Closed petition: Government to use ‘Southwest Asia and North Africa' (SWANA) not Middle East

Closed on 24 April 2026

Government should stop using ‘Middle East’ in all its official business and communications. It is colonial, because it is 'Middle East' relative to Britain. We believe that Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) is decolonial, inclusive and a geographically accurate way of identifying the region.

The Government should lead in decolonising language it uses because if it changes, others may change by example. Language matters, because it influences how we think and conceptualise the world. With such turmoil in SWANA at present, it is more important than ever that language used is free from the colonial baggage of the past. Making this change could also demonstrate to everyone that the government and parliament acknowledge and distance themselves from the colonial mindsets of the past.