There was an interesting interview with Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council in the Guardian; the article ends by asking for any responses. We have sent ours for consideration, and thought we’d share it with you too:
Refugee Support Group in Reading wholeheartedly agrees with the points raised by the Refugee Council in this article. Week after week, we witness the human cost of the hostile environment and the increasingly dehumanising rhetoric directed at people seeking sanctuary in the UK.
The widespread misconceptions that refugees are “living it up” in luxury hotels are astonishing, and they are deliberately used by unscrupulous politicians to sow division and hate. These hotels were never intended for long-term stays, yet the lack of resources at the Home Office to process asylum applications has worsened the situation. We hear so many horror stories – entire families living in a single room, inappropriate behaviour from security guards, and of poor-quality food contributing to serious health problems. Meanwhile, private sector organisations profit substantially from these contracts, with individuals reportedly achieving significant personal wealth as a result.
The people we support are eager to work, contribute, and rebuild their lives. Many bring a wealth of skills and experience; teachers, nurses, carers, and more, who can make a significant positive contribution to the UK. They want nothing more than to give back to the communities that have welcomed and sheltered them. It makes no sense to prevent them from working while their applications are being processed.
We ask the public to consider: what would they do if their country was destroyed by conflict, if famine threatened their children, or if they were persecuted for their identity, faith, or sexuality? Where would they go to protect their family and survive?
There are two points I want to emphasise. First, our deep gratitude to the many generous donors and volunteers who support our work. Second, a plea to anyone wishing to help refugees locally to support grassroots organisations such as RSG. Smaller charities working on the ground are too often overlooked by larger, better-funded organisations, yet they remain a lifeline for people in desperate need.
Like the Refugee Council, we have had to step up security at our offices and events. This hostile climate, fuelled by political rhetoric, endangers not only those seeking refuge but also the people who dedicate themselves to supporting them.
A colleague of RSG recently bumped to our joint Patron Lord Alf Dubs on the tube. They chatted and he updated her on the work he was doing to support reunification of refugee children with their parents: She said to him ‘we need more of you’. Alf replied “but we have thousands of you. Keep going.” That is the message to everyone fighting against division and hatred. – Nick Harborne, CEO Refugee Support Group.
