In recent weeks, we’ve been helping many more asylum seekers, particularly those living in hostel accommodations in the west of Hertfordshire. Your generous donations have helped us to provide clothing vouchers and other goods to people who’ve recently arrived without many possessions or warm clothing. We have been doing our best to meet the most pressing needs of the newest arrivals. These have included the newly resettled families (some Afghan), the Afghan nationals in the hotel we are helping at, as well as some of those seeking asylum in the hostel. All of the donated mobile phones have now been given out, and these have been a lifeline in enabling refugees and asylum seekers to access help and information, as well as to remain in touch with friends and family. We have been struggling with capacity recently, so if you would like to be involved on a short term basis, we are looking for people who could help by transporting goods or furniture. We also need volunteers to collect and deliver bikes, please contact [email protected] about this. We recently had good news that two philanthropic landlords have come forward to offer accommodation to families. We are acutely aware that some of the Afghan families in our area have been in hotel accommodation for a while now, particularly those with larger families. This is not ideal and we will continue to advocate for long-term housing solutions from government while supporting these families. We are currently preparing holiday gifts for the refugee families and individuals who are supported by Herts Welcomes Refugees. We hope that this financial assistance will help the families to enjoy the Christmas season. Recently, our donations platform closed, so we would ask that any donations now be made directly to our bank account: Herts Welcomes Refugees Sort code 20 05 73 Account number 80585378 Or, if you prefer to make an online transfer, please visit the CAF (Charities Aid Foundation) link here: https://www.cafonline.org/system/charity-search-results Just type in ‘Herts Welcomes Refugees’ As ever, we appreciate your support and would like to send our warmest wishes to you this Christmas. Finally, we wanted to share Area Convenor Catherine Henderson’s words about the Government’s refugee policy, in light of the recent tragedies in the Channel: “The Government’s Nationality and Borders Bill, currently making its way through parliament, proposes that those entering the country via irregular routes will not receive the same protection and entitlements as those brought here under resettlement schemes. But it is the dangers that people are fleeing from that should determine their need for protection, not the means by which they come here. These proposals are unjust and will do nothing to make people’s journeys to seek sanctuary here safer. We urgently need a system based on fairness and compassion to prevent further deaths in the Channel.” If you would like to write to your MP about the bill’s flaws and defend the right to asylum: www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/borders-bill-will-be-victory-people-smugglers-tell-your-mp-expose-its-flaws?fbclid=IwAR3fyVmy446cJphI-Z1W4OusJt5m49bdmwBkJ9DwVWSLIbTHWW717jlOs7Q Comments are closed.
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