Words have been compared to many things.

They can be as addictive and mind-altering as drugs. As dangerous as a loaded weapon. As powerful as a spell.

The words we choose have the power to heal and to harm. They can unite communities behind a common purpose or divide them against themselves. They can build understanding or fuel fear.

In the wake of the tragic events in Northern Ireland, Southampton, and elsewhere, we have seen the consequences of language used carelessly, irresponsibly, or deliberately to inflame tensions. Families have been driven from their homes. Communities forced to live in fear. Police officers injured. Violence that has spread far beyond the actions of any one individual.

One of the most important lessons from these events is a simple one: we cannot make entire communities responsible for the actions of individuals.

When a crime is committed, responsibility belongs to the person who committed it. Not to everyone who shares their nationality, ethnicity, religion, migration status, or skin colour.

That principle should not be controversial. Yet it is too often forgotten.

Nobody is immune from national events. City of Sanctuary Sheffield recently attracted the attention of some commentators seeking to draw links between our work and recent events in the UK. At issue was our support for a university event aimed at raising awareness of the ongoing civil war in Sudan and expressing solidarity with those affected.

Absent from this commentary was any acknowledgement of the purpose of the event, or the impact of the civil war on the Sudanese people themselves: hundreds of thousands of lives lost; communities devastated by violence; the rape and torture of men, women, and children; millions more forced to flee their homes in search of safety.

Words matter not only because of what they reveal, but also because of what they hide.

The problem with the term “illegal immigrant”

Few phrases demonstrate this better than the term “illegal immigrant”.

The phrase is powerful because it immediately suggests criminality. It implies someone is breaking the law, flouting the rules, or acting outside acceptable norms.

But language can obscure as much as it reveals.

The first thing we must remember is that claiming asylum is not illegal. It is a legal right recognised under the 1951 Refugee Convention. If a British citizen facing conflict, persecution, or violence is forced to seek protection abroad, they would rely on this same right to find safety for themselves and their family.

The second thing we must understand is that there are currently no visa routes allowing someone to travel to the UK to claim asylum. In general, a person must be in the UK or at the border before they can make an asylum claim.

This means many people must arrive through what is often described as an “irregular route”. That journey may be by boat, train, lorry, or plane, but the fact remains the same: seeking asylum is a legal right under international law.

Describing people who are exercising a legal right as “illegal” is not only inaccurate. It risks stripping away their humanity and reducing complex human lives to a political label.

People may have different views about immigration policy, border management, or how asylum systems should operate. Those are legitimate democratic debates. But those debates should begin with facts, not labels.

Understanding the terminology

Part of the challenge is that terms such as migrant, asylum seeker, and refugee are often used interchangeably, even though they mean different things.

A migrant is simply someone who changes their country of usual residence, regardless of the reason.

An asylum seeker is someone who has left their country and is asking another country for protection because they have a well-founded fear of persecution based on factors such as race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a particular social group. Their claim is still being assessed.

A refugee is someone whose asylum claim has been accepted and who has been granted protection because that fear of persecution has been recognised as credible.

At City of Sanctuary Sheffield, we prefer to use the phrases people seeking asylum or people seeking sanctuary.

We do this deliberately.

These phrases put the person first. They remind us that we are not talking about statistics, headlines, or political abstractions. We are talking about human beings. Friends. Neighbours. Colleagues. Parents. Children.

When we put people first, it becomes harder to divide communities and easier to build understanding.

Whose responsibility is it?

It is tempting to blame the confusion in the area on the public. But we are all responsible for the language we use.

The media has a responsibility to report accurately. Politicians have a responsibility to speak with care and to report the facts honestly. Community leaders have a responsibility to challenge misinformation. And each of us has a responsibility to think critically about the words we repeat.

Language can create distance between people. It can make others feel unwelcome, excluded, or feared.

But it can also do the opposite.

It can remind us of our shared humanity. Helping us to build bridges rather than barriers.

When tragic events occur, the words we use hold particular force. They can encourage us to focus on the facts of a crime, or the background of the person who committed it. They can focus attention on the individual, or stereotype a whole community.

This is why we must choose them carefully.

Why words matter

This is not an argument about political correctness. Nobody should feel afraid to express an opinion simply because they might inadvertently choose the wrong word.

It is an argument about accuracy, fairness, and humanity.

The people we work alongside every day show remarkable resilience. Many have survived experiences most of us can barely imagine. Despite facing hostility, uncertainty, and misunderstanding, they continue to contribute to our city and our communities.

Sheffield is stronger when everyone who lives here feels safe, welcome, and able to participate fully in civic life.

Words alone cannot create this future, but they can encourage the positive action and solidarity we need to make it a reality.

If words can be used as weapons to harm, they can also be used to disarm and heal.

This article is based on BBC Radio Sheffield interview with Tom Martin, Executive Director of City of Sanctuary Sheffield on 10/06/2025. To listen to the full interview, please visit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002x509