City of Sanctuary UK is excited to announce that Asylum Matters, currently hosted by us, will be registering as an independent organisation this year.

When Asylum Matters was first created in early 2017, it was felt that a hosting arrangement was the best option for the nascent project, which would be developing a new model for campaigning in the asylum and refugee sector. As an organisation focused on building a culture of hospitality and welcome around the UK, City of Sanctuary UK was a natural choice as host.

Over the last few years, Asylum Matters and City of Sanctuary UK have worked together to secure positive change for people seeking asylum in the UK. Through our partnership work, we were able to support local groups primarily focused on welcome and befriending to take up campaigning and advocacy and contribute to broader change efforts.

As Asylum Matters approached the end of its third year, the governance arrangements were revisited and it was agreed that the project should take the next step and become an independent organisation. This will allow Asylum Matters to be more flexible and adaptive to the external context and will allow for the project’s mission to be owned by an independent Board of Trustees. Asylum Matters and City of Sanctuary UK will be pursuing this route over the coming months.

The partnership work between the two organisations will continue after independence, as there remains a natural synergy and alignment between our respective missions. From mobilising local groups to take part in campaigning, to collaborating on initiatives like Sanctuary in Parliament, we’re excited about the opportunities ahead. Asylum Matters would like to thank the City of Sanctuary UK staff and Trustees for their support and collaboration over the last few years. We remain committed to working together to improve the lives of  people seeking sanctuary in the UK.