What is Just Citizens?

Just Citizens is launching a new campaign, making the case for fairer citizenship in Scotland for all, regardless of immigration status.

The project – which is co-ordinated by legal firm JustRight Scotland – calls for Scotland to rethink citizenship in a more inclusive way.

Just Citizens is inspired by the Sanctuary Cities movement of US cities like San Franciso, which passed local laws to protect migrants against hostile federal ones.

It aims to show that though immigration is devolved, there is lots that Scotland can do to ensure everyone living in Scotland has the right to belong, including EU citizens, refugees, asylum seekers and migrants from many other backgrounds, as well as native Scots.

Just Citizens looks to harness the legal, policy, campaigning and communications expertise of our small team and explore what a fairer, more equal approach to citizenship might look like in Scotland.

Policy work has so far centred around raising the rights of migrants in the midst of covid-19, as well as supporting the successful campaign on the right for asylum seekers to vote led by Scottish Refugee Council, Maryhill Integration Network and others.

Ideas for future

Working with our newly appointed migrant advisory panel, this project is  amplify the voices of migrants themselves and help them advocate for the changes they want to see.

We’d love you to get involved – please get in touch.