O

We will not be disheartened by the righteous and callous rhetoric of today’s speeches about the so called reform of the asylum system. We will continue to build welcome through positive stories, connecting people, mainstream awards work, campaigning and building positive relationships with our MPs and in our communities.

Together we will build a #WelcomingEnvironment and #StandUp4Sanctuary. We welcome all those who come here to seek sanctuary and marvel at their extraordinary journeys, feel compassion towards their trauma and loss, stand with them in solidarity, empower their voices, celebrate their gifts, engage them in decision making and build partnerships with others to ensure progressive reform and a fair, effective, just and humane asylum system.

See our full response here. 

Please see Colin Yeo‘s facts and figures in his Guide to Journalists about what is going on at the Home Office. But remember the human face, the human pain and the person behind the stats – each person is a father, son, mother, sister and each person has a set of skills, a story to tell, a dream to fulfill and they all want to give back to a society that welcomes them and provides the protection they seek. Let us celebrate the gifts that people bring with them and connect them to our decision makers and invite your MPs and councillors to meet them and meet the wonderful volunteers in communities, schools, universities etc by Celebrating Sanctuary. Get your toolkit here.