Blogs

Trip to Houses of Parliament

March 11, 2026

By Joe Rinvolucri, Refugee Lodgings Coordinator

On the 4^th February, three of our former lodgers, Weyne, Akram and Ibrahim, went on a trip to the Houses of Parliament. They had been invited there as part of an event held by SOAS university, who were presenting findings on a recent research project titled Refugee Housing and Homelessness: Scoping Local Authority responses to newly granted refugees not in priority need . The research focused on the challenges facing refugees who have recently been granted status and are looking for somewhere to live.

Weyne, Akram and Ibrahim have all directly experienced the challenge of finding somewhere to live under pressurised circumstances. They are now all in stable, long-term accommodation, and recently had a pivotal role in the making of a Housing Justice video designed to help newly granted refugees navigate the housing landscape. It was vital they were a part of the conversation, and we are very grateful to SOAS for inviting us to the event!

Weyne described the experience as the “best trip ever”. It was made particularly special by the fact before attending the event, we were able to visit the public viewing gallery of the House of Commons and witness a live debate. A very kind member of staff described to us the history of the houses of Lords and Commons, and shared some very useful tips for lobbying MPs. Ibrahim described the experience of seeing “democracy live in action” as “incredible”.

The event was chaired by John McDonnell MP and featured a speech from Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP. Members of the panel also included the CEO of St Mungos Emma Haddad, and an individual who had been supported by St Mungos and had directly experienced much of what the report spoke of. It was an insightful discussion, with a common feeling that more can be done amongst MPs to raise awareness of this issue and provoke policy change. Removing the 28-day move on period from asylum accommodation was one of the key policy changes discussed.

After the event, Weyne, Akram and Ibrahim had a fruitful discussion with John McDonnell MP. For Akram, it was a fantastic opportunity to meet with a member of the current government: “It was a great opportunity to meet new people and speak with John, it was a very inspiring and memorable experience and I’m very grateful I had a chance to be part of it. What really stood out to me was how seriously they listened to us visitors whenever someone asked a question, they answered it clearly and respectfully, if someone wasn’t sure about an answer, they wrote it down so they could follow it up later. That really showed me how committed they are to helping people and finding answers”.

Reflecting on the experience, Akram spoke about the importance of feeling heard in society: “I feel there are real opportunities for people to share their opinions and experiences. Even though I am not a British citizen, I still felt welcome and able to discuss issues and things I have personally experienced. For me that truly showed how democracy and freedom of speech works in practice”.