The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has criticised the UK government’s anti-refugee bill calling it ‘a crude attempt to divide people’.

A spontaneously-called emergency demonstration is took place in Parliament Square on Monday evening at 6pm in opposition to the second reading of the Illegal Immigration Bill where attendees heard from a number of high profile speakers. 

‘Firefighting is above all a humanitarian job‘

Speaking ahead of the protest, FBU General Secretary Matt Wrack said: “The Illegal Immigration Bill is an inhumane piece of legislation which criminalises asylum seekers and violates the UK’s international obligations to refugees. 

“Firefighting is above all a humanitarian job. Our members do not ask to see people’s passports before rescuing them. 

“The government’s anti-migrant agenda is a crude attempt to divide people against each other. It is a threat not just to the human rights of refugees, but to all of us. While the government points at refugees, they want us to ignore the horrors that their policies have created for millions across the country. 

“Workers are tired of falling wages, neglected communities and crumbling public services. The answer to these very real problems is solidarity, public investment and decent pay – not cruel laws like this one.”