How far would you go for your loved ones?
How far would you go for the people you love? Would you break the law? Put yourself in danger? Risk your life? We asked more than 2,000 people how far they’d go for their loved ones, and an overwhelming majority said they’d do ANYTHING for their loved ones. Now we want to get people thinking – if as Brits we think we’d do anything for our friends and families, then maybe it’s time to start welcoming the brave refugees who have already taken such risks. Because when refugees travel thousands of miles to find safety for themselves and their loved …
A visit from Diane
This week we were proud and delighted to welcome Diane Abbott the Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, to a distribution at a London hotel we support. As one of the MPs supporting our proposed amendment to the Illegal Migration bill, she wanted to see how we worked, and to meet refugees so she could understand their experiences in the UK. The distribution of clothes and other essentials had a especially warm feeling as it was for Ramadan, so there were some decorations and activities such as henna hand painting. At the hotel Diane’s warmth, dedication …
An Inspiring March
“The thing about the Government’s new policy is it’s so divisive, you can’t sit on the fence any more,” a lady said to me today, as we walked down Regent Street together on the Anti-Racism march. “I think that’s why a lot of people are here. I wouldn’t normally come, to be honest. But there comes a point where you feel you want to do something, and say, not in my name.” Just up ahead of me I watched an older man with a stick. He walked the length of the demo without taking a break. Ordinary people can …
Beautiful plates that mean everything
These beautiful plates were painted by refugee children at a family group our volunteers help with at a London hotel. Their designs are simple, but to the mums receiving them, they’re treasures, with deeper meanings than we can guess at. One of the ladies, for example, had relatives caught in the earthquake in Syria; her daughter’s message was also for them, and together they sent photographs of their plate to everyone at home as a way of showing they were thinking of them. When you’re a refugee family in a hotel room in a strange new country, you don’t …
Please join us at the demo!
There has never been a more important time to take a stand and say that refugees are welcome here. Because all that it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to stand by and do nothing. As part of a global day of anti-racist protest, Care4Calais will be marching in solidarity alongside Stand Up To Racism and Trades Union Congress (TUC) in London on March 18, 2023. Demonstrations will also take place in Cardiff and Glasgow. This moment could be a turning point in our history, and we need to ensure that fairness prevails. As governments around …
Thank you, Maryam and friends!
Six months ago Maryam (that’s her in the middle of the photo) came out to Calais to volunteer with us. Deeply moved by what she saw, and determined to do something about it, she returned home to set off an amazing chain of events. At her mosque in London, her friends were so stirred by her story they immediately started fundraising and arranging events. A drama club for 40 kids. An art class for 50 women. A quiz night with 60 entrants. “These were events where we could talk about refugees as people,” Maryam told us. “And those who …
Match of the Day
At the weekend two mighty football teams met in a scintillating fixture. The play was fast and skilful, the passion was palpable and players and supporters alike loved every second. Ok, it wasn’t Arsenal – Man City, or Man U – Liverpool. It was in fact the long-awaited local derby between Basingstoke Care4Calais FC v Reading Care4Calais FC, with teams of refugees and volunteers competing for bragging rights. Lots of the refugees we help adore football and it’s easy to see why. However good you are, when you’re out on that pitch it’s just you, your mates and that …
Trade unions issue joint statement in support of refugees
The Fire Brigades Union has coordinated a brilliant and inspiring statement from a host of trade union leaders in support of refugees. The statement, which was passed as a resolution at the FBU Executive Council last week, is great to see. We must stand up to the far right; refugees need solidarity, not scapegoating. If our Government showed as much leadership as the trade unions, promoting tolerance over hate, we would be in a much better place. The full statement reads: In recent weeks, we have seen an alarming rise in violence and intimidation organised by the far right against refugees …
Ukraine and safe passage, one year on
One year ago today Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since the fall of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. As a nation, we responded with compassion and action. Since then we’ve issued 233,000 visas and welcomed Ukrainians to our communities across the UK. As caring people, we continue to help our fellow human beings escaping danger; as we acknowledge all people deserve safety and dignity. Our leaders, however, claim to respect human rights that should be universal, but in practice it seems, they pick and choose who these rights apply to. That is not how human …
Surge in anti-refugee activity: new analysis
The Times has published a highly relevant and informative article about the increase in anti-refugee activity in the UK. As the article is behind a paywall the key points are summarised below. Hard-right protesters visited hotels housing asylum seekers 253 times last year amid a surge in anti-migrant activity across the UK, Dame Sara Khan, the government’s commissioner for countering extremism, said a neo-Nazi group behind some of the anti-migrant protests had been allowed to flourish owing to inaction from ministers. The government failed to respond to a warning by Khan and Sir Mark Rowley, now the commissioner of the …