Refugee Week 2021
York Refugee Week is one of the most vibrant in the country and this year, due to Covid-19, our events are again going DIGITAL and need all the shares, support and love we can get!
Follow York Refugee Week on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/refugeeweekyork
https://twitter.com/WeekYork
http://www.refugeeactionyork.org/refugee-week
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
SUNDAY 13TH JUNE
11AM: TAKING REFUGE SERVICE
York Unitarian service at St Saviourgate, York, led by Dee Boyle. Numbers are limited so please email [email protected] to book. To join by zoom please email [email protected]. Please check for last minute changes at https://www.ukunitarians.org.uk/york
MONDAY 14TH JUNE
6 – 7PM: ‘THE SCIENCE OF CULTURE’
Bootham School presents Michael Muthukrishna, Associate Professor of Economic Psychology and Affiliate of Development Economics groups at the London School of Economic (LSE), will deliver a virtual lecture .
Cost: Free. No booking required, just click the link: https://booth.am/RefugeeWeek
TUESDAY 15TH JUNE
7:30PM: ONLINE PUB QUIZ IN AID OF REFUGEE ACTION YORK (RAY)
Our hugely popular FUNdraiser for RAY will be hosted on Zoom, with vouchers for Choose Love as prizes!
No booking required, just click the link (which will be added shortly before the event). Cost: Donations to enter (give what you can – every penny counts!) to Refugee Action York https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/yorkrefugeeweek
WEDNESDAY 16TH JUNE
6:30PM – 8PM: UNIVERSITY FOR ALL
Join the University of York as it celebrates becoming a ‘University of Sanctuary’. In this event, the University of York presents the debut of its film ‘A University for All’ which tells the story of how it became a University of Sanctuary for refugees, asylum seekers, human rights defenders and those in need of humanitarian protection.
The film will be followed by a round-table discussion with some of the film participants chaired by Dr Sara de Jong of the University of York’s Migration Network. The round-table will be followed by a musical performance by the Dan Webster Band (7.30-8.00pm).
Cost: Free. No booking required, just click the link (which will be added shortly before the event). To find out more and make a donation please visit: Equal Access scholarship fund https://www.york.ac.uk/york-unlimited/our-priorities/student-to-shine/eas/
THURSDAY 17TH JUNE
2PM – 3PM: JOURNEY OF A CHILD REFUGEE
Bootham school presents Gulwali Passarlay sharing his captivating story of struggle, danger and resilience and how he miraculously survived the harrowing year long journey from Afghanistan to the UK, on his own, after being separated from his brother, at the age of 12. Through his talks, audience’s young and old, are able to achieve an understanding of the extent of adversity that refugees face and thus be inspired to instigate positive change in their environment.
Cost: Free. No booking required, just click the link: https://booth.am/RefugeeWeek
FRIDAY 18TH JUNE
6:45PM: YAHALA AT HOME – SOLD OUT!
Yahala Mataam is a pop-up Syrian restaurant in York. In Refugee Week, we are launching Yahala at Home, an opportunity to cook along at home with one of our Syrian chefs teaching you over zoom. This time, chef Anas will guide you through preparing and cooking a classic meal from Damascus.
This event has now SOLD OUT. However, due to popular demand we have added a second event on 9th July. For more information and to book tickets go to www.yahalarestaurant.co.uk
SUNDAY 20TH JUNE
12 – 1PM: DESERT ISLAND DISCS WITH RACHEL MASKELL
Harkirit Boparai from the Crescent Community Venue standing in for Lauren Leverne to interview York Central MP, Rachel Maskell, as she talks about her life, influences and her role as York’s MP, stitched together with eight of her favourite pieces of music.
No booking required, just click the link (which will be added shortly before the event). Cost: Free – Donations can be made to Refugee Action York https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/yorkrefugeeweek
3PM: YOUNG PEOPLE’S ART COMPETITION: THE JUDGING
Join us and the judges as the prizes are announced in our annual art competition! This year schools and young people’s groups from across York are taking part in what will no doubt be another display of talent and compassion from York’s youngsters. This year, the children are illustrating what they would give to a refugee, a reference to the Museum Without a Home.
The children’s artwork will be available to view online from Monday 14th June. Cost: Free. Donations can be made to Refugee Action York https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/yorkrefugeeweek
11AM: OPEN DOORS SERVICE
York Unitarian service at St Saviourgate, York, led by Stephanie Bisby. Numbers are limited so please email [email protected] to book.
To join by zoom please email [email protected].
Please check for last minute changes at https://www.ukunitarians.org.uk/york
Cost: Free
York Refugee Week is sponsored by the University of York and York City of Sanctuary
http://www.refugeeactionyork.org/refugee-week
Update on the proposed Sovereign Borders Bill 2021
By the time the proposed Sovereign Borders Bill was announced on May 11th in the Queens Speech, 192 refugee, human rights, legal and faith groups had signed a public statement claiming the proposals would not address the major defects of the current asylum system, and that the 6-week consultation had been a sham.
Summary of the draft proposals
- A 3-tier system will be set up where people are granted different rights and status, dependent on how they enter the UK.
Those who are resettled in the UK via a Government approved scheme will have enhanced level of protection. They will be granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK on arrival. They will have enhanced family reunion rights. - Those who have arrived by ‘irregular’ means, but are found, on investigation to have the right to be recognised as refugees will be granted the right to stay in the UK for 30 months. They will have no recourse to public funds, and very limited family reunion rights.
- Those who have entered the UK irregularly and who seek asylum will have their applications classed as ‘inadmissible’. They will be detained and all attempts will be made to return them to another ‘safe’ third country. If they have also applied elsewhere for asylum, they will be returned to that country.
Those who come into categories 2 and 3 will no longer be housed in properties situated in local communities. They will be placed in specially prepared reception centres, and will be held there during the processing of their claims. Government sources suggest the Australian model, in which asylum seekers are held on offshore islands, is being considered. Currently, former army camps and redundant prisons are being opened up to house asylum seekers.
When a family has been refused asylum, all support including housing, will be withdrawn and they must take steps to leave the UK or face detention and deportation. All current asylum support systems will be revised and access will be greatly restricted.
There will be new restrictions on applications for family reunion, dependent on how a person enters the UK.
Brief response to the proposed 3 tier system
- The current Government approved schemes are
Vulnerable Syrian Families Programme (16,000 came the UK between 2017- 2020) Closed to new families since March 2020. - Community Sponsorship of Syrian families. Closed since March 2020. A bureaucratic process which has been very underused.
- Family reunion applications. Long waiting lists and high legal fees to be overcome. Closed since March 2020.
- Unaccompanied children. Those under 18 with relatives in the UK can apply to join their families. Closed since March 2020. The Home Office decides whether a person is 18 or not, dependant on ‘how old they look’. (Most children do not have a birth certificate with them when fleeing a war zone.)
In all these approved schemes, the Government has complete control over numbers and decisions on applications. Unlike other UK border controls, all of these approved entry points have been closed since March 2020 ‘due to Covid restrictions’.
Making a donation to York City of Sanctuary