Medhanie’s Story
“I spent years travelling to escape from Africa,” the text message read. “Why would I go back there? I would rather be dead.” The message was from Medhanie, a young Eritrean refugee I first met when he arrived in the UK two years ago after a long and horrific journey. For those two years he has been patiently waiting for his asylum interview, but recently he has begun frantically messaging me. The reason, of course, is the government’s announcement that it will send asylum seekers to Rwanda. I try to assure him it was only a threat to recent arrivals …
Charlotte’s heartfelt plea
This week I sat holding the hand of a terrified young man. I’ve known him since he first arrived in the UK as an asylum seeker nearly two years ago. I’ve watched him gain confidence as his English improved and he made friends. And, although he’s been waiting in limbo for his application to progress, I’ve seen him slowly start to feel safe. He has learned to trust us, and is now a dedicated student at our weekly English class. This week, though, something was up. His usual keen laugh was replaced with a shrug. Those mischievous eyes looked …
Soon appearing on a billboard near you !
Amazing news! This photograph of refugees and Care4Calais volunteers has been chosen for a government ad campaign that shows what makes Britain Great – and will soon be prominently displayed at Heathrow Airport. The picture was taken by photographer Frederic Aranda, who works with a group based at an East London hotel. Frederic loves the way volunteers and refugees come together as a big family, and tried to get that across in his pictures. He certainly succeeded in this one, shot in London’s Smithfield market. “The image is a tribute to Care4Calais, an organisation that helps refugees whose immigration …
Sofia’s story
Last month Sofia, nine years old, survived a suspected cluster bomb attack in the besieged city of Mykolaiv, which lodged shrapnel the size of a sugar cube in her brain. Fragments from the blast shattered her skull, forcing a piece of hot metal around half an inch thick through her forehead. The metal passed through the centre of her brain, and came to rest at the nape of her neck. “It is a kind of miracle that she survived at all,” said Dr Mikhail Lovga, chief of the paediatric neurosurgery department at Mykolaiv hospital, who is treating …
Meet Katherine , Access Team member
When I met Mohamed he was depressed and hopeless, unable to sleep, and convinced there was no longer any point in living. He was only 24 years old. Mohamed had to leave his native Iran when he became Christian, because his family said he had dishonoured them. He escaped to the UK only to find himself housed in the infamous Napier Barracks, which was seriously distressing for him. The gates at Napier have guards, and it’s a hostile environment – a lot of asylum seekers at Napier say they feel like they’re living in prison. In the barracks, he …
An Eid Story of Kindness and Love
Today and tomorrow/yesterday and today Muslims are celebrating Eid, and in for Muslim refugees in northern France this can be a bittersweet time as they remember their homes and families, and the visits and gift-giving that are part of the festivities. To help make the days feel special, we have given out special gift bags that our volunteers have carefully prepared over the last month. Each bag contains a bar of chocolate, a can of Coke, two different SIM cards, a Google Power Bank and cable, socks, hand sanitizer, tissues and a gift-wrapped hand- or head-torch donated by supporters …
We’re going to court to stop Rwanda
We’re going to court to #StopRwanda And we need your help. Yesterday morning we sent a legal letter to the Government challenging their reprehensible plan to send refugees to Rwanda. We are doing this with our friends from Detention Action, the PCS Union, whose members will be tasked to carry out the plan, and our fantastic lawyers, Duncan Lewis. The government’s plan is a threat to the lives of refugees, the international reputation of the United Kingdom and the finances of British people. From the suspiciously sparse detail presented so far, it is already clear the plan holds multiple …
Government backs down on pushbacks
We are proud and delighted that the Home Secretary has abandoned the controversial Pushbacks policy just over a week before our case was due to be heard in the High Court. Care4Calais joined forces with the Public and Commercial Services Union, Channel Rescue and Freedom from Torture to challenge the proposed Home Office policy to forcibly push back small refugee boats in the English Channel. The hearing was set for May 3rd. On Sunday night the Home Office wrote to confirm the policy has been withdrawn. Before today, Priti Patel had repeatedly insisted that the pushback policy would …
The horror of a Mediterranean shipwreck
I’ve been on a search and rescue mission for the last few weeks with Sea-Watch, in the central Mediterranean Sea, just north or Libya. I drive one of the two speedboats. We’d not long got back to the ship from rescuing boat three. Phil, head of mission told us that there’d been a mayday call. A plane had spotted a rubber boat which was sinking, with over fifty people in the water. It was over ten miles away. The briefing was short. What equipment to take, the location for the chart plotter, good luck, go. It was that kind of …
Sami’s story
I came from Afghanistan to the UK, and it took me two years. It began on a normal day in my village. I was at school studying. My parents and small brother had gone to a wedding in the city, Jalalabad. The city was a few hours away and they had to get back before dark. Life in Afghanistan was so dangerous for normal people. No one went out at night. There was no law or order, people did what they wanted. That included shooting at cars for target practice. Any car. They didn’t care. That day, someone shot my …