Standing with Refugees

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Christa came to Greece in 2015 to do what she could for refugees, like so many of us after seeing the body of Alan Kurdi washed up on a Turkish shore. She has made several humanitarian trips to Greece with our friends Carry the Future and Allied Aid.

We were also lucky to her along as one of our walkers retracing the refugee route this month before she travelled on to volunteer on the island of Chios.

We talk about the poignancy of that walk, the enjoyment of being a volunteer and the extraordinary people we’ve met.

Christa is one of life’s smilers with boundless enthusiasm and affection who just had to do something to help and as she says “One person can make a difference.”

Help Refugee Support Europe

We rely on donations for everything we do and need your help, however small.

We worked closely with our good friend Zoe when she was the UNHCR Officer at Alexandreia refugee camp but she was supporting refugees as a volunteer 18 months before that. She was part of the very first response at Idomeni.

As 19 Refugee Support volunteers begin their week long walk to re-trace the refugee route from Idomeni to Skopje, Zoe talks about how she witnessed the border at Idomeni go from some empty fields in early 2015 to the largest sprawling camps in Europe 12 months later, populated by people who had made epic and exhausting journeys.

Speaking to both John and Paul, Zoe talks about this enormous upheaval in a rural community and how thousands of local Greek people organised to provide food, clothing and medical care to tens of thousands of refugees in transit long before the government, other agencies or international volunteers were helping.

Many citizens of Northern Greece have grandparents and great grandparents who were refugees themselves so they know how traumatic it is to be forced to leave your home.

In an emotional recollection, it is a story of human solidarity, supporting each other, but being part of it came at a huge price.

Govenerments must do more.

Help Refugee Support Europe

We rely on donations for everything we do and need your help, however small.

With borders closing across Europe, refugees arriving were getting trapped in the southern states of Greece and Italy. The political solution to this was the EU statement of 20 March 2016 to slow the arrival of refugees from Turkey.

Two years on we discuss this statement, often referred to as the EU-Turkey deal, with Claudia Bonamini, policy and advocacy officer of the Jesuit Refugee Service. Claudia wrote about the 2 year anniversary of the policy here.

There are a number of elements to the policy but whether you look at it from a legal, practical or moral viewpoint it has been a failure.

It has not stopped refugees arriving, many are still languishing in Greece, conditions in Turkey are probably inhumane, but it is Europe’s moral failure that is so acute.

Claudia talks knowledgeably and passionately about this failure. We have made the suffering and injustice invisible within Europe’s borders, and yet the suffering and injustice for people fleeing war is worse.

Help Refugee Support Europe

We rely on donations for everything we do and need your help, however small.

Ingrid started supporting refugees in the Calais jungle in 2015 and went on to do much more, now hosting 4 refugees in her own home.

Giving refugees a place to stay is obviously important but it also means they get essential support to access all local services and integrate into their new country.

It can be hard work and you need to find the right balance, but it is very rewarding getting to know the people who have made extraordinary journeys, to see them succeed as they rebuild their lives and to spend time with others who are supporting refugees like the people of Epsom & Ewell Refugee Network.

This is a inspirational and positive story from someone who just decided to do something to help and went on to help. And like all of us who are doing what we can for others, she got a huge amount out of it for herself. As Ingrid says: ‘It has been the best years of my life.”

A good place to start if you would like to host refugees is Refugees at Home.

Help Refugee Support Europe

We rely on donations for everything we do and need your help, however small.

The Sanctuary organisation is a national volunteer movement devoted to offering a welcome and safety for people fleeing violence and persecution. In Brighton, that is the very active Sanctuary on Sea, chaired by Richard Williams, where they:

– Focus on creating welcoming environments in school

– Find accommodation for refugees coming under the Syrian vulnerable persons scheme

– Support other refugee-related organisations in Brighton

– Organise meetings and cultural events, especially as part of Refugee Week from 18-24 June this year

This is valuable work and another example of the many grass-roots solidarity in local communities across the UK. But the country could do more and small things can make a difference. We talk about that and some of the changes that Richard has seen over the 20 years he has been working with refugees, not least in the rise of the costly ‘refugee industry’.

How about instead of spending all those billions keeping people out, we invest in these grass-roots initiatives to welcome people in?

Help Refugee Support Europe

We rely on donations for everything we do and need your help, however small.

Bea Shrewsbury volunteered on a camp last year and it changed her life. She’s now a trustee, serial volunteer and champion fundraiser.

Her inspirational mother came to England as part of the kindertransport from Germany just before WWII and Bea wrote about that here and what a great thing that was. With Help Refugees once again taking the UK govt to court to get them to fulfil their obligations under Dubs to take in unaccompanied child refugees from Europe, now seems a more heartless time.

We talk about that, about how anyone could be a refugee and that if we give them a chance to start again we will all benefit – as Bea and her family are testament to.

We also talk about our walk from Idomeni to Skopje, retracing some of the route that refugees took. You can still join the 17 who have already signed up to raise awareness, spend some time in beautiful countryside with some great, like-minded people and beat a challenge. You’ll also be raising important funds for our work and we have a few tips about that. It’s from 29th April – 5th May and if you sign up, we promise you won’t regret it.

Help Refugee Support Europe

We rely on donations for everything we do and need your help, however small.

Tracey Samuel runs bonniemob, a Brighton-based family business that designs and sells kids clothes around the world. Upset at the plight of the refugees in 2016 and keen to do something she decided to help Refugee Support by doing what she does best – designing and selling clothes.

Working with Selfish Mother, she created a charity collection that has raised almost £10,000 for refugees! (There are still some available and they make great gifts…). bonniemob is now working on another range for the end of 2018 where £10 or £20 from each item goes to supporting refugees.

This is a great story of how anyone can help refugees, just trying to do something can grow into something big and how everyone can benefit: the business, customers and the charity. What can you do to help?

Help Refugee Support Europe

We rely on donations for everything we do and need your help, however small.

In 2015, Ros was working in TV and volunteering at her Synagogue’s refugee support group, when the facebook event she set up quickly became a huge demonstration with 100,000 people. From there, Solidarity with Refugees was born which Ros now leads.

This is an inspirational story about what happen both personally and nationally when something you organise suddenly becomes massive.

Solidarty with Refugees is now supporting other grassroots refugee groups and getting the solidarity message out there. If we want long term solutions, we need to change the policies.

Help Refugee Support Europe

We rely on donations for everything we do and need your help, however small.

For this week’s podcast, Paul spoke to Tasha Freidus, the founder and creator of NeedsList. We’ve been working with Tasha for about a year now, and Tasha has been a big supporter of our work during this time.

NeedsList in as online marketplace that unites humanitarian organisations with donors – listing what organisations need so that donors who want to help can donate to urgent, real-time causes. It’s a great and transparent way of showing donors who they are helping, and what their donation is being used for. So far, it has met over 30,000 needs in 10 countries!

Displaced people have urgent needs which can change quickly. Small organisations such as ourselves often lack the resources to satisfy needs immediately; relying on donations of physical items such as clothes and shoes to offer aid. Unfortunately, however, the time it takes for donations to reach their destination can often result in a influx of items that are no longer urgently needed by the time they arrive.

NeedsList is a fantastic platform, because not only does it satisfy physical needs, but it also accepts monetary donations which are often the most effective in crisis. Thanks for talking with us, Tasha, and keep up the great work.

Help Refugee Support Europe

We rely on donations for everything we do and need your help, however small.

Brighton-based Steve started Refugee Radio 10 years to create an arts programme with refugees but it quickly morphed into a mental health support service.

Steve talks about this critical servce, but also in the context of the last decade working with refugees and the UK bureaucracy. Although the UK and Europe are still reluctant to resettle and support refugees, attitudes have improved. Although we’ve seen a right wing backlash over the last 2 years, it was a lot worse.

Seeing pictures of tragedy raises awareness but what can we do to create more compassionate, welcoming attitudes? Frequently we hear an economic argument but what about demonstrating that these people are humans, just like you and me.