Our friends @benandjerrysUK have caused a bit of a stir in the last couple of days for highlighting that no human is illegal. Here's a few reasons why we think @pritipatel should take them seriously.

In 2017, we worked with Ben & Jerry's to launch the Ice Academy programme. This programme has now supported 175 early-stage entrepreneurs across 4 European countries to access work and business support, reducing unemployment among graduates by 50%: .

The programme has helped to launch 18 new refugee-led businesses in the UK alone, including including OshPaz ( http://bit.ly/oshpazlondon ), @haven_coffee and 4 of the brands on Europe's first refugee-led brand collective  @AnqaCollective.

Ben & Jerries UK have provided support to the Lift The Ban coalition since 2018, which is 175 members strong and campaigns for lifting the ban that prevents people seeking safety in the UK from working:  http://bit.ly/lift_the_ban .

Ben & Jerries started the Business Refugee Action Network (BRAN) alongside @Virgin and @thebteamhq to bring together businesses across Europe to stand with refugees:  https://www.rescue-uk.org/Business .

At the first ever Global Refugee Forum in 2019, they came together in solidarity with refugees, urging companies, governments and international organisations to work together to do more: .

They've even made their ice cream flavours walk the talk. In the last two years they have released Cone Together and Spice & All Things N'Ice, some of the proceeds of which are used to support refugee entrepreneurs: 
http://bit.ly/Cone-Together  &  http://bit.ly/Spice-and-all .

These are just some of the ways that Ben & Jerry's are leading with their values and working to advance social equity for people seeking asylum and people who are refugees. That's quite a lot more than 'overpriced junk food'  @pritipatel.