Page 24 - Edition Summer 22 News and Views revised 31.05.pub (Read-Only)

Area Sanctuary Group - 21 March 2022 Richard Bush

Threads of the Group’s Reflections

We welcomed Wendy Sender, of Bournemouth Meeting, recently transferred from London West
AM, who shared with us Ealing Meeting's journey as a Sanctuary Meeting, her former meeting.

We heard from Susannah about the Nationality and Borders Bill, returning this week to the
House of Commons, following its defeat in the House of Lords. We are encouraged urgently, to
write to our MPs. We heard that there is evidence of unaccompanied children from Ukraine
being trafficked already.

We heard about the Governments hosting scheme for Ukrainians, and concerns about it. As well
as its shortcomings, a focus for us is how we can enable local hosts to link up with others, once
it has started. We heard that the City of Sanctuary Forum will develop as many links as possible,
as it develops locally.

We heard more about the work of ICN, International Care Network, in providing core support for
refugees and asylum seekers, arriving under the Governments visa arrangements for refugees.
They will contact us for practical tasks, but encourage donations to increase their capacity.
Sharing information can be enhanced by each LM having a representative/involvement in the
City of Sanctuary Forum, attended by ICN, Red Cross, CAB and concerned individuals.

We agreed to join the Quaker Asylum and Refugees Network, and Susannah offered to be our
link. We heard how useful this Network is for communicating what concerned Friends are doing,
highlighted for us when two QARN Friends attended Area Meeting in November 2021.

We highlighted upcoming events:

- City of Sanctuary Webinar on 29th March

- Increase the Peace Festival, Bournemouth, 21st May 2022-

- Refugee Week, 20th to 26th June 2022.

Refugee Week enables people from different backgrounds to connect
beyond labels, as well as encouraging understanding of why people are

displaced, and the challenges they face when seeking safety. Refugee
Week is a platform for people who have sought safety in the UK to share
their experiences, perspectives and creative work on their own terms. The
vision is for refugees and asylum seekers to be able to live safely within
inclusive and resilient communities, where they can continue to make a
valuable contribution.
It is an umbrella festival, and anyone can get involved by holding or joining
an event or activity. Refugee Week events happen in all kinds of different
spaces and range from arts festivals, exhibitions, film screenings and
museum tours to football tournaments, public talks and activities in schools.

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