Liberal Democrats For Seekers Of Sanctuary

“A More Effective and Compassionate Approach to Immigration and Asylum” addressing the Immigration Bill currently being debated in Parliament. Chair: Denali Ranashinge (SLF Council Member). Suzanne Fletcher from LD4SOS Holly Matthies from Liberal Democrat Immigrants.... Sir Ed Davey MP and Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Home Affairs will discuss amendments that celebrate and harness the positive contributions that immigrants and asylum seekers offer our communities and our economy.
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Great blog by @Right_to_Remain setting out hope for end of indefinite detention #Time4ATimeLimit and why, but also emphasising it must apply to ALL in immigration detention https://righttoremain.org.uk/again-we-say -no-one-left-behi…/ .No-one, no-one, should be left behind in detention. links to action in the blog.

Sally Hamwee @LibDemLords told Minister that 1,045 children being accepted under the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme is just a “drop in the ocean” when looking at appalling situation in the war torn region they are from. https://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/…< br>

Immigration rules for Commonwealth soldiers are outrageous. Hundreds of troops who joined the British Army after a targeted Commonwealth recruitment drive in 2016 are having to work second jobs in order to meet the Home Office threshold necessary to relocate their families.
Commenting Jamie Stone, Lib Dem Defence Spokesperson said:
... "This is yet another example of the Tory’s botched immigration policies. These soldiers were asked specifically to come and defend our nation and the government repays them with a hostile environment. It has all the hallmarks of the policies which caused the Windrush crisis.
"These people have responded to a call to serve the country and it is outrageous that immigration thresholds mean they must work second jobs just to bring their spouses and children with them.
"The Liberal Democrats demand better, Commonwealth soldiers who have been asked to come and serve must be welcomed into UK society
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This article highlights the tragedy about the tragedy of 18 yr old's coming to UK as unaccompanied minors ford sanctuary and their awful fate when reaching 18. they lose hope & life. UK loses brave good people. compassion & common sense needed. http://theconversation.com/when-unaccompa nied-young-asylum-…

For anyone LGBTQ+ who is or has been an asylum seeker, or knows anyone relevant to this. This is some research being done by London University for volunteers to take part in a study about LGBTQ+ asylum claims and how sexual and gender indentities are understood by the asylum system. The poster attached gives the basic information and there is detail in the information sheet, including clear info about confidentiality. The study is not confined to London, they will visit people in different parts of the country. There are many difficulties and barriers faced by LGBTQ+ asylum seekers, and this research could be part of paving the way for a better understanding by those conducting the process of asylum claims.

this letter was written 2 years ago. on the anniversary of this, the TV programme ( link on this page) today showed the person who first told me about the problems of forced bedroom sharing in Feb 2012. Not long afterwards he was given refugee status and could find his own accommodation, but as he spoke the scars are still there. 5 years on, and now 7 years on, no progress at all. Simple logistics could at least ensure there was not unsuitable sharing for whatever reason, although forced bedroom sharing between unrelated adults should not be done at all.

BBC are doing items on asylum seekers in Stockton and Middlesbrough. LD4SOS Suzanne Fletcher did an interview at the RASPS Thursday Drop In at Yarm Road Methodists, Stockton with Luke Walton from BBC NE. She had her "non political" hat on, speaking on behalf of Tees Valley of Sanctuary. hoepfully some Liberal values in there though ! there was something on BBC Look North last night, and heard a snatch on BBC Tees radio. But it will be part of The NE Politics Show on B...BC1 on Sunday at 11 am, and be available on iplayer for a week after that. I don’t know what else will be on the programme, but they were angling on “there is more than ‘our fair share’ of asylum seekers in Tees Valley”. I did my best to say there were not too many, they were welcome here, they added a lot to our life here. Managed to touch on housing, and how people needed to be treated with dignity and respect, contract needs closely monitoring and action taken if not, and end shared rooms. How much of that gets into the edited version I don’t know though. On the snippet on Friday night the deputy leader of Newcastle Council was on. She was OK except she talked about taking on the "burden", which I don't think it is. On the snatch on the radio I heard the leader of the Tories on Middlesbrough Council talk about "sharing the burden fairly". not only do I think it is not a "burden", we are enriched, but it is not a good idea to distribute the location of asylum seekers around the country equally, where we would be placing vulnerable people in places with no support from the voluntary sector, speicalist legal help and health care, which we have in the larger connurbations. to say nothing of support for each other. I am not sure what else happened at filming at the Drop In. if you can make this link work it is available till early this evening. https://www.bbc.co.uk/…/look-north-nort h-east-and-cumbria-e…
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https://pbs.twimg.com/…/…/media/DyCHI SEXQAABlEu.jpg:largedue to 76 missing Labour MPs failing to vote against the Government’s immigration bill, it passed by 63 votes. Britain deserves a better opposition. It means thousands will suffer in the future because of Labour's disorganised mess. They changed their mind half way through the debate, so many Labour MPs were not there. Shambles. If they cannot organise an important opposition vote, how can they run anything ?

today on Holocaust Memorial Day of all days we not only remember victims of Nazis & all genocides since, but resolve to show compassion now and take in child refugees as Alf Dubs says.

They have fled terrible situations; they want to be reunited with family here, they have no other choice, they want to live peacefully and contribute to our community

this looks live very important information for our asylum seekers should have. can you share appropriately please https://righttoremain.org.uk/preliminary- information-quest…/

How can our Home Office play games like this with a teenager, orphaned, been through the trauma he has, and left destitute in Calais, ill physically ( TB and pneumonia) and mentally (PTSD) for 2 years before he is reunited with his aunt in the UK. callous. https://www.independent.co.uk/…/child-r efugee-calais-jungle…

In case you thought it was all good news, the Government waiving the £65 it planned to charge EU residents for registration in the event of Brexit. Our Government will still charge children born here an outrageous £1013 to apply for Citizenship. note and share.

Please keep these children high on the Government's agenda. If you are planning Refugee Week events in late June why not show Sue Layton's moving film` Calais Children' locally and arrange a telephone link with Sue?

Well done to David Lammy MP for telling the truth about this country.

to send to your MP, please. We know they are fully involved in Brexit at this minute, but you can still send.