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January 2009

Happy New Year and welcome to our January issue of Action Matters, keeping you up to date with Refugee Action's campaigns, advocacy and awareness raising work.

Why not make a New Year’s resolution to get involved in our destitution campaign, helping us to put an end to government policies which force vulnerable refused asylum seekers into a life of poverty and homelessness.  

1. Email your MP now to tell the government you want a fairer, more effective solution for refused asylum seekers

2. Join our Facebook group for regular news, events and campaign updates

This month

New Year celebrations as family reunited
A random act of kindness
Local asylum campaigners story to be filmed
Go the extra mile for refugees

New Year celebrations as family reunited



An Ethiopian refugee who hasn't seen his wife and 11-year-old son for more than two years has been reunited with them through Refugee Action’s Gateway project in Greater Manchester.

Gazahng Bekele Gonfa (34), a former politician, and his wife Alimaze (30) and son Robera, were reunited just before Christmas, and are looking forward to 2009.

The three were separated after Gazahng had to flee political persecution and took refuge in Kenya in 2006. He was brought to live in Tameside in Greater Manchester in April this year under the Gateway Protection Programme, a joint UN and Home Office scheme which resettles some of the most vulnerable refugees in the world.

After arriving in the UK, Gazahng set about trying to trace his family and finally located them through contacts. He said: "Until my wife and son landed at the airport I wasn't sure if I would see them again. We were so happy."

Gazahng said: "We are looking forward to a safe and happy New Year. People in Tameside have been very positive towards me, and very welcoming. I hope that in the future my country will be safe for me again and I can go back."

To read their full story see The Manchester Evening News.

A random act of kindness

If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to have a bit of a clearout, de-clutter your home and also do something to help others, why not take a leaf out of the book of four friends in Hampstead, London who collected and distributed thousands of free Christmas presents and hampers across housing estates in North London as part of a series of charitable gestures they term “The Kindness Offensive”.

In a report in the Independent they also describe how: “in October, they distributed more than 25 tonnes of food to destitute asylum seekers. "The way we treat asylum seekers is appalling," said Mr Harding. "We've met people who are literally living on pennies each week. They have often escaped the worst sort of persecution, desperately want to contribute to society and yet cannot even afford food."

Mr Goodfellow adds: "Meeting asylum seekers has opened up our eyes to a shocking world. These people are forced to live on handouts because they are not allowed to work. The handouts they do get often lack some of the most basic items that we take for granted like nappies, toothpaste or condoms. And all this is happening right under our noses or outside our front door."

It’s really inspiring to see people standing up for destitute asylum seekers in the media, and if you have any unwanted Christmas presents, why not sell them using Refugee Action’s eBay for charity page. We currently provide essential services to thousands of refused asylum seekers, and your support will mean we can continue to provide a lifeline for those coping with extreme hardship as a result of being refused asylum.
Find out more by going to www.missionfish.org.uk
Go straight to our eBay page

Local asylum campaigners’ story to be filmed

Two campaigners’ who organised lookouts and warnings to stop dawn immigration raids targeting their asylum seeking neighbours on a Glasgow housing estate, are to have their story brought to the big screen.

The film, ‘Kingsway’ will be made by Refugee Action supporter Ken Loach’s company Sixteen Films and feature campaigners Jean Donnachie and Noreen Real as its heroes. Working on the new drama is award-winning Scottish writer Rona Munro, producer Camilla Bray and director Jim Loach.

Kingsway is the tale of two ordinary, completely remarkable women, who whilst living in a run-down Glasgow housing estate, pull together to foster a new community spirit.  

Mrs Real said: “I feel very happy about it, but we were only doing for asylum seekers what we would do for any neighbour that was being treated the way they were being treated.”

Go the extra mile for refugees

In the post Christmas period lots of us resolve to work off the extra pounds we’ve put on with all those extra puddings and chocolates, turn over a new leaf and get healthy. Well what better way to beat the January blues than getting fit and raising money to support refugees?

Join Refugee Action’s running teams for 5km runs in 2009

Regents Park, London - 10th May

Heaton Park, Manchester - 28th June

Women’s Challenge, Birmingham, London, Liverpool - 6th September

We’ll provide you with Refugee Action t-shirts, training and fundraising tips and lots of encouragement and support.
Esme Peach, who took part in the London 5km run last year, said:
“Knowing I’d committed to running for charity gave me the motivation to stick to a training routine, and it was great knowing I was doing something positive to support refugees.”

Places are limited so hurry! To sign up call Emilie on 020 7654 7705 or email emiliep@refugee-action.org.uk

 

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