Latest News

Want to Become a City of Sanctuary?

Craig Barnett — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:54:35 +0000

Book your free place at the City of Sanctuary National Conference
Wednesday 4th June 2008, 11am - 4.30pm
Sheffield

Find out how Sheffield has become the UK's first official ‘City of Sanctuary' for asylum-seekers and refugees.
Share information and ideas with other new City of Sanctuary groups around the country.
Explore how you can build a grassroots City of Sanctuary movement in your own town or city.

Fundraiser Meal for Burma

Craig Barnett — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:36:24 +0100

Sheffield's Karen community from Burma are raising funds to assist people back home suffering from the recent cyclone. They have organised a fundraising meal at the Kasmir Curry Centre on Spital Hill, Burngreave, this Wednesday evening, 14th May, at 7pm.

Tickets cost £14 on the door, (£6 from every meal goes to the relief fund)

Sheffield

Building Bridges on the Manor

Craig Barnett — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:47:45 +0100

We have recently formed a working group of City of Sanctuary volunteers to develop some community projects to build bridges between local people and asylum-seekers in Sheffield neighbourhoods.

As a first stage we are working with groups and individuals in the Manor area. Our first local meeting will be on Thursday 22nd May at 7pm, at St. Aidan's Community Centre on Manor Lane.

If you would like to be involved in this work, and especially if you live or work in the Manor area, please let us know.

Sheffield

Asylum Health Meeting

Nicola Freeman — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:58:26 +0100

A public meeting in Sheffield last night heard how local asylum seekers were suffering because of rules barring some of them from free hospital treatment. One man from Afghanistan who damaged his spine while mending a roof was eventually let off paying his bill but said he was told he couldn’t have a wheelchair. Another said he was refused medical care for his diabetes and when his sight deteriorated the local Eritrean community raised £3,000 for his treatment.

Sheffield

London's Mayoral candidates in call for amnesty

Nicola Freeman — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:36:16 +0100

All four major candidates for London Mayor have recently backed the proposals of the Strangers into Citizens campaign for an 'earned pathway into citizenship' for undocumented migrants, including refused asylum-seekers.

Under the proposals, an estimated 500,000 people who are currently prevented from working legally and paying taxes, would have an opportunity of working towards legal status.

London - Olympic City of Sanctuary?

Craig Barnett — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:39:40 +0100

The New Statesman has published an article by Donna Covey, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council, outlining the support they would like to see from London Mayoral candidates, which includes:

"we would also like to see all candidates for London Mayor express their commitment to welcoming refugees to London. A nationwide initiative has begun, to mark Britain's cities as ‘Cities of Sanctuary'. The next Mayor has a unique opportunity to back London as the first Olympic City of Sanctuary. Above all, London should be celebrated as providing a place of safety for those fleeing persecution across the world."

Read the full article here.

There is a new working group being formed to make London a City of Sanctuary, if you are a Londoner and would like to be involved please contact us.

Norwich City of Refuge

Craig Barnett — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:53:01 +0000

In 2007 Norwich became the first UK city to join the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN). Through this scheme, Norwich offers residency to politically exiled writers who have been denied freedom of speech in their home countries.

Norwich City of Refuge has now joined the national City of Sanctuary movement, in order to share their experience of building community programmes on issues of human rights and asylum more widely throughout the UK.

Leicester Mercury Article

Craig Barnett — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:32:58 +0000

You can read the recent Leicester Mercury article on City of Sanctuary and leave your comments here.

Leicester

Interview on Sheffield Live! FM

Craig Barnett — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:06:30 +0000

There's an interview with Craig and Babak from City of Sanctuary on Sheffield's community radio station Sheffield Live! website. To listen just follow the link here (our interview is about a third of the way into the programme.

Sheffield

Strategy Planning Event

Craig Barnett — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:15:12 +0000

On 7th February we held a meeting at Sheffield University to choose our priorities for Sheffield as a City of Sanctuary over the next year. Fifty supporters and representatives of supporting organisations held lively discussions and shared their ideas.

There was a broad commitment to our Manifesto of long term goals for Sheffield, (see 'Our Manifesto' link on the left).

The core priority that was identified by the meeting was on building community between local people and new arrivals, particularly in key local neighbourhoods where asylum-seekers and refugees are concentrated.

Sheffield