Christmas should be a time of festivity, catching up with loved ones and showing them how much you care. But for people seeking sanctuary in the UK, who were forced to leave their homes, it’s a time of loneliness and isolation.
This year we’re asking our supporters to help us send messages of welcome and cheer to those who need them most. Simply donate today and we will send you your very own decoration. You then write your message and send it back – we will do the rest.
£20 could provide a refugee family with essential supplies, such as nappies, blankets and food. Small things that make a world of difference.
£50 could provide a family with unlimited data, texts and phone calls for a week. Meaning they can keep connected with their loved ones during the Christmas period.
£100 could help fund sessions with an Asylum Crisis case worker, offering people seeking sanctuary a vital lifeline and ensuring they have enough to eat and a roof over their head.
Ana’s story
Whilst my family and I were trapped in the endless stress of the asylum process, the festive period passed us by unnoticed. Last year, we finally received status. But even then we were not able to properly celebrate Christmas – I was so worn out that I couldn’t take it in. I hope this Christmas, my first proper English Christmas, will be what we dreamt of.
"There are still many people trapped alone in the asylum process, unable to join the festivities."
This Christmas, will you help me show the people still seeking safety that they are not alone? My daughter has designed a special Christmas decoration to help spread good wishes. Will you add your kind thoughts and send it back to Refugee Action so they can share them with those who need them most?
I always remember one Christmas time, when I had so desperately wanted to join the celebrations. My daughter and I put a small amount of decorations and toys into our trolley, only to have to return them all at the till.
I remember seeing my daughter’s disappointed face, she was too young to understand, and felt that it was because she was not good enough. I felt like a failed parent, like a failed mum and my husband felt like a failed dad. We couldn’t explain to our children why they couldn’t have Christmas, or even decent clothes and food.
Spending years in the asylum process left us feeling useless and alone. But then Refugee Action gave me a lifeline. The hours I spent there were like going back to myself. With Refugee Action by our side we felt less alone, they had a kind of readiness, they were always ready to support us at any point and at any stage.
Your Christmas gift could help Refugee Action reach even more people like me, providing them with a vital lifeline and proving that they are not alone.