refugee language and legislation.”
Two of the key types of policy designed to deter people from claiming asylum are:
Furthermore, per Foreign Policy, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has now made it official that one of his top priorities is to pass a law that effectively bans people escaping conflict, persecution, or famine from seeking refuge in the UK. His government’s illegal migration bill says anyone who enters the United Kingdom through an illegal route will be detained and swiftly deported to a “safe country’’ such as Rwanda and banned from ever stepping foot in the UK again.
All of Lush’s 103 stores across the UK will feature a campaign window with a lightbox message that reads, “Wherever you’re from, however you got here, all refugees are welcome”.
The word “Welcome” will also appear on the windows in Albanian, Arabic, Dari & Farsi, Kurdish, Spanish, Tigrinya, Pashto, Ukrainian and Burmese to represent languages from the countries where most refugees arriving in the UK are from.
All of the money from the sales (minus VAT) of the Welcome bath bomb will be donated to Refugee Action, which provides services to people in the asylum system and those who have come to the UK via resettlement schemes, as well as supporting grassroots organizations up and down the country.
In-store visitors can scan a series of QR codes on their phones that will lead to videos where they can follow the journeys of three refugees: Hein from Burma, Monique from the Caribbean, and Oksana from Ukraine.
All Lush stores will also have postcards available for people to write welcome messages to refugees and people seeking asylum.
“We are so excited about this partnership with Lush, which will raise the voices of refugees, highlight the horrors of the Government’s hostile environment, and raise crucial funds for Refugee Action’s work,” said Ali Noyce, Head of Fundraising at Refugee Action. “The powerful stories shared by the three people who have fled persecution and war perfectly illustrate why we need a compassionate and welcoming environment for refugees in the UK.”
Butler added, “We need to do all we can to stop the UK sliding into authoritarianism, which is why we strongly oppose the hostile environment that is being used to persecute, marginalise and scapegoat refugees, and instead say ‘Wherever you’re from, however you got here, all refugees are welcome’.”
Together, Lush and Refugee Action say they want to “counter the government’s racist anti-refugee language and legislation.”
UK Polices to Deter People from Claiming Asylum
According to The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, the UK has introduced numerous policies to make seeking asylum in the UK less attractive. Most recently, 2021 to 2023 has seen the UK government propose measures designed explicitly to deter people from seeking asylum in the UK.Two of the key types of policy designed to deter people from claiming asylum are:
- Policies that aim to make it easier to remove people to ‘safe third countries’ without assessing their asylum claim
- Policies to give fewer rights to refugees who cannot be removed and remain in the UK
Furthermore, per Foreign Policy, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has now made it official that one of his top priorities is to pass a law that effectively bans people escaping conflict, persecution, or famine from seeking refuge in the UK. His government’s illegal migration bill says anyone who enters the United Kingdom through an illegal route will be detained and swiftly deported to a “safe country’’ such as Rwanda and banned from ever stepping foot in the UK again.
How Lush is Supporting Refugees
“We believe that all people should enjoy freedom of movement across the world, and with this campaign we’re working with Refugee Action to build compassion and empathy for refugees and people seeking asylum,” says Andrew Butler, Lush Campaigns Manager.All of Lush’s 103 stores across the UK will feature a campaign window with a lightbox message that reads, “Wherever you’re from, however you got here, all refugees are welcome”.
The word “Welcome” will also appear on the windows in Albanian, Arabic, Dari & Farsi, Kurdish, Spanish, Tigrinya, Pashto, Ukrainian and Burmese to represent languages from the countries where most refugees arriving in the UK are from.
Welcome Bath Bomb
Customers can buy a bath bomb in Refugee Action’s trademark green and blue with “Welcome” embossed on the outside, and a piece of paper inside with a QR code that takes people to the campaigns page on Refugee Action’s website.All of the money from the sales (minus VAT) of the Welcome bath bomb will be donated to Refugee Action, which provides services to people in the asylum system and those who have come to the UK via resettlement schemes, as well as supporting grassroots organizations up and down the country.
In-store visitors can scan a series of QR codes on their phones that will lead to videos where they can follow the journeys of three refugees: Hein from Burma, Monique from the Caribbean, and Oksana from Ukraine.
All Lush stores will also have postcards available for people to write welcome messages to refugees and people seeking asylum.
“We are so excited about this partnership with Lush, which will raise the voices of refugees, highlight the horrors of the Government’s hostile environment, and raise crucial funds for Refugee Action’s work,” said Ali Noyce, Head of Fundraising at Refugee Action. “The powerful stories shared by the three people who have fled persecution and war perfectly illustrate why we need a compassionate and welcoming environment for refugees in the UK.”
Butler added, “We need to do all we can to stop the UK sliding into authoritarianism, which is why we strongly oppose the hostile environment that is being used to persecute, marginalise and scapegoat refugees, and instead say ‘Wherever you’re from, however you got here, all refugees are welcome’.”
