refugee action blog

Did you take part in World Food Night last week?  Hundreds of you did – and by doing so, you helped make a big difference to refugees and asylum seekers in the UK.  Want to find out how it went or who your donations will help?  Here’s a blog from Fundraising Manager Alison to tell you more…

Last Friday, hundreds of people up and down the country held World Food Night parties to raise awareness of the delicious culinary contributions of refugees and asylum seekers to Britain.  And they raised some serious dough to help some of society’s poorest people while doing it!

Celebrations happened from Plymouth to Perth, with people opening up their homes and welcoming in friends, neighbours and colleagues.  Lottie from London turned her lounge into a ‘pop-up restaurant’; Fran from Bristol cooked up a Ukrainian storm. At St Andrew’s Church in Southampton, more than 200 people from different communities shared dishes from all over the world, alongside a healthy dose of Sudanese tribal drumming.

Businesses leant their support, with restaurants in Birmingham, Leicester and London donating some of their profits on the night.  Bistro Noir in Liverpool even made a special World Food Night dish – lamb tagine – giving £10 to Refugee Action every time it was ordered. 

Professional chefs helped too.  Masterchef: The Professionals winner Claire Lara, who runs the restaurant at The Riverhill Hotel, judged the best dish at a lunch hosted by Liverpool Innovation Park.  Paul Merrett opened his restaurant especially for a World Food Brunch.  Levi Roots chatted to newspaper The Voice about why influences from around the world make British cuisine so exciting.  And on a musical tip, we had support from musicians Adjoa Owusu and Usifu Jalloh, and lots of help from our friends at Songlines Magazine.

It’s been great to hear about the fantastic dishes you cooked on the night – from Indian paneer tikka masala to Sudanese salad.  Most popular at my World Food Night was this Syrian cherry kebab dish with pomegranate molasses.  But more than that, World Food Night felt like a moment when a small yet mighty group of people came together to shine a light on the incredible influences of food and music that refugees and asylum seekers have given to our communities. It was so refreshing to see people coming together in a moment of unity… and all through eating!

Amidst all the fun, I was reminded of the real reason for World Food Night by something Maryann, an asylum seeker I once met said, after she was given a roof over her head by Refugee Action. ‘I cannot describe what it meant to me to have a bed, to have somewhere to cook and to be able to see a lawyer to help with my asylum claim’. So it’s not just about cooking food or having fun with friends: it’s about giving dignity back to people who deserve it.

So THANK YOU – to everyone who took part. We’re hoping to raise £20,000 from this event, to help destitute asylum seekers like Maryann, those who don’t have access to shelter or food or any financial support. To make sure we are really cooking up a recipe for change, so please send your donations in using the donation form and envelope in your pack, or by paying them in online here.

Born in Kamakwie, Sierra Leone, Usifu Jalloh is a storytelling performer and musician living in the UK. He plays the Djembe drum and Kongoma thumb piano, and leads drumming and dance workshops across the country. Recently, Jalloh made two short films about refugees, including the award-winning Journeyman and Reel Lives Sierra Leone; an educational DVD on traditional practices in Sierra Leone for schools. He has also co-published an epic play ‘Sweet Peter’ representing the experience of slavery, colonialism and war in Sierra Leone. In support of World Food Night, he shares his thoughts on the role that food and music play in strengthening human bonds, and why migration has had a positive impact on the culinary traditions of the UK:

‘My favourite dish varies on the season but on the whole I like lots of vegetables and fish. In Sierra Leone my favourite food was Kreyn Kreyn, which is like spinach, served with rice. It’s best eaten during the rainy season when the weather is a bit cooler and it can be served with a chunk of barracuda and fresh palm oil. One of the things I miss from Sierra Leone is the traditional food, like chilly hot cassava leaves or ground nut soup.

Food reflects a person’s cultural identity and I think the saying that you are what you eat is universally true. Different nationalities and ethnic groups within Sierra Leone have their own types of food for different occasions. For example, nomadic and pastoralist people will eat Fulla (peanut stew with beef and millet) during public holidays. The Temne – a vibrant people who are mostly farmers, fishermen and traders – will cook cassava leaves. The Creoles will have jollof rice (rice cooked with tomato puree, vegetables, beef or pork) and the Mende eat Gbe Gbe (frogs) as a delicacy. In fact, the Limba people say that Kanu Masala (God) gave man the two things that they needed; palm wine and rice. It shows how powerful the relationship between food and identity is.

I believe that the sharing of food is an integral part of upholding of the values of a civilised nation; those of respect and honour. There are many sharing rituals in Sierra Leone. Firstly, it is common place for people to all share food from one big bowl. When this happens, the youngest of the group will hold the bowl with their left hand while they eat. You are only allowed to eat with your right hand as a sign of respect and for hygienic reasons. If there is meat or fish the elders are the ones to share it. This helps maintain a social order. Food sharing is also a way of keeping strong ties with families and neighbours and our ancestors. Every New Year’s Day food is also offered to the ancestors and also during the 40th day ceremony of a deceased person.

Migration has definitely had a positive impact on the culinary traditions of the UK too. Food has made communities come closer, share common ground and accept differences. This is evident when one sees the large number of restaurants serving food from a number of countries all around the world. Being in London has introduced me to a variety of food that I would otherwise not have seen or tasted. Food brings life and joy to people around the world. Life is rhythm. Life expresses its joy through rhythm. There is no better way to celebrate food as far as life is concerned, than by the display of rhythm’.

Last week we put out an urgent appeal for warm clothing donations in Manchester.  And the people of Manchester did us proud!  More than 130 of you shared the appeal on Twitter; others asked their colleagues to help; and as a result, we’ve been receiving donations all week.  Thank you everyone!

This week we’ve asked Mary, who manages our asylum advice team in Manchester, to explain about how your donations will help people – and why people in Manchester become destitute in the first place.

Asylum seekers and refugees in Manchester become destitute for different reasons.   Some have been destitute for a long time because their asylum claim has been refused.  They’ve often been homeless and vulnerable for a long time, but are too afraid to return home.  Imagine if all you could think about is where you were going to sleep tonight, or where your next meal is coming from? It would be hard to think about your future, and particularly the legal complexities of an asylum process. This is what happens to asylum seekers on the streets of Manchester.

Others have recently been refused, which means their asylum support has been stopped.  While there is some support available to people (to stop them becoming homeless while they decide on their next steps) they often don’t know how to access it.  If they do, due to all the administration, it can still take several weeks for them to receive a decision on their support application.  It then takes even longer for each person to be found somewhere to stay.   And some are unfairly left without support because of incorrect decisions by the UKBA. 

These problems also affect those with refugee status.  Many new refugees experience delays and difficulties getting the paperwork they need to transfer from asylum support to mainstream benefits.  After receiving refugee status, they only have 28 days to leave their accommodation and find other ways to support themselves.  For people who’ve experienced violence and trauma, who are in a new place and who often don’t speak English, this is really difficult.

Refugee Action sees many destitute men, women and children at our asylum advice drop-in session.   Each week, we see more than fifty people, half of whom are facing or experiencing destitution.  Destitution leaves them at risk of homelessness, unable to buy food or other essentials, and especially unable to afford warm clothes for them and their families.    Some destitute people become street homeless – just this week I’ve met people who have been sleeping in parks and bus shelters through the winter.  Others are able to stay at a winter night shelter, but have to leave early in the morning and spend all day out in the cold.  Warm clothes make a real difference to all of these people.

It’s been fantastic to be able to give out your donations of warm clothes this week.  But we also help destitute people in other ways.  Destitution means people can’t afford a cup of tea, a hot meal, or important travel expenses – like travelling to a night shelter or a solicitor’s appointment.  So we have a destitution fund which makes sure people who need help with these expenses can get it.  Refugee Action’s World Food Night raises the money that goes into this fund, so if you’d like to do something more to help destitute people, please sign up for a fundraising pack at www.worldfoodnight.org.uk.

Refugee Action’s Greater Manchester team urgently need donations of warm coats, gloves, scarves and hats for asylum seekers who are destitute this winter.  Can you help? 

Here’s a blog post from Deborah, a social work student on placement with our Asylum Advice team, explaining why these donations are needed:

“The Greater Manchester team run an asylum advice drop-in session every Wednesday.  Many of the people who come in are destitute asylum seekers.  They have little or no income, and can’t afford to buy things like warm clothing for the winter. 

Last Wednesday, we set up a free “shop” to distribute donations of clothing and toys, hoping to provide some extra warmth this winter.  Many of the people at the drop-in that day urgently needed warmer clothes for them and their children, so we had a lot of interest.  A older gentleman was able to pick out some jeans.  He was so pleased with them, he told us we were “sent from God, angels”.  Another man was able to find babygrows for his three month old child.  It made us think about all the times we had thrown away clothes in the past, and how helpful these could have been to others.

A smile came across the face of every person that walked into our “shop” but the biggest smile was from a mother with a one year old baby who we gave a toy too. The mother smiled when picking out the clothes but when I gave her the toy, she was overjoyed. When you are destitute, food and clothing are be your first priority, toys last. My heart melted seeing the little girl’s face light up when I gave her the toy.

But on the other hand, many people asked us for hats and gloves and unfortunately we had none to give.   We’ve been able to buy a few pairs using money raised by Refugee Action supporters, but it’s not enough.  Warm coats are always needed too, but even secondhand they can be expensive.  If you have any good quality, warm winter clothes that you don’t need – especially hats, scarves and gloves – please consider donating them.”

It’s going to be really cold this week, so if you’re in Greater Manchester and you have any spare warm clothing, please bring it to Refugee Action’s regional office, Monday-Friday next week.  Thank you!

Do you think asylum seekers and refugees should be able to volunteer and give back to their communities?  We certainly do.  Here’s a post from Emma, our National Volunteer Coordinator, about how we’re helping asylum seekers to make a difference.

Many volunteers at Refugee Action are asylum seekers and refugees.  Earlier this year, when one of our volunteers was refused asylum, his regional UKBA team told him he had to stop volunteering.

The volunteer was devastated.  Coming each week to the office to help with admin was a vital part of his week, giving him social contact and a sense of purpose and worth.  He was a valuable part of our team and was making a very useful contribution to our work.

When we made enquiries about his situation, we discovered many others facing the same problem.   Volunteers up and down the country – who were helping at soup kitchens, charity shops, community events and activities – were all being told not to donate their unpaid, free time because they were refused asylum seekers.

We didn’t think this was fair.  So, in December, we wrote to the Home Office.  Supported by a number of other organisations, we asked them to clarify whether or not they had the legal authority to prevent refused asylum seekers from volunteering.

Why did we do this?  Because we see volunteering as essential to the wellbeing of individuals and their communities.  Volunteering is commonly defined as “an activity that involves spending time, unpaid, doing something that aims to benefit the environment or individuals or groups other than (or in addition to) close relatives”.  Being a volunteer transcends race, class, ethnicity or immigration status; lets people make a positive contribution to their communities; and gives them dignity, worth and self-respect.  All of these things are especially crucial to asylum seekers.

After receiving our letter, the Home Office responded positively. They clarified that they have no legal authority to prevent anyone from volunteering and would not pursue people or organisations in this matter.  They will also be looking at reviewing their guidance.  It’s a small but significant step in recognising the needs and humanity of people who seek safety in the UK.   And now we’re looking forward to continuing our work with these great volunteers in the future.

After a very windy and rainy party conference season, our Public Affairs & Communications Manager Carys has returned from Liberal Democrat and Labour conferences with a quick round up.

 In recent years, party conferences have been increasingly criticised by the media and the public. While the Liberal Democrats use their conference to vote on policy, questions have been raised about what the conferences are actually for. Are they a tool for politicians and their advisers to hear from their door knockers and leaflet droppers? Or have they become a networking opportunity for lobbyists and business?

While many charities have large lobbying budgets and can run a number of fringe events, stalls, receptions or dinners, many others, like Refugee Action, tend to use the conferences as a time saving device to meet with the most useful politicians to us. With a clear strategy of who you want to speak to, what you want to say and what you need to achieve, it’s possible to make the most of these quick meetings over coffee. Getting politicians to the seaside or ‘up north’, often provides a more informal atmosphere , encouraging frank and friendly discussions which might not take place in the confines of the Westminster bubble.

This year, I met with members of the Home Affairs Select Committee to talk about the possibility of an inquiry into asylum. Such an inquiry was launched back in September 2011, but with policing, riots and phone hacking all taking centre stage, the Committee’s attention has been diverted elsewhere. At the Labour conference I met with the Committee’s Chair,  Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP on Monday and caught up with Bridget Phillipson MP, a Committee member. Bridget has shown a consistent interest in asylum since her election. Last year, she visited our Fresh Start Project to meet destitute asylum seeking women.

At the meetings, I reiterated the need for the inquiry to happen and suggested the Committee look in particular at the end-to-end process, asylum support and routes of return. Refugee Action’s fairly new Policy Group really showed its worth here, as they had identified these key areas and supplied me with ample briefing on them too. This meant I could package a theme for the inquiry along the lines of initial decision making and sustainability of outcomes – how improvements could benefit asylum seekers and refugees – while of course mentioning the possibility of cost savings, which are key to government taking up any recommendations the Committee might make.

At the Lib Dem Conference, Julian Huppert MP (currently Chair of the All Party Parliamentary group on Refugees) assured me that he was committed to pushing for the inquiry within the Committee. With Keith Vaz also showing real interest, hopefully we can keep our fingers crossed that the inquiry announced  last September will finally come to fruition.  Once the inquiry has made recommendations, the government is obliged to consider those and respond, so it’s a great opportunity to influence policy and practice on behalf of asylum seekers and refugees.

Have you ever thought about doing a sponsored run in support of refugees?  Dedicated amateur runner Catherine Annabel raised more than £400 in last year’s Great Yorkshire Run, and this year she’s set to do ever better!  Taken from Catherine’s blog, here’s a guest post from her about why she’s proud to run for Refugee Action and why no challenge will stop her running.  If you’d like to run for us too, you can find out more here.

Those who’ve known me longest are the most surprised that I run – I spent most of my life strenuously avoiding unnecessary physical activity.  However, to my own surprise, I enjoy it.  It helps that where I live in Sheffield I can run for a few minutes from my home and find myself looking out over the lovely Rivelin valley, which lifts the spirits, even on a drizzly day.  On a sunny day, it makes me want to burst into song  (I don’t, as I’m usually too out of breath, and I don’t want to frighten the horses/dog walkers/other runners who are out there too).  On the flip side, you can’t run anywhere in Sheffield without having to deal with hills …

The Great Yorkshire Run is a great experience – there’s the full spectrum of runners, from the elite group (who were back across the finish line almost before my ‘wave’ set off) to unlikely runners like me.   I’m slow – though I get a tiny bit faster each time – which is fine, it’s a run and not a race, and I’m a middle-aged, traditionally built (thank you Alexander McCall Smith) woman, a pit pony rather than a gazelle.  But I keep going – once I start running I don’t stop, till I cross the finish line.

Last year I shaved 3 minutes of my previous year’s time (which itself was 10 minutes faster than I’d ever achieved in training).  When I’d slogged up the final cruelly steep hill a sudden spell of dizziness and breathlessness led to an ignominious journey on a golf cart to the medical tent.   This year, I’ve had back problems which stopped me training for a few weeks.  Despite that,  I’ll be doing the Great Yorkshire again this year, wearing the Refugee Action t-shirt.

Anyone who read my Refugee Week‘s worth of blogs about refugees will not be surprised at my choice of charity.  It’s really important to me how my country treats people who arrive here seeking sanctuary from persecution, violence and war.   My parents offered hospitality to Hungarian refugees after the uprising in 1956. Ten years later we found ourselves in northern Nigeria during the violence that preceded the civil war, when Igbo people were killed in their homes, on the streets, on the university campuses and in hospital wards.   Even those trying to escape from Nazi Europe often found their accounts of persecution doubted, and were unwelcome where they sought refuge.  You only have to read the reporting in many newspapers of any refugee issues to see how many half-truths and complete falsehoods are trotted out to bolster the view that we should send them all back (or at least send them somewhere else).  I know how much Refugee Action does to support these people, and to counter prejudice and misinformation, and I’m proud to be raising funds for this work.

So, if you feel as I do about the importance of this work, please sponsor me here.