I’m running the Hackney Half Marathon for the second time this year! 😱

This one feels different because I’ve personally experienced the hostile environment after my visa situation at the London School of Economics was mismanaged and handled negligently.

Like many migrant students, I felt the stress, uncertainty, and fear of having my life suddenly disrupted by decisions entirely outside my control. Right now, even more students are facing cruel, racist, discriminatory and unlawful visa bans that prevent them from pursuing their education in the UK.

Among them are Afghan women, whose futures are being blocked by the very country that once claimed to go to war to ‘save’ them. But, to quote Tiken Jah Fakoly in Plus rien ne m'étonne, they divided the world without asking us, without informing us.

I’m raising funds for Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID), a charity that has supported over 47,000 people to get out of immigration detention since 1999. They provide free legal advice and representation to people held indefinitely in detention, helping them exercise their right to liberty. Through their work, they’ve witnessed and challenged serious abuses of state power, including the kinds of mistakes we saw in the Windrush scandal.

And I’m resolved not only to engage with these issues through my research, but also to actively support organisations like BID. Right now, things are getting even harder. Under the current Keir Starmer Labour government, more restrictions and visa bans are pushing thousands of students into precarious situations. For some, this leads to detention. People are held indefinitely, separated from their loved ones, and left in constant uncertainty.

Running 13.1 miles is challenging, but it’s nothing compared to what people in detention endure every day. I will be thinking of them with every step I take.

I’m hoping to raise over £200 to support BID’s work. Any donation, big or small, will make a real difference. If you can’t donate, sharing this page would mean so much.

You can find out more about BID and immigration detention in the UK on their website: www.biduk.org

Thank you so much for your support 🦋🏃🏾💨