Migrants bike together at Edgbaston Reservoir to defy “hostile environment”

Local community groups joined city migrants for a bike ride in Birmingham over the weekend to show unity in the face of the “hostile environment” faced by refugees and asylum seekers in the region.

Citizen empowerment organisations Centrala and Migrant Voice organised a socially distanced community bike ride despite the downpour of rain on Saturday 3 October, in the hope of bringing communities together amid a climate of fear and suspicion around migration and migrants.

Held at Edgbaston Reservoir, the group braved wet weather to encourage solidarity building after reports of far-right groups targeting asylum seekers housed in hotels in the region.

Oksana Bischin, who organised the event, said: “We thought it would be a good idea for different people from different backgrounds to get together on a bike ride. I was not only out of my comfort zone riding in the rain, but I also had a go at doing press ups.”

Salman Mirza from Migrant Voice added: “Edgbaston Reservoir is one of the big bike ride hubs where people can get back in the saddle and fall in love with cycling again.”