We support & empower refugees in Scotland to rebuild their lives in safety
Story
Participants:
Anneli Carroll, Keith Baker and Cindy Courtillier Between
7th and
13th June,
all three of us will be taking part in the Food Parcel Endurance
Challenge to raise awareness about
the problem of destitution amongst ‘refused’ asylum seekers. We
have chosen to do it next week to coincide with National “Refugee
Week” (14-22 June).
We will be
living off a British Red Cross food parcel for the week, to raise
funds for the Scottish Refugee Council
www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk Please sponsor us!
Our diary
entries will be posted on the following blog during Refugee Week
(14-22 June): www.refugeeweekscotland.posterous.com
Many
thanks for your support! :-)
What
does the challenge involve?
The
challenge involves living off a British Red Cross food parcel for one
week, to experience what life is like for a refused asylum seeker
every week of the year. This includes basics such as bread, rice,
pasta, tinned tomatoes and a small amount of fruit and vegetables.
See the full list of items below.
Asylum
seekers receive a weekly allowance of approx. £35-40 for all food
and travel. When someone’s application for asylum is refused,
however, the Home Office allows them two weeks' notice to leave their
accommodation, at which time their financial provision will be
stopped.
It is
at this stage that Government policy on immigration and asylum
creates ‘Living Ghosts’. They are essentially airbrushed out of
existence as ‘failed’ asylum-seekers, but they remain here and
this reality goes unnoticed by society at large.
Some
find themselves in houses provided by charitable organisations;
others sofa-surf between those who will take pity on them or are
forced to live on the streets. Without a national insurance number
they are not even eligible to access homeless hostels. It is illegal
for them to work to support themselves. Many of them rely on the
basic food parcel provided by destitution projects and community
groups across the country.
Why
are asylum seekers destitute? Two out
of every three asylum seekers, who flee persecution in their home
countries due to civil war or for political or ethnic reasons, are
refused sanctuary in the UK by the Home Office. Unable to prove their
stories, they are forced onto the streets with no means of support
and no right to work. They are told to go back to their home
countries, yet some cannot get the necessary travel documents, or
there is simply no safe route back to their country due to conflicts
or political turmoil. Many more fear persecution, torture, or even
death if they return to the countries they fled from, preferring to
live a life of destitution in the UK.
Failed
asylum seekers are sometimes entitled to claim ‘Section 4 support’
if they are unable to leave the UK for some reason. The rules for
Section 4 support are very strict however. They must prove that they
are destitute and that one of the following applies to them:
-
They have applied to return home and are waiting for the
arrangements to be finalised.
-
They are unfit for travelling
-
The Home Secretary says that there is no safe route of return to
their country
-
They have applied for a judicial review of their asylum claim
decision.
-
They wish to make a fresh claim for asylum or a claim under Article
3 of the Human Rights Act.
‘Section
4 support’ gives failed asylum seekers access to accommodation, and
they may also receive a weekly allowance of up to £35.00 which is made available to them through a payment card, called Azure,
that can be used in supermarkets. There is no cash support available
under Section 4.
The problem
is that whilst waiting for their claims to be processed, failed
asylum seekers are left destitute. In addition, the Azure payment
card brings about a range of issues, i.e:
-
It's not possible to carry over more than £5 from one week to
the next, which means failed asylum seekers can’t save money to buy more expensive
items, such as clothing.
-
The Azure card is often refused or declined in supermarkets as staff
are not made aware of the scheme.
- The Azure card cannot be used on public transport so failed asylum seekers have
to walk to get to the supermarkets, sometimes over long distances,
which can exacerbate health problems.
-
By having no cash, failed asylum seekers are excluded from sources
of cheaper food, healthcare, clothing and household products such as
markets and local shops.
-
The Azure card has a stigmatising effect on failed asylum seekers.
What can
we do about this? Many
people are unaware of the way failed asylum seekers are treated in
the UK and often the first step to changing legislation is to change
public opinion. Here are some of things you can do to help:
-
You can attend an event during Refugee Week to find out more about
the issues: www.refugeeweek.org.uk/InYourArea
-
You can take part in the Food Parcel Endurance challenge and raise
money for the the Scottish Refugee Council or another organisation of
your choice
-
You can write to your MP and the Home Office to voice your concerns
about the current legislation
What is
included in the British Red Cross Food Parcel?
Below is
the full list of items included in a weekly Food Parcel (for one
person). All items must be the cheapest supermarket brand.
1x
orange 1x banana 1x pear 1x apple 2x carrots 2x
onions 2x potatoes 1x pepper OR 25g chilli peppers 1x tin of
spaghetti in tomato sauce 1x tin of baked beans 1x tin soup
(chicken OR vegetable OR tomato) 1x tin of tomatoes 1x tin of
garden peas 1x tin of sweetcorn 1x tin chick peas 1x tin of
hotdogs 1x small tin of tuna 1x small tin of sardines 1x
loaf of white OR brown bread 250g pasta twists OR spaghetti 250g
long grain white rice 250g semolina 200g sugar 250g salt 0.5
litres vegetable oil 20 teabags 1x carton of apple OR orange
juice (1 litre) 1x carton of UHT longlife milk (1 litre) 100g
bar of chocolate 100g peanuts 1x packet of biscuits
Vegetarians
will substitute the meat/fish items for beans.
We are an independent human rights charity dedicated to providing advice, information and assistance to refugees in Scotland.
We campaign for a fair and humane asylum system in the UK, and support and promote diverse and welcoming communities across Scotland.