an intro to lassn 2017
TRANSCRIPT
AN INTRODUCTION TO LASSN March 16
WHO IS A REFUGEE?A refugee is as a person who has fled … due to a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of racereligionnationalitymembership of a particular social groupor political opinion
Article 1, The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
Source: UNHCR, 2015; Home Office, 2016
020,000,00040,000,00060,000,000
65,300,000
21,300,00033,380 8,964
Chart Title
UK ASYLUM CLAIMS BY COUNTRY: TOP 10
Source: Home Office, Q3 2016
IranPakistan
AfghanistanIraq
BangladeshIndia
AlbaniaSudan
SyriaEritrea
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
Chart Title
HOW ARE ASYLUM SEEKERS, REFUGEES (& EU MIGRANTS) DIFFERENT?
Asylum seeker
Refugee EU migrants
UK Govt have accepted their right to stay in UK
Permission to Work Access to mainstream welfare systems Permissions to travel abroad Choose where to live Ability to use NHS for free
/? /?Nb: There are some exceptions to this picture, but this is the simplified version
WHO ENDS UP STAYING?About 23% of applications are accepted as refugees, 4% are given temporary rights to remain, and 73% refused
About 42% of people appeal against their decision
About 43% of these appeals are successful
(so about 36% of applicants in the end)
Source: Home Office, 2016
WHERE DO PEOPLE END UP? In Q3 2016 about 38,000 destitute asylum seekers were supported by the UK Govt (33% more than 2015)
North West is largest dispersal area where 1 in 4 asylum seekers are placed, pending decisions – 9,129
In December 2016, Leeds had 730 asylum seekers
Source: Home Office, 2016
WHO ARE LASSN & WHAT DO WE DO?Leeds Asylum Seeker Support Network started in 2000
5 part time members of staff303 volunteers
All our work is about Supporting Empowering Integrating
THE POWER OF OUR WORK IS BASED ON THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS We help ordinary people to do amazing things by Opening their homes Sharing a meal Spending time with someone Listening Having conversations Sharing stories and experiencesOur volunteers get back as much as they give
IN 2015/16 LASSN SUPPORTED 288 PEOPLE
654 people, if you include people’s families)To learn English in their own homes
1,655 hours of teaching to 140 different people
To reduce isolation through our befriending scheme 54 different people
By providing temporary accommodation to people with nowhere to go through Grace Hosting more than 2,876 nights to 90 different people
INFORMATION AND AWARENESS
We trained 70 new volunteersWe reached more than 30,000 people via social media
We delivered 20 sessions to students in schools and universities
We developed the helpinleeds.com website
Supported the development of www.leedsmultiagency.org.uk
WHERE DOES LASSN FIT IN LEEDS?
Legal Advice/Immigration
Manuel Bravo
CAB
Advocacy Support
Asylum Help
Health
York Street
Solace/ Freedom
from Torture
PAFRAS
Refugee Council
Destitution
PAFRAS Drop Ins
Meeting Point
LASSN Grace
Hosting
Info/Campaigning
City of Sanctuary
Regional Asylum Activism
Migration Yorkshire
LASSN Directory,
Language/Employment
RETAS
St Vincent de Paul
LASSN English at
Home
Social Contact
Leeds Refugee Forum
RETAS
LASSN Befriending
SOME RECENT CHANGES THAT ARE ON OUR MIND
UK asylum figures do not reflect the Refugee Crisis in Europe. The Immigration Act removes Home Office support to
families with Children and support to Care Leavers (ie unaccompanied minors)
Changes to NHS access: some people are already being charged for NHS hospital treatment, and there are plans to charge for GP appointments and treatment
Trafficking: people who are brought to the UK, and forced to work under threat of violence by organised criminal gangs
Less Advice and Legal Support available (cuts to Legal Aid)
THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP? Understand more about the reality of refugees and people
seeking asylum - and share this with people you know How could your church be more welcoming to people seeking
refuge? Ask us to come and speak to your church or group Volunteer - there’s a list of opportunities at helpinleeds.com Support us financially – donations make up 20% of our income
Support our friends eg PAFRAS with Harvest Festival donations to their food bank/clothing store
Assist us to lobby for change at a local level Make contact with City of Sanctuary Lobby for change through your local councillors & MPs
