We’re Going Back To Court
On Tuesday 19 July we’re going back to court to challenge this Government’s barbaric plan to send refugees to Rwanda. The hearing will decide whether the Rwanda policy itself is lawful. In the days leading up to the 19th, it’s vital that we all pull together to fight this disgraceful scheme. The legal challenge, and the protests that took place last month week were so important in stopping the horror of refugees being sent to Rwanda on the government’s first scheduled flight. We MUST keep up the pressure and show of opposition. There will be a demonstration outside the …
Care4Calais FC’s adventure at the Refugee World Cup
Refugees are often incredibly resourceful and inspiring people, and when you support them as a volunteer with Care4Calais, you can find yourself doing amazing things that you probably wouldn’t have otherwise tried. That’s how our group in Manchester came to set up a football team and enter the Refugee World Cup! It started when we began running social afternoons at a hotel housing asylum seekers in the city. We began supporting a couple of people who were struggling with their mental health, and one Sunday afternoon we decided to take along some footballs and snacks to see if that helped. …
Alex’s story
Since I was four years old I have been moving from place to place and country to country, just looking for somewhere safe to live. In Africa, where I was born, at first it was a matter of looking for somewhere my mum could get a job, so we could eat. But soon I was completely on my own, and life just got harder and harder; that’s when I decided to try to make it to the UK. My name is Alex, and I was born in Eritrea. I never knew my father; my mum was a Christian, a …
Armin’s story
I was out on my morning bike ride when they came to my house. I had left as usual about 6.30 to have a bike ride before I left for my work as a teacher. As I approached the house when I came back, I could see three cars outside, and seven or eight people around the door. I hung back, and then my wife text me not to come home. I didn’t know it then, but when I had left home that morning, it was the last time I would see my children. My name is Armn, and I’m …
Ahmed’s story
Ahmed is a young man from a village in the Afghan countryside. His beautiful brown eyes show all the worry of the world. When I met him, his first question was, “ Are they sending me to Rwanda?” He doesn’t speak English so can’t really follow the news. I reassured him the best I could, saying he should be ok he arrived before people were doing detained. I told him Care4Calais was fighting this case, and that no-one had been removed yet. And I said “Our founder Clare Moseley will never stop fighting for what was right. If Priti Patel …
A busy day in Dungeness
Yesterday we welcomed about 74 refugees who came ashore in two boats at Dungeness. Many of the people on the first boat were from Afghanistan, and several of those we spoke to on the second were from Eritrea and Syria. The second had a lot of families and very young children, and had been at sea for many hours; some of those aboard were freezing cold, and their hands were shaking so much they couldn’t even open packets of biscuits for themselves. It is hard to see people like this, and it’s a great help to them to offer …
Ashraf and Ali’s story
Forty-eight hours ago, Ali and his father Ashraf thought they would never see each other again. The family are Christian, which made life in Iran dangerous for them. The authorities constantly intimidated and threatened them, so finally they made a big decision together. Ashraf and Ali would make the incredibly dangerous journey to seek asylum in the UK and, if successful, bring Ali’s mum and his two sisters – the three of them are triplets – to join them. It was hard for Ali to leave his mother and two sisters. Triplets share a special bond and they are …
Flight stopped. Deportees saved!
Last night, at the 11th hour, five men were stopped from boarding a flight to Rwanda. In the morning, seven had been expecting to be on the plane. Through the day, four of those seven made individual claims to the British courts to stop them being forcibly sent. Three more men had their deportations stopped by an intervention by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). This meant there was no deportation to Rwanda yesterday. The ECHR gave four main reasons for its decision: – The Evidence from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees that asylum seekers in Rwanda …
Seven refugees face traumatic deportation
We urgently need to stop this brutal policy that will harm many innocent people. To find out how you can help, go to care4calais.org/stop-rwanda/ At the time of writing, 10.15am on Tuesday morning, there are seven refugees booked on today’s flight to Rwanda. At least five of them have indicators of being trafficked and/or tortured. Yesterday in the Court of Appeal we heard that the United Nations High Commission for Refugees unequivocally believes the UK Government’s Rwanda policy to be unlawful. We also heard that they do not believe Rwanda has the capacity to give people a fair hearing …
Mustafa’s story
Mustafa is a young Sudanese man who sought refuge in the UK after many horrendous experiences. He is currently in detention, and has been told he will be sent to Rwanda. He told us his story; it is heartbreaking. Can you tell us a bit about your background? I’m 23 years old, almost 24. I was born in Darfur, but spent a lot of my childhood and youth in cities. When I was young I lost my dad and older brother in the conflict there, so my mother took me and my younger brother and we moved to another …