davidbenpark@gmail.com – Govan Community Project

Our Women’s Group has been getting creative to celebrate International Women’s Day. The group spent the last couple of weeks exploring the theme of motherhood. They painted blocks and stamped them on to fabric, creating a ‘print-like’ effect. Everyone had the chance to create their own stencils which were added to the design. The finished product is a beautiful table cloth, which we hope to use at future events.

Supporting women and providing a safe space for them to meet is an important part of our weekly schedule at GCP. For a few hours every Friday we facilitate the space for women to share experiences, try new activities and explore their creativity. Some members have been attending the group for years, others are relatively new, but most give similar reasons for coming to the weekly sessions.

“It brings me joy,” said Queen, who joined the group in 2022. “We keep busy, so you don’t think about the bad things. It’s good to meet other women, when it gets to Friday I am so happy,” she added.

Rwaa joined the group to meet other people. She said: “I used to feel shy, this group has helped me. Every week is different, we try new things, it’s never boring. I used to feel there were things I couldn’t do, but I come here and try new things and I enjoy it.” The change of routine is what Samira enjoys. “It’s a surprise each week what we do, I like that. I came to meet my friends. There are many nationalities here.”

From painting, to journal writing, playing instruments and cooking, the classes are varied each week. Overseeing the themes and topics of the sessions is Women’s Group Coordinator, Aileas Pringle. “I have a conversation with group members to come up with interesting and informative topics- generally there’s a teaching or exploratory element to it,” said Aileas. “I want it to be an enjoyable and comfortable environment. It’s important to have spaces like this, it’s a support network, people share information with each other and come away with shared experiences.”

The Women’s Group meets in Govan on Fridays. For more information contact aileas@govancommunityproject.org.uk

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The UN Refugee Convention placed the rights of refugees under international law. All of the 149 countries who signed up made a legal commitment to protect people fleeing war and persecution in other countries.

The UK’s commitment to this convention has seen us play an extremely important role in saving lives and welcoming diversity into our communities. Scotland have benefited greatly from welcoming people seeking sanctuary to call Scotland their new home. This is something that the UK should be proud of. Recent polls have shown that almost 75% of Scots want to continue to welcome New Scots.

Sadly, the UK’s proposed UK Nationality and Borders Bill places all that under serious threat. It shifts the focus away from the traumatic and inhumane experiences individuals have fled, and focusses on judging people on the route and means by which they arrived in the UK. Therefore, it creates an unfair 2-tier system and potentially penalises those who have arrived seeking our protection. This bill directly contradicts the Convention:

“The Convention further stipulates that, subject to specific exceptions, refugees should not be penalized for their illegal entry or stay. This recognizes that the seeking of asylum can require refugees to breach immigration rules. Prohibited penalties might include being charged with immigration or criminal offences relating to the seeking of asylum, or being arbitrarily detained purely on the basis of seeking asylum.”

GCP and our colleagues in the sector stand #TogetherWithRefugees. We oppose this inhumane bill and would urge everyone to support our refugee and asylum community members by writing to their MPs asking them to reject this bill and lobby for positive change.

The recent event in Kenmure Street in Glasgow demonstrated that this is not how Scottish people want our friends and neighbours to be treated and that refugees are always welcome here in Scotland. Let’s stand together to oppose this bill and campaign for the rights of refugees, and value and celebrate the rich, diverse nation we have become.

The tragedy in the English Channel is the worst humanitarian disaster connected to Channel crossings in recent times. Those who died were taking the only choice open to them to seek safety. Behind these numbers are people, who have parents, children, friends and family who are mourning their loved ones.

This tragedy should never have happened would not have happened if there had been safe and legal routes to seek protection open to them. Our government should take responsibility for this. No one makes a choice to risk their life in the world’s busiest shipping lane in a flimsy dinghy if there is another option.

There will be much speculation in the press, fuelled by the media and our UK Government, placing the blame on those fleeing for safety, when they should be looking at the role current policy played in this and engaging with our neighbours in Europe to find a better, safer way. Our Government have closed down safe routes to seek protection, such as family reunion and the Dubs Amendment, which leads to this ongoing, life-threatening situation where many people fleeing war or brutal dictatorships can only physically touch UK soil by putting their lives at risk to get here.

The time to change this inhumane system, which threatens human life, is long overdue. Our Government need to take action now, to value and preserve human life and honour the commitments our country made in the Refugee Convention to offer protection. The media also need to take a long, hard look at the way they report these tragedies and remember they are talking about human beings, lives being lost and families being devastated.

We all want to see an end to people smugglers profiteering from the lives of those desperate to find safety. The current system leaves no choice. It punishes refugees and is proven to have failed. It’s not good enough to say that France needs to do more to stop people crossing. The best way to put smugglers out of business is to create safe routes. Allow families to reunite. Introduce humanitarian visas. Protect child refugees at risk of exploitation. Open the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme while there’s still time.

We all hoped we would never see this day. We urge our government to immediately withdraw and rethink its plan to criminalise refugees through the Nationality and Borders Bill, and instead live up to its responsibilities to work with the global community towards a refugee policy that means this tragedy is never repeated and that the UK offers sanctuary to those who seek our protection – something which the majority of people in the UK feel is the right and humanitarian thing to do.

GCP is a proud signatory of this statement released by Scottish Refugee Council, JustRight Scotland, and Rape Crisis Scotland. We stand proudly among the 60 other Scottish organisations who oppose the cruel and dangerous Nationality and Borders Bill. To read the statement and find out more, visit: https://bit.ly/3IchHGD

On 25 November, GCP held a vigil to stand in solidarity with refugee communities around the world after the tragedy that occurred the previous day. Our community came together to pay respect to those who lost their lives in the Channel.