“It could be me…” Craig on why it’s important we support refugees
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This week is Refugee Week. Craig, who leads our social action teams across Caritas, tells us more about their work supporting refugees who are seeking safety in our diocese…
Your team supports people who are refugees. They access services right across Caritas. Can you please tell us a bit more about the people we support and the kind of work we carry out alongside them?
Our services support people, and people come from different backgrounds and cultures with their own experiences.
Within those backgrounds and cultures, they are all individuals with hopes, dreams and plans of their own.
So our projects and services interact with each individual differently.
People with refugee status or who are seeking asylum are welcomed into our green spaces, advice spaces, day centres, accommodations, and community work as equals and provided the support that we can identify and cover.
Most support required by people with refugee status mirrors the needs of others. Their concerns relate to seeking employment and volunteering opportunities, ensuring family health, housing issues and that they have enough food and heat to manage through a cost of living crisis.
We have two projects which are specifically for supporting refugees in the UK. Aspire, which teaches English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) from pre-entry level to Level 2, in a high-quality manner with long-term goals.
Our second project is the Afghan Welcome Project which is a resettlement scheme using the legal and safe route to the UK through Communities for Afghans. This partnership programme works with the Pickwell Foundation, Charis, Social Justice Network, Nugent, and Catholic Care, to support Afghan families who have status to positively integrate into their community. This is through the amazing work of volunteer groups who provide that special welcome.
Why do people become refugees and how do they end up in this country?
‘Refugee’ is a legal term on status and is determined by the UK government. People become refugees after they seek asylum because they cannot live safely in their country of origin.
The reasons for this can be varied but are usually linked to war or natural disaster.
These situations leave civilians without homes, food, access to water and ruin chances of a future. Another reason is persecution without protection. This means that a person’s life is threatened by a powerful organisation and the government cannot or will not protect them. In all circumstances, life is in danger and people feel forced to leave their homes and their country to seek safety.
In your experience, what are the most important things people should consider or think about when it comes to refugees?
It could be me.
The only reason that British people rarely find themselves as refugees is because our country is generally free of natural disasters that cause famine and long-term suffering, and we are not currently a target at war. Our history has not been so stable and so quickly forgotten are the families who were displaced during World War I and II to other regions, areas and countries. The principles remain the same throughout history and wherever you are in the world – if you are unsafe and unprotected, you have to leave.
Once you have that understanding, being kind to a person who has experienced trauma, devastation and fear becomes a really simple thing.
What are the biggest myths around refugees that you’d like to dispel?
Refugees don’t get everything handed to them. They do have a place to sleep and some funds provided – £9.95 each, per week, your food is provided; if you have to provide your own food, it’s £49.18 per week on a pre-pay card. If in the UK, when refugee status is approved, the person will have a very short amount of time to find new accommodation and new income, all in an area they aren’t familiar with, and in a second or third language that they don’t know. They move from fear and risk of persecution to a temporary room, to looking for a home – again.
Can you tell us about anyone you’ve supported and how they’ve benefitted from Caritas and our services?
One person started accessing Caritas services through the food pantry at our Lalley Centre. This was a need to supply food for their family which included children with additional needs. They fled their home country through fear of persecution. Through conversations with our wonderful volunteers, other issues and concerns were revealed, and dedicated advice staff began to support them. From these initial discussions and a simple request of support for a child with a disability, we identified further needs for the family where they could benefit from our energy advice service, helping with information and advice to reduce their bills and improve the energy efficiency of their home.
Our support with the family has lasted more than a year and they are in a very different position now to when they first connected with us. They now have more control and independence over the things that affect their life and are connected to the community in which they live. Some of the support has seemed like a small intervention but has built those connections which have great impact. Now that they are able to understand the processes, bills, and systems in the UK, they can navigate them independently.
How can people in our local communities help families and individuals who are refugees?
First: take a breath. Remember – it could be me.
Second: consider the support you are able to give? Could you donate to a cause that offers positive integration programmes such as the Afghan Welcome Project, or, somewhere that offers progression opportunities in employment, education or volunteering? Are you yourself able to volunteer your time, or a rent a property to a family settling through a trusted partner?
Third: contact organisations with offers of support, or ask what they can do. And don’t forget Caritas’ Resettlement project always needs landlords and volunteer groups to help families!
Take a look here at other ways you might be able to get involved and support our work with refugees.