An extremely successful workshop was held on Saturday 21 June as part of the Refugee Week events at the National Waterfront Museum, to launch the idea of Swansea becoming a 'City of Sanctuary'. 20 people attended and we had apologies and/or messages of support from a similar number. We had good press coverage:1 a column in the local South Wales Evening Post (which also covered Refugee Week well).
We got a write-up on the BBC website including a good interview with one of our refugee members.
Those present agreed to set up a Working Group to work towards meeting the criteria and becoming an official City of Sanctuary within one year (timetable to be confirmed). The first meeting was set for Tuesday 15 July between 5.30 and 7.30 p.m. (venue to be confirmed).
12 people volunteered to be on the Working Group, plus 4 of those who had given apologies. We also decided that at least the first Working Group meeting should be open to all who either attended the workshop or had responded to the circulated invitations - but it would not be an open public meeting. We noted that many of the suggested activities for a City of Sanctuary already take place in Swansea. However, the criteria are to some extent self-imposed. It will be up to our Working Group to set our own target for obtaining resolutions of support from a 'significant and representative proportion of local groups and organizations' and our own specific goals to be met which would add significantly to what is already happening in Swansea.
Most of the workshop was taken up in two subgroups brainstorming ideas for how 'City of Sanctuary' could make a difference in Swansea. Notes from these two groups will be posted separately.
We are off to a great start.
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Voluntary Hosting Scheme for Refused Asylum Seekers
VOLUNTARY HOSTING SCHEME FOR REFUSED ASYLUM SEEKERS - An INFORMAL WORKSHOP.
TUESDAY 10TH NOVEMBER at 7pm in COMMITTEE ROOM 2, 2nd FLOOR, CIVIC CENTRE(COUNTY HALL) SWANSEA.
This a workshop for people who are concerned about the fact that many
refused asylum seekers are destitute and homeless. We are hoping that you will come to help us with the design of a project that could help.
The voluntary hosting project is modeled on a number of successful schemes elsewhere in the UK. Through these schemes local people support destitute asylum seekers by:
. Offering temporary accommodation in their homes - e.g. for few
weeks or a few months, or even just a weekend.
. Offering support to "hosts" and "guests" by offering money
for the bus fares, food or offering meals to "guests"
. Helping to run the scheme itself
I am working part-time to pilot a Hosting Project in Swansea. We hope to get this up and running by January and the first stage is to meet sympathetic people, and discuss the rewards and challenges of being involved. There is absolutely no obligation to become involved in the eventual project if you come to the workshop
HOW WILL THE WORKSHOP BE RUN?
It will NOT be 'we are the experts, you are the audience' but more of an exchange of information and ideas, with some necessary information thrown in. It will be a good chance to find out more about the project, to meet people who have hosted informally and, we hope, to meet one or two people who have experienced destitution first hand. I've put some more information about destitution at the end of this email.
It will really help us to have your views and reactions. It is as important to us at this stage to talk with people who feel "this is not for me" as it is people who might be really keen. The workshop will help us to design the Swansea project and to write information and induction materials for potential hosts. We hope that people will feel inspired to tell others.
WHO IS THE SCHEME IN SWANSEA RUN BY?
The scheme is run by Cards, (CO-ORDINATED ACTION for the RELIEF of
DESTITUTION in SWANSEA), a Working-Group of the SWANSEA CITY OF SANCTUARY.
It is funded by a Relief Grant from Quaker Peace and Social Witness.
I do hope that you will come to the workshop - and tell others about it. If you are unable to come but might be interested in the scheme, do let me know, so that I can keep in touch.
If you want to know more about the Workshop before you decide whether to come or not, you can contact me on e-mail
d@undercurrents.org
I look forward to seeing you there.
D Murphy
Coordinator, City of Sanctuary/CARDS Pilot Hosting Scheme
ENFORCED DESTITUTION A FEW FACTS
When people are refused asylum they are often left completely destitute
through government asylum policy. They have no housing, no benefits and are not allowed to work. They often spend one night here and one night there sleeping on friends sofas or floors, and in the worst case are on the streets. In order to live they are often forced into exploitative and unregulated employment and are in constant fear of being found out.
People who have been refused are often in real danger if they go back to their own countries. Their cases may have failed because it is so
difficult to get professional legal advice, have found it impossible to
provide evidence of what has happened to them, or simply don't fall into
the right "category" to be accepted as an asylum seeker. The government is not in a position to deport everyone who has been refused - and in some cases recognizes that it is too dangerous to send people back - e.g. to Iran and Zimbabwe.