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We took part in #RefugeeWeek2021. Read more below to find out about what went on in the week.
This year we decided on highlighting the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers such as:
How the government is failing to provide safe accommodation in the UK.
Future govt plans that will undermine the right to protect refugees.
Campaigns that we support and how you can also get involved.
Across the week we shared 3 case studies from our Housing & Social Welfare Solicitor Siobhan. The cases studies are deeply concerning and highlight the ways in which Asylum seekers and refugees in the country are being put into accommodation that simply isn't suitable.
You can read these case studies by clicking on the flyers below or via the links beneath.
Case Studies in PDF format.
Campaigns.
Our organisation has been involved in a number of campaigns that seek to improve the conditions that asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrations.
The first of these is the Together With Refugee's Campaign.
There are over 200 other organisations who have got involved with the campaign. We are calling for an approach that means:
People can seek safety in the UK, no matter how they came here.
People can live in dignity while they wait to hear if they will be granted protection.
A kinder, fairer and more efficient system to decide whether people will be granted protection
Refugees and their local communities can build better futures together, with proper support for local councils to do this.
The UK working with other countries to do our bit to help people who are forced to flee their homes.
You can show your support by using the #TogetherWithRefugees hashtag on social media or by joining the coalition via the link below:
Praxis - Living With Dignity.
With a group of people with lived experience of the immigration system, Praxis are campaigning to put an end to No Recourse to Public Funds policy to ensure everyone has access to a safety net when they’re in crisis.
No Recourse to Public Funds actively pushes migrants, asylum seekers and refugees into poverty and destitution due to the lack of access to public funds. Without this, these groups are left with no support to afford basics such as housing, fuel and food.
You can find out more about the campaign and further information how #NRPF acts as a discriminatory policy against these groups via their website:
Positive Action in Housing - Aspen Card Crisis.
This campaign seeks to raise questions over the recent aspen card crisis where by asylum seekers where left without access to money in order to buy basics and food due to a change over in government contractors.
The Home Office seeks to minimise the crisis by stating the glitch only lasted for a few days however, this is not the case and the problems with the cards have been ongoing for 3 weeks.
Charitable organisation have been left to overcome the crisis by providing emergency packages to families containing food and other essentials.
If you'd also like to demand action from the home office you can do so via the link below:
Housing Support for asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrant from VCLIC.
We also want to raise awareness surrounding our housing service which provides advice and representation to asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants as well as persons with No Recourse to Public Funds.
You can find out more about this service on our website via our housing service page below.
If you are in need of asylum and immigration advice in Liverpool please click here to see a current list of all immigration providers in the city.
'Ask the Lawyer Session'
Earlier in the week our Housing and Social Welfare Solicitor Siobhan, took part in an ask the lawyer session, where by different sectors across the city could learn more about the law surrounding housing and how this affects asylum seekers, vulnerable migrants and refugees. The event was put on by the Our Liverpool project as well as Red Cross North West.
The session was a great success and Siobhan received the following feedback:
"Thanks so much to you, Phillip and Siobhan for this morning's session, it was incredibly useful. Siobhan's knowledge and wealth of experience is just phenomenal. Hopefully one day we'll have an equivalent in Preston!"
If you also wish to support the work that we do you can set up a regular donation which will help to continue to provide these services for asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrations via our PayPal button below.
Lastly, we wanted to share this video of the Year Three class at Pheonix Primary School, Liverpool, where the whole school has been learning 'You'll Never Walk Alone' as part of refugee week.
It certainly filled our hearts full of hope and we hope it does to you too.
