---
title: Freedom From Torture
date: 2023-05-11T16:22:11Z
modified: 2025-04-22T15:56:15Z
permalink: "https://forwardaction.uk/casestory/freedom-from-torture/"
type: casestudy
status: publish
excerpt: ""
wpid: 1668
tags:
  - Campaigning
  - Creative
  - Grow your audience
  - Testing + Optimisation
featured_image: /wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Untitled-design_3.png
timestamp: 2025-04-22T15:56:15Z
---

#### The 30 second read:

Freedom From Torture needed to quickly build a powerful campaign to stop the UK government deporting refugees to Rwanda. Using our handraiser model, they recruited thousands of people who helped pressure an airline to quit the scheme – a huge win.

#### The longer read:

##### The challenge

When the UK government announced its flagship policy of deporting refugees to Rwanda, Freedom From Torture had to act fast to block it. This meant **rapidly recruiting supporters** **who would be prepared to take high bar campaigning actions** to stop the Rwanda plan.

##### What we did and why

We were already bringing in new Freedom From Torture supporters at a low cost using our [handraiser recruitment model](http://forwardaction.uk/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/post/forward-action-masterclass-how-to-grow-your-email-list.md), with headlines themed around the Human Rights Act.

Following the same successful structure, **we quickly launched an open letter to Boris Johnson opposing the Rwanda plan**, promoted via social media ads. We then did a few key things to maximise its success:

- **Content:** We kept the post-signing journey and welcome emails focused on the government’s anti-refugee agenda. This enabled us to engage people who were passionate about the issue and prepare them for the campaigning asks that would follow.
- **Relevance:** With the political landscape changing rapidly, we regularly adjusted copy and images – both in ads and on the page – to reflect what people would be seeing in the news and in Freedom From Torture’s (often viral) social media posts.
- **Testing:** We also ran A/B tests to find the most effective copy and images, balancing this with the need to change content to keep things topical.
- **Monitoring:** We kept our two existing handraisers running, monitoring leads and donations and allocating our ads budget accordingly, so we could keep cost per acquisition low.

##### The impact

With thousands of new supporters who opposed the Rwanda plan, the Freedom From Torture team was able to **use this amazing people power to drive their campaign to stop the flights.**

They launched [a series of high impact actions](https://www.freedomfromtorture.org/news/we-did-it-privilege-style-pulls-out-of-rwanda-scheme) asking people to pressure Privilege Style, the airline lined up to deport the first refugees, to drop its contract with the UK government:

- 16,000 people emailed Privilege Style
- thousands called them out on social media and hundreds phoned them up
- 10,000 people signed an open letter to stop sports teams using the airline.

[And it worked](https://twitter.com/freefromtorture/status/1535297978805764101)! On 21 October 2022, **Privilege Style said it would not fly refugees to Rwanda.**

The wider picture is worth celebrating too. In 2022, our three handraisers brought in **46,000 new email supporters** with a **cost per acquisition of £0.58** and a **lifetime return on ad spend of £2.12.**

This growth has helped Freedom From Torture build **a truly powerful and passionate opposition movement** that’s ready to keep challenging anti-refugee policy into the future.

## Topics

**Tags:** [Campaigning](http://forwardaction.uk/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/campaigning.md), [Creative](http://forwardaction.uk/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/creative.md), [Grow your audience](http://forwardaction.uk/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/grow-your-audience.md), [Testing + Optimisation](http://forwardaction.uk/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/testing-optimisation.md)