asylum seekers, sanctuary and faiths loughborough council of faiths, agm

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Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM.

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Page 1: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths

Loughborough Council of Faiths,AGM.

Page 2: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

Not all immigrants are asylum seekers

• Students• Economic migrants from within the EU• Economic migrants from outside the EU who come to

work in this country and have a job to go to and permission to work• “Illegal immigrants” who come here to work but do not

have permission to do so• Family members of people already here• Asylum seekers and refugees

Page 3: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

A refugee is a person who:

'owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of

race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion,

is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country'

Article 1, 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees

 

Page 4: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM
Page 5: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

MAIN DESTINATIONSWhen refugees flee their own countries, most wind up with their immediate neighbours, often some of the world’s poorer nations.

Page 6: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

SYRIAN DISPLACEMENTAbout 11.6 million Syrians have been displaced, nearly half of Syria’s entire population. Most of them are scattered within Syria, but 3.9 million were living abroad by the end of 2014 – nearly all of them in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.

Page 7: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

Despite the drama of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe, most Africans displaced by conflict stay in Africa.

Page 8: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM
Page 9: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM
Page 10: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM
Page 11: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

Asylum seekers get a bad press

Page 12: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

Britain Is The Asylum Capital Of The World”

• MYTH: British people believe that on average the UK has 23% of the world’s refugees

• FACT: The UK houses less than 2% of the world’s refugees

• Two thirds of the world’s refugees live in developing countries

• In 2008 the UK ranked 17th in the league table of industrialised countries for the number of asylum applicants per head of population (less than 2% of the total)

Page 13: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

Asylum Seekers Are Mainly Illegal

• MYTH: People seeking asylum do so under illegal means

• FACT: There is no such thing as an illegal asylum seeker

• The UK signed the 1951 Convention on Refugees giving anyone the right to apply for asylum in the UK and stay here until a final decision has been made on their application

Page 14: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

Asylum Seekers Abuse The Welfare System

• MYTH: Asylum seekers receive large benefits

• FACT: Asylum seekers aren’t allowed to claim many types of benefit• A lone parent asylum seeker will receive £43.94 per week• A single person (not parent) will receive £36.95 per week.

• FACT: This is 50% below the UK poverty line

Page 15: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

Asylum Seekers & Migrants Cause Crime

• MYTH: Reports in newspapers have implied that asylum seekers and refugees are more likely to cause crime

• FACT: A report by the Association of Chief Police Officers stated that the “vast majority of people seeking asylum are law abiding citizens”

• Asylum seekers are more likely to be the victims of crime than the perpetrators

• A report by Refugee Action stated that one in five of their clients experienced some sort of harassment

Page 16: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

Asylum Seekers Cause The Shortage Of Housing In The UK

MYTH: Asylum seekers take all the affordable housing

FACT: This problem is not caused by asylum seekers

Asylum seekers are housed in hard to let private accommodation which is often substandard

Many asylum seekers are destitute and homeless.

If every asylum seeker left the UK there would still be a shortage of housing

Page 17: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

What about detention?

• In the UK, 30,00+ asylum seekers are held in immigration detention centres each year.

• Under the Detained Fast Track (DFT), asylum seekers are detained for the duration of their application and appeal.

• As a principle, UNHCR opposes the detention of people seeking asylum, and calls for the use of alternatives wherever possible.

• In 2012, 222 children were detained in immigration removal centres, with 156 being under the age of 11.

(Source: Home Office Immigration Statistics April - June 2013)

Page 18: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

Core Principles of City of Sanctuary

• Mainstream, grassroots movement – all sectors involved• Building bridges between ‘local people’ and refugees• Strengthening and broadening the support base for

asylum seekers and refugees• Helping create a culture of hospitality and welcome• Celebrating the contribution of refugees to society• Creating and enhancing networks between key players

www.cityofsanctuary.org

Page 19: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

Streams of Sanctuary

• Faiths• Health• Welcome• Maternity • Schools• Arts • Women, LGBT, Sports, ESOL, Destitution, Detention, etc.

Page 20: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

Sanctuary and Faiths

Welcoming the stranger – a tenet of all faith groups

Page 21: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

6th Century Irish HymnI saw a stranger yestereen

I put food in the eating placeDrink in the drinking placeMusic in the listening place

And in the sacred name of the TriuneHe blessed myself and my house

My cattle and my dear onesAnd the lark said in her song

Often, often, oftenGoes the Christ in the stranger’s guise

Page 22: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

“Why should we love the stranger? Because God loves the stranger – and remember, you were

strangers in Egypt.”

Deuteronomy 10:19

“I was a stranger and you welcomed me…Truly I tell you, just as you did this to the least of my brothers, … you did it to me”

Matthew 25: 35,40

Page 23: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

“Do good - to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbours who are near, neighbours who are strangers, the companion by your side, the wayfarer.“

Quran 4:36

Page 24: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

Jewish:

“You shall also love the stranger”.

Deuteronomy 10:9No other command is repeated more than this one.

Page 25: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

Bahai: “Be kind to strangers, help to make them feel at home.”

Hinduism:“God resides in all human beings. To welcome a guest therefore is to also welcome God. All guests to be welcomed with the same respect that you offer to God.”

Page 26: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

What can a Faith Group do?

oWelcome without discriminationoOpen eyes to see their ‘neighbour’oTeach sanctuary principles (See Sanctuary Sunday and other resources) oAwareness raising on asylum issuesoShare resources (people, space, finance)oUse existing structures (small groups, festivals) to practice hospitality

and inclusivenessoLobby on issues of justice and human rightsoPractical examples of welcoming (see separate leaflet) oEncourage members to volunteer and get involvedoYou can apply for a Sanctuary Award

Page 27: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

Faiths in Sanctuary Awards Three Core Principles

Learn about what it means to be seeking sanctuary

Embed - take positive action to make welcome and inclusion part of the values of your church/faith group, to support sanctuary seekers and refugees, and to include them in your activities

Share your vision and achievements

Page 28: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

What does City of Sanctuary do in Leicester?

• Welcome and orientation • Drop-in for hot lunch and social activities• English classes • Sewing group • Access to IT and learning• Art classes via Leicester ArtZone • Bicycle loans in partnership with Red Cross • Outings and other activities • Shopping buddy scheme • Appealing for items of need• Advocacy and Referral• New Evidence Search Team • Awareness Raising

Page 29: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

“Until we discovered Leicester City of Sanctuary we were depressed, we didn’t know what to do,

we stayed at home all day.”

Page 30: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

What do we do in Loughborough?

Page 31: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

Refugees are ordinary people caught up in extraordinary situations. Peel back the label and you find people like you and me with gifts and talents, willing to work and contribute to our society - if we just give them a chance

Page 32: Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary and Faiths Loughborough Council of Faiths, AGM

Questions?