A group of people with direct experience of seeking asylum in the North East (Newcastle, Stockton-on-Tees, Thornaby, Ashington etc) have taken their stories to the heart of Westminster.
On Tuesday, the 3rd of December nine refugees and people currently seeking asylum visited Parliament to call for change in the asylum system and a fairer, more compassionate approach to people seeking safety in the UK.
Stories and calls for change with Dame Angela Eagle MP, Minister for Border Security and Asylum as the Government prepares to debate its new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration bill.
The event, hosted by Blyth and Ashington MP Ian Lavery, saw local representatives including Chi Onwurah, Liz Twist and Mary Glindon also hear directly from people who’ve sought asylum in the region.
The group addressed a wide variety of MPs from the North East, and beyond. Sharing personal experiences of waiting years for decisions, locked out of work and unable to use their skills, they urged them to give people seeking asylum the right to work while waiting for their claims to be decided, as well as to improve access to legal support and English language teaching.
They spoke to representatives about the need for as well as safe routes to the UK for those looking for safety, and the pressing times and Backlog. The campaigners were supported by Walking With, a North Tyneside drop-in support centre for people seeking sanctuary, the Northumberland County of Sanctuary group, and campaigning charity Asylum Matters.
Riada Kullani, former asylum seeker and CEO of Charity-Diversity Inside Us and Migration Project Coordinator at Catalyst said: “I was pleased to see MPs, including my local MP Andy McDonald, turn up to listen and discuss the issues people wanted to raise. There are many opportunities that asylum seekers can bring to the UK, but so many challenges too – for some people at the moment, dealing with the Home Office can be terrifying, the system that is meant to protect their welfare can be a nightmare, so we need to see a solution.”