Our Response to the Far Right Protests
Last night White Rose Visas were targeted by the far right, choosing to use us as a focus for their hatred and violence in Sheffield.
The initial message inciting the disorder said “They won’t stop coming until you tell them…No more immigration”. Having previously targeted hotels which house asylum seekers, now the focus is on legal professionals in an ongoing attempt to intimidate and scare.
We are a small family run business at White Rose Visas, with just 14 members in our team. We are so proud of what we do here. We help to fill critical gaps in the job market by bringing doctors, dentists, care workers and vets to work in the UK. We reunite families who happen to have different nationalities. We assist international students to come to the UK, shoring up higher education by paying international rates of university fees. We help sufferers of domestic violence, ensuring they can remain in the UK to live without fear.
The far right protesters had planned to attack White Rose Visas, and other immigration services around the country, at 8pm on Wednesday evening (yesterday, as I write this). What actually happened was that thousands of counter-protesters, supporters, and community members, turned out to show the far right that they are not welcome in Sheffield: see the picture above.
Only a handful of far right supporters showed up, and given the numbers facing them, quickly left. We are immensely grateful to all those who turned up to counter-protest, and are so heartened to see that massive numbers of people are prepared to come out on to the streets to ensure that Sheffield and the UK remains welcoming and open, and to make sure that the lies of the far right have no place here.
We will keep doing what we love. Helping lawful migration, enabling the NHS and our care homes to function at their best. We will continue to protect the vulnerable, and keep campaigning for the rights of those who are not currently safe in their home countries.
The events of this week do not make us fearful. We will continue to help the people who need it, with more conviction now than ever before.
