Earlier this week, as I was doing some prep for my @CakeWatchCast debut, I realised that today would, for me, mark *1250 days* of public pro-EU campaigning - since the EUref obviously also against Brexit and for citizens' rights. That is a long time and worth some reflections. 1/ What many of you probably don't know as you weren't following me at the time: it all began with a focus on HE and academia as the first thing I did was set up a pro-EU group for Academics. 2/

.@sajidjavid told his story at #CPC18 and discussed the "word 'home'". Personal stories and home--both very important, yes. So I'm going to tell you mine @sajidjavid: my story as an EU migrant exercising freedom of movement and that of the place I considered my home, the UK. 1/ It's a story that according to you and @theresa_may shouldn't exist. Why? Because based on your immigration proposals the UK would not be my home. Had the rules you set out today existed when I was thinking of making the UK my home, I would not have been able to come. Because 2/

.@theresa_may So it’s freedom of movement and immigration again. Ok, but then let’s talk about what your words *really* mean.
➡️ This really means that 65 million Britons will lose the right to freedom of movement and if you want visa for us, they’ll have to have them too. 1/ ➡️ This really means that 65 million Britons, for the first time in decades, will not be able to freely choose where in 30 countries they want to live, work and love. 2/

I have long since expressed concerns about how migration is being taught at schools in the UK. This is from a Year 8 'knowledge organiser' used by an Academy; it confirms why there is every reason to be concerned.
[I am sharing this with permission from a pupil's parent]. 1/ Some parts of the organiser are ok -- it starts off, for example, with points about why migrants might leave their country of birth, referring to push and pull factors. But what follows then (the bit on the image above) is profoundly worrying and simply shocking. 2/

As promised, here is the link to 🔺Endangered Rights: The Impact of Brexit on EU Citizens🔺published with @FES_GB/@FESonline. If you want to help raise awareness RE the situation of @The3Million & @BritishInEurope, please read it and share it widely. library.fes.de/pdf-files/id/1… 1/ People often ask me what they can do to help: sharing this publication is one concrete step you can take. As it’s available electronically, it’s easy to do. You could email it to your MP, for example, and ask them to support the recommendation I make at the end. 2/

When I boarded the train to London early this morning I knew my day would be focused on the rights of @The3Million: today I am pleased to announce the publication of “Endangered Rights: The Impact of Brexit on EU Citizens” with @FES_GB.
Little did I know how topical I’d be!
1/ My thanks to @FES_GB for publishing this as part of its Perspective series to help raise awareness of the still unresolved #citizensrights concerns of @The3Million & @BritishInEurope. Thanks in particular to the Director of the FES London office, Christos Katsioulis. 2/

Since Cameron announced the EUref, many politicians, commentators and large parts of the press, have played with the lives of millions of EU27 citizens. Yet despite that, we are apparently wrong to take issue with a video game that places us into a ghetto post-Brexit. 1/ Wrong that we wonder why on earth @bbc would just go with that, happily tweeting that "the player tries to live as a European immigrant in a post-Brexit UK". Yes, trying to live ... that is what the 3.7 million of us are trying to do. Because this is our home, not a game. 2/

✖️After having been made a bargaining chip;
✖️After 818 days in limbo;
✖️After now being forced to apply to stay in my own home, having to get a special ID on a special register;
✖️After no-deal threats;
I truly thought I’d seen it all.
I was wrong.
#LivesAreNotAGame 1/ The most tragic bit is this on landlords. Because of the nature of settled status and the special ID we EU citizens will get, I am confident to predict now that discrimination re: renting will be significant. So this really won’t be a game: this will happen, I have no doubt. 2/

Today’s Migration Advisory Committee report, despite clear positives, isn’t just problematic for the sorts of simplifications and lack of care in parts of the report itself that I noted in my earlier thread, but also for what media have made of it.
Let’s have a look ⬇️ 1/ Here is what the MAC actually said about the future treatment of EU citizens. Please note that little word at the beginning ... “if” ... 2/

Some thoughts on the Migration Advisory Committee report:
Many positives in terms of evidence - though we already knew that from other studies - but a much less positive picture in terms of some conclusions (and what they will be used for by some). huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/eu-citiz… 1/ Overall, MAC report provides comprehensive evidence of the positive impact of immigration. It details, for example how EEA citizens contribute much more to the health service than they take out; highlights the fact that there is no link to increase in crime, unemployment etc; 2/

As we are awaiting the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) report publication, I am concerned that govt has already decided the framing of policies - just consider May's and Javid's comments of the last two days: the past obsessions with reducing numbers remain at the core. 1/ I also remain concerned about the overall work. The MAC's interim report was helpful, but the fundamentally flawed International Student Survey, and the handling of the fallout, raised serious questions about all other aspects of the MAC as well. timeshighereducation.com/blog/home-offi… 2/

What do you do? That is the subject line of this email / question in it I got today. It’s a good question.
——
So what do you do when this is an email you read first thing on Sunday morning? When you get one (often more than one) pretty much like this most days of the week? 1/ What do you do ...
When this is what the remainder of your Sunday looks like? 2/

I cannot overstate how angry reading this has made me. Not just because @Scotkraut is my friend and I care about her. No, it’s also because this is completely unnecessary. That the government of a European country is *choosing* to do this I will never be able to comprehend. 1/

https://twitter.com/Scotkraut/status/1040187579331751936

It’s irresponsible and Parliament should have done all it could have to stop getting to this point. It hasn’t. Neither has the opposition. Yes, @Conservatives have a long history of not caring about people. We know that. But what is being done here to millions of people, 2/

Let me tell you the story of when I first encountered someone who did experience suicidal thoughts @theresa_may. It was a few months ago when an EU citizen emailed me late one evening expressing them. This was someone I didn’t know. But yes, I asked them if they’re ok. 1/

https://twitter.com/theresa_may/status/1039118909738233856

In fact: I offered to talk to them and did so till 2:30am in the morning. I’m not a psychologist, but what was I supposed to do... Why was the person so distressed? Because their PR application had been rejected and they now feared for their future. Whether it’s suicidal 2/

After last night’s Beehive in Brussels I spent today on #EUcitizensChampion: awareness activity to give people a glimpse of who #The5Million of us @The3Million & @BritishInEurope are. Big thanks to the nearly 500 of you who contributed to my “secret survey” so I could do this! 1/ It might not look all that impressive once stuck together, but this is us ❤️ It takes a long time to write hundreds of post-its and I couldn’t have managed it at all without the help of @mccanntb — thanks so much! 2/

Over 10k people liked this tweet. But likes only go so far in helping us EU27 citizens in the UK. Fortunately it is really easy to take one more little step to do just that: all it takes is *YOU* becoming an #EUcitizensChampion for @The3Million
Go to ➡️ gofundme.com/eucitizenscham…

https://twitter.com/klaaswynne/status/1035951770432929792

Even just £1 from each of you 10k+ would make a real difference. Here is how: it would help fund the critical work of @The3Million, ensuring that no EU27 citizen is left behind because of Brexit. This work cannot be carried out without your help. eucitizenschampion.co.uk/details-on-pla… 2/

It’s back to the office for me tomorrow, and I think that’s true for many. What did you do this summer? Here’s the story of my summer: one of launching the #EUcitizensChampion campaign — and, sadly, also one of seeing EU citizen friends leave the UK.
twitter.com/i/moments/1030… 1/ If you haven’t become an #EUcitizensChampion yet, please consider doing so. Here’s why @davidschneider thinks it’s important.
To contribute to the fundraiser for @The3Million please visit
gofundme.com/eucitizenscham… 2/

This. Over and over again.
Regrettably, it’s only one issue on a still very long list of issues. From victim-blaming to the misogynistic abuse so many female voices against Brexit get daily, #MeToo has not changed attitudes enough yet. That is true especially on social media. 1/

https://twitter.com/scotonsunday/status/1036146746940960768

To illustrate: the fact that there’s a male blogger who thinks it’s ok to write this about me and publish it online—what am I “safe enough” from? And let’s be clear: if you mention “a vagina” in a conversation that is expressly about me, how many choices are there whose it is? 2/

I am sorry to hear about that, but making EU citizens lose rights *retroactively* will not help any other immigrant. All should be treated fairly and with respect. The root cause for all problems is the #HostileEnvironment and we need to stand against that together. 1/

https://twitter.com/MatthewPWoods/status/1035811817438814208

As for the other points you make I am afraid that they are simply not true. Thousands of EU citizens have already been deported; many more have had their PR applications rejected. We have to apply to stay in our own home. We are #800DaysInLimbo ... and counting. 2/

Ok, folks: there is clearly absolutely nothing more I can say or do. So I will leave you, for a while, with this piece I wrote - and a few PSs to it below.
vip.politicsmeanspolitics.com/2018/08/22/bei… 1/ Because no recording of my speech in Edinburgh has been shared, let me give you this. It's not exactly how I delivered it (the blue bit I definitely didn't say). But this is my speech. I would love to understand what on earth is such a crime about delivering this. ... 2/

What kind of Scotland do you want? Is it one where, for nearly four days, I get hate, insults and abuse thrown at me? Where 100s join the pile-on, demanding I explain and apologise for something I didn’t say. Where I now get defamed as dishonest and a coward? 1/

https://twitter.com/Jeggit/status/1032145389154131974

Where this blogger first writes a piece on me implying I said something I didn’t say, using an image of me he has no permission to use. Where he proceeds to call me dishonest and a coward because I decided to block him after he made reference to my vagina and migrant status. 2/