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BRISTOL ASYLUM SEEKERS CALL ON GOVERNMENT TO END DESTITUTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

Thursday December 3rd 2009

Bristolians who have survived human rights abuses and war and sought sanctuary in the UK are to speak out at an event commemorating International Human Rights Day.

The anniversary, which marks the UN’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 61 years ago, will see people who fled countries such as Darfur, Somalia, Iran and Zimbabwe sharing their experiences at a conference entitled ‘Protection and Dignity - not Destitution’ at Newton Hall on Thursday 10th December.

The conference, attended by leader of the council Cllr Barbara Janke, will examine the situation of refused asylum seekers, who are made destitute if they do not return to their countries of origin. A petition asking for the right to work for asylum seekers after six months, will also be presented to Bristol West MP Stephen Williams’ representative.

Bristol Refugee Rights, Refugee Action, City of Sanctuary and St Nicholas of Tolentino, who work with asylum seekers and refugees in the city, are organising the event, which will hear testimonies from several asylum seekers at all stages of the asylum process.

Maria, an asylum seeker from Zimbabwe, who came to the UK in 2002 and who is chairing the event, said: “We want to give our testimonies on this important anniversary to demonstrate that asylum seekers’ human rights are not being respected in this country. We feel that making people destitute is subjecting them to ‘inhuman and degrading treatment’, which is in breach of
human rights legislation.”

Elinor Harris, area manager of Refugee Action in Bristol, said: “We and other organisations are seeing an increasing number of people coming to our doors who have no recourse to public funds but who tell us they are too afraid to return to their country of origin. It is vital that their voices are heard and that we are able to support people to make difficult decisions instead of make them homeless. People who cannot be returned home should be granted temporary protection until it is safe for them to leave.”

Caroline* *Beatty*, *Welcome Centre Manager at Bristol Refugee Rights, said: “Without the right to work or to appropriate support, many are now utterly destitute in Bristol, with no end in sight to their situations. This event will go some way to giving those people a voice and will give asylum seekers the chance to be heard by a wider audience.”

The invited audience will consist of representatives of local government and other statutory bodies, churches and other faith groups and the voluntary sector. They will include the Leader of the City Council, Cllr Barbara Janke, Mgr Gabriel Leyden, Vicar-General of the Roman Catholic diocese of Clifton, representing the Bishop and Archdeacon Tim McClure (representing the Anglican diocese of Bristol).

The event will take place between 4pm and 5pm.

ENDS

For more information or to organise an interview contact Caroline Beatty, Welcome Centre Manager, Bristol Refugee Rights on: 07968092747 or by Email: caro.vino@blueyonder.co.uk OR Julia Ravenscroft, press officer at Refugee Action on 0161 831 5454/ 07771 748 159 OR Forward Maisokwadzo, Development
Worker, City of Sanctuary Bristol on: 079 19894 900 or 0117 941 5960, or by email: Forward@cityofsanctuary.org.

Representatives of all participating organisations, including people who are going through the asylum process and destitute asylum seekers together with invited guests, will be available for interviews. Please arrange with either Caroline Beatty or Forward Maisokwadzo in advance or on the day.

To confirm your attendance, please contact Caroline Beatty, Welcome Centre Manager, Bristol Refugee Rights on: 079 6809 2747 Or by email: caro.vino@blueyonder.co.uk

Editors notes:

Bristol Refugee Rights was set up in 2005 to uphold and champion the human rights of asylum seekers and refugees. We provide a place of welcome in Bristol where asylum seekers and refugees can meet and be supported to play a full part in the life of the wider community and also campaign for the human rights of refugees and asylum seekers.
www.bristolrefugeerights.org
Bristol City of Sanctuary is a movement to build a culture of hospitality for people seeking sanctuary (asylum seekers & refugees) in the UK. Bristol-once known as a city of slavery is growing now into a city of
sanctuary.
www.cityofsanctuary.org/bristol
Refugee Action is an independent, national charity working to enable refugees to build new lives in the UK. We provide practical advice and assistance for newly arrived asylum seekers and support their settlement through community development work. As one of the country's leading agencies in the field, Refugee Action has 28 years' experience in pioneering innovative work in partnership with refugees and advised more than 40,000 asylum seekers and refugees last year. For more information, visit www.refugee-action.org.uk
St Nicholas of Tolentino* is part of the Clifton Diocese. The Catholic diocese covers the West of England and includes the City and County of Bristol, the counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset. The central administrative offices are based in Bristol. There are 105 parishes spread through deaneries serving a Catholic population of around 135,000.
www.cliftondiocese.com