To be recognised as an official Town or City of Sanctuary, the local City of Sanctuary working group will need to achieve these four essential goals:

1. Resolutions of support from a significant and representative proportion of local groups and organisations. These should include a commitment to welcoming and including people seeking sanctuary in the groups' activities, and evidence of practical efforts to build relationships between those seeking sanctuary and local people.
2. The support and involvement of local refugee communities, and refugee representation on the local City of Sanctuary working group.
3. A resolution of support from the City Council (or other Local Authority). This will include a specific commitment to becoming a welcoming city for refugees and people seeking sanctuary, as well as co-operation with the local City of Sanctuary movement in policy and strategy making.
4. A strategy, agreed by the main supporting organisations, for how the city is to continue working towards greater inclusion of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. Continued progress will be measured by an annual review process.
5. In addition, the town or city should be able to demonstrate public awareness and involvement in support for people seeking sanctuary, through meeting a range of goals from the following list (or similar):
   • Workshops for schools on sanctuary issues.
   • Social and cultural events where people seeking sanctuary and local people interact.
   • Speakers' events for local people to hear from those seeking sanctuary directly about their experiences.
   • Concerts and drama productions by refugee artists.
   • Signs displayed by supporting organisations to welcome people seeking sanctuary.
   • Interfaith events promoting sanctuary and hospitality.
   • Community conflict resolution services for areas experiencing tension over new arrivals.
   • Work with local media to publicise positive stories of people seeking sanctuary.
   • Involvement of refugees in media production.
   • Civic receptions for new arrivals in the city.
   • Refugee community involvement in festivals and cultural events.
   • Programme of events and activities for Refugee Week.
   • Programmes for employment training and voluntary work placements for refugees and those seeking sanctuary.

Process for recognition of a City of Sanctuary

1. The local working group develops its own goals and strategy for meeting the criteria outlined above, in a way that is relevant to their situation. The group maintains regular contact with the national network in order to share reports on progress, ideas and resources.
2. When the local group has achieved its initial goals, it reports to the national network group (composed of all City of Sanctuary working groups) and proposes holding an official launch.
3. The national group may ask questions, make suggestions, or recommend further work that may need to be done.
4. When there is agreement by the national network group that the criteria have been met, the local group holds an official launch, which will be recognised and publicised by the national movement.
5. Following recognition as an official City of Sanctuary, the local group will continue to support the development of a culture of hospitality and to monitor continued progress. Recognition as a City of Sanctuary is not the end of the process, since there will always be further work to do towards the aspiration of being a fully inclusive town or city.

June 2008