I Was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me

I WAS A STRANGER AND YOU WELCOMED ME

The Refugee crisis

We have all watched on our TV’s, the terrible suffering of people, families, young people, and unaccompanied children fleeing from their homes.

The numbers of people fleeing their home, their country, has accelerated to a level never seen before. In the past five years no fewer than 15 conflicts, some new, some old have brought unspeakable tragedy and misery to millions across the world. We are now witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record. 65.3 million People around the world have been forced from their home. Among them are nearly 21.3 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18; - many separated from their parents or travelling alone.

There are also 10 million stateless people who have been denied anationality and access to basic rights such as education, healthcare, employment and freedom of movement.

Refugees have been arriving in Europe over the past decade as a result of uprising and war in several countries across the Middle East and North Africa. The majority of these arrive in Greece and Italy. Germany is by far the most popular destination in Europe for asylum seekers and is also the European country that is taking the highest number of refugees.

33,972 people a day forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. 54% of refugees worldwide came from three countries – Somalia, Afghanistan and Syria.

Where the world’s displaced people are being hosted – 39% Middle East and North Africa, 29% Africa, 14% Asia and Pacific, 12% Americas, 6% Europe. Top hosting countries are: Turkey (2.5 m), Pakistan (1.6 m), Lebanon (1.1m), - (Lebanon has a population of 4.5m), Islamic Republic of Iran (979,400), Ethiopia (736,100), Jordan (664,100).

People are fleeing their countries of origin because they want safety and security; as well as conflict and direct persecution, the effects of poverty, inequality and discrimination are forcing people from their homes. People are so desperate they are forced to make illegal journeys and end up at the mercy of people smugglers. People are dying by making unsafe journeys across the Mediterranean. Reports suggest that more than 25,000 lives have been lost since 2,000. The UK and countries within the European Union need to introduce a system of humanitarian visa to help people fleeing violence and persecution to travel safely and legally to a country which will give them sanctuary. The introduction of humanitarian visas would mean that a person in need of sanctuary could apply for a visa in or near their home country, fly to the safe country that had offered the humanitarian visa legally and then apply for asylum on arrival. At the moment the paradoxical situationexists where people cannot claim asylum until they arrive in the safe country, but they are unable to travel legally to that country if they wish to seek asylum. A person wanting to seek asylum has to try and get a standard tourist visa which is virtually impossible as they need to prove their willingness and intention to return home.

The conflict in Syria has forced over 4 million to flee their country following bombing by government forces or the violence from militant groups such as Islamic State (Daesh). Another,6.5m people are internally displaced within Syria. It is estimated that 13.5m people are in need of humanitarian assistance, including 4.5m in hard –to - reach areas.

In September 2015, David Cameron made a commitment to provide resettlement in the UK for 20,000 Syrian refugees over a period of 5 years. One year later (3 Sept), Amber Rudd, announced that 20,000 homes have been found for the 20,000 Syrian refugees Cameron promised to resettle. Housing from a total of 118 local authorities under the Vulnerable Person Resettlement Scheme has been pledged. The latest figures show that 2,800 Syrians have so far arrived in the UK and are being housed in more than 100 local authority areas. The Home Office also announced a new £10million funding packageto boost English tuition for the refugees.Currently, the UK is admitting about 100 Syrian refugees per month.

The government has declined to opt into the EU quota system, but it should be recognised that the UK is one of the largest donors to the UN programme that provides for refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. The resettlement of 20,000 people over 5 years is a small number compared to the overall migration figures. It should not be assumed that refugees will be a ‘drain’ on the British economy: ultimately, migrants and refugees provide an overall benefit to the UK economy, boosting tax revenue and providing labour. Those gaining entry via the UK resettlement scheme will be particularly vulnerable and will be assessed as having good reason to need urgent resettlement. Currently, almost one in four of the world’s refugees are Syrian, and 95% of these are hosted in surrounding countries. Many remain close to Syria because they want to see a political settlement and return home as soon as it is safe to do so.

The UK has a legal duty to give asylum to those human beings who face violence and persecution and a moral duty to fulfil these duties to the best of its ability. The UK’s legal obligations to refugees exist beyond the confines of EU membership, most notably in the form of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. Article 14 recognises the ‘right of persons to seek asylum from persecution in other countries.’ As such, it is vital that the UK continues to live up to its legal and moral responsibilities to offer protection for refugees. In 2014, the UK was home to less than 1% of the world’s refugees.

The UK received only 38,878 applications for asylum in 2015. That might sound like a lot but it’s less than the population of Bath. Just 39% of asylum applications made during this year were granted at the initial stage. Many people are initially refused because it is difficult to provide the evidence needed to prove they are a refugee. When they get here, many face an uphill battle to be reunited with their families. That’s because refused family reunion cases have risen to 40% (up from 29% in 2014).Similarly, refugees are left destitute by bureaucratic delays with their claims. Without access to public funds, housing and legal employment, people are often exposed to homelessness, abuse and exploitation.

Call to transfer lone children to UKIn April this year, the UK bowed to pressure and agreed to work with theUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), to resettle children and adults from Middle East and North Africa (Mena). At that time Save the Children estimated that there were over 26,000 lone children across Europe, 400 of whom were living in the Calais ‘jungle. At the beginning of August the Migration Crisis report from the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee, published even more shocking figures:

Europol estimates there are 85,000 unaccompanied minors amongst the migrant population. Large numbers of these children go missing from reception centres shortly after arrival and they face abuse, sexual assault and discrimination. At least 10,000 minors are estimated to have gone missing since arriving in Europe.

While the Home Office says it plans to transfer 150 children this year, Focus on Refugees, highlighted the following report; “Campaigners gathered outside the London government department’s headquarters on the 9th September to ‘urge ministers to immediately bring over those children stranded in the migrant camp in Calais. The group handed over a list of 387 refugee children living in the Calais ‘jungle’ camp who they say are eligible to be transferred to the UK. A Home Office spokesman said: “We are in active discussions with the UNHCR, other partner organisations and the Italian, Greek and French governments to strengthen and speed up mechanisms to identify, assess and transfer children to the UK where this in in their best interests.”

On the 7 September the BBC reported the following; “the number of asylum seeking children in the care of English councils has risen by 62% in a year. The largest group are boys aged 16/17 years old – from Afghanistan, or Eritrea. Many children are facing ‘serious shortages’ in legal advice to help them make their case. 4,156 children seeking asylum without parents or guardians are being cared for by 147 councils (as at the 31 March 16) compared with 2,569 the year before. The figure is likely to be higher as some council’s did not have up to date figures.”UNICEF has called on the government to do more to help unaccompanied children driven from their homes – minors made up 8% of all asylum claims in the UK in 2015.

“As Christians we are called to stand in solidarity with the displaced and dispossessed. There has never been a greater need for Churches to highlight the plight of refugees and support those already resident within our communities. Therefore as a society we need to:

Introduce a system of humanitarian visa
Enable family reunion for refugees – the UK should make it easier for refugees living in the UK to bring older children, dependant parents etc. to join them.
Provide care for more unaccompanied children – the UK should be striving to offer a home to at least 3,000 of the 88,000 unaccompanied refugee children who are amongst the most vulnerable of those seeking sanctuary.
Reform the UK asylum system – people who claim asylum in the UK should be treated with dignity. No-one should be deliberately made destitute.” (“Made for Goodness” report, Churches Working Together, JPI Team)

How do we welcome the stranger? As individuals, how can we respond?

Just some of the Agencies and Partnerships working to support refugees;

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland – Focus on refugees (They are making the refugee crisis a major focus of their work)

Refugee support -British Red Cross

UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for refugees) created in 1950 – work in a total of 126 countries

Caritas

UNICEF

Save the Children

All Saints Church, Highertown, Truro, Calais project Next trip 2-8 October 2016. See their website for list of priority items needed and drop-off locations

Cornwall Refugee Resettlement Network

Cornwall – A million acts of sanctuary movement– collect everything from clothes to ambulance equipment

South West Migration Partnership – refugees welcome

Refugee Aid.org – Aid support and event charity for refugees

Children of peace

Cinnamon Network – building friendships with refugees

Spring Harvest

Home for good

Refugee Support Network

Open Doors

Faith Action

Refugee Council – Destitution support – Asylum Support Partnership- advice for new refugees – Access to private housing – downloadable guide of simple facts and figures