​The upcoming issue’s theme will be Migration: a topic that is often weaponised, distorted and manipulated by the ruling classes. There is a lack of an honest discussion about migration in the mainstream politics, and what serves as such discussion is, more often than not, reactive to whatever came out of the mouths of the likes of Nigel Farage or Tommy Robinson, pushing this discussion towards reactionary right wing views. With this issue, we aim to challenge this.

 

The stereotypical image of "the working class" in the UK as a white British man who is protecting "British values" against the "invading" migrants is a common trope in right-wing rhetoric, serving as a divide-and-rule measure. This saw its severe escalation last summer, when UK cities witnessed an explosion of racially motivated violence against those othered by it.

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Further, people with experience of migration often feel excluded from the class discourse in the UK. This was flagged up to us by the majority of people we interviewed as part of our research on the intersections of class, migration and activism in the UK, with class analysis described as something that migrants aren't particularly invited to contribute to. It is also a reflection of some more shameful parts of British trade union history and its former practices of exclusion and separation of migrants, and seeing migrant workers and people of color as competition for British-born white workers. Yet, in the UK and beyond, migrant people constitute a significant and ever-growing part of working-class people and those who experience poverty. The exclusion of migrant voices creates a blindspot in class analysis and is an obstacle to developing theories and practices in class struggle that are fit for the 21st century and that would be relevant and based in actual reality for as wide a part of the population as possible.

 

Migrants and people whom society assumes to be such are too often seen and discussed as a problem by different actors from across the political spectrum. They are talked over rather than talked with. They are stereotyped and vilified, sometimes fetishized — and their voices are often ignored. This needs to change.

 

For this issue, we particularly encourage contributions from people who have experienced migration, or who are perceived as such by society. However, we are also keen to feature texts from other working class and poor people—we are really interested to hear your thoughts on how the discourse around migration escalates in mainstream politics, your communities, and your lived experience.

 

We especially encourage submissions from those often excluded from class discourse in the UK. These groups include:

* Migrants and those who are perceived as such by the society
* Those for whom English is not their first language (we can arrange translations if needed)
* Members of the global majority
* Gender-oppressed people
* Disabled people
* People with no or limited education and writing experience

 

Additionally, we want to assure you that if you have never been published before, this will work to your advantage! As always, we welcome all levels of writing and language skills: if we think improvements are needed, we will work with you in a friendly, non-judgemental manner.

 

Some house rules:

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• Please send us your idea for a text before submitting it in full.

• Word count: 800 minimum, 2,400 maximum (with some flexibility either way). 
• Deadlines: Idea submission: Monday 21th April. If your idea was accepted, you will hear from us by Wednesday 23rd April. Full piece deadline: 16th May.
• The authors of published texts will be offered a small fee (£50).
• We no longer accept poetry

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All submissions and questions should be sent to editor@theclassworkproject.com