Tag: refugees

Zeinab* found Govan Community Project when she moved to Cardonald in 2017. Here she shares her story, and explains the impact attending our Women’s Group has had on her life.

I came to Scotland in 2011 from Afghanistan with my two young children to join my husband who was working here. In the first few months I was busy looking after my children and making my home, but after a few months I started to miss my family, there was no internet in Afghanistan for us to call, I started to feel alone. I had three friends, they were the wives of my husband’s friends, they were all I had. I went to college to learn English. I had to start right from the very beginning, from ABCs, but then I was pregnant with my son, and then my daughter and I didn’t have time to attend college. We moved around from Ibrox to Govanhill, and then in 2017 we moved to Cardonald. When I moved to Moss Heights, my neighbour told me about the community flat and GCP, she said they were friendly and they would help me. 

When I first came to the Women’s Group I was very afraid, I was afraid to leave the house by myself or with my children, I was afraid to get lost or for something terrible to happen to me. Everywhere I went, I went with my husband and I was very alone and scared. It started with the walking group, every week we would go out and walk around the park, the women would walk and then we would share fruit and talk. Going outside was good for me, before I had depression, all I could think about was my family. But I learnt that going outside and walking wasn’t scary, it was good for me. Then we learnt how to cycle, it was a class just for women, after two lessons I could cycle. I had never had a bike before, in Afghanistan women are not allowed to ride bikes, I never had a bike as a child. So when I learnt how to cycle I felt total freedom, I felt the best, I can cycle – I can go anywhere. They said if I could learn I could have a bike, so then I got a bike from GCP bike library.

After learning how to cycle I wanted to learn how to drive, I felt if I could learn to cycle I could learn anything. Friends at Women’s Group told me I could do it, they sent me the app and encouraged me to try. My husband said the test was very difficult, I might not pass. I passed for the first time. Then I passed my practical test and I could drive. All of this happened when I joined the group, before I joined I felt very weak, unable to do anything. In my country the men say that women are just to stay in the home, they can’t do anything. But coming to this group I met strong women who worked, who went outside, I felt like I could do anything. It’s important for me to show my children to be brave, not to be scared.

I have learnt and tried so many new things through this group, we have learnt new sports and activities, I have seen so much of Glasgow through this group and trips. I tell everyone to come to this group, I tell my friends and my neighbours. Two years ago I said I wanted to work here, I had no experience but I wanted to learn. I started to volunteer for an hour at the Women’s Group, I sign people in and I welcome them to the group. Last year someone new came with her husband, she was very nervous and couldn’t speak English, her husband was worried about her being at home alone all the time. I met her, and I welcomed her to this group. I like getting to be the person who meets new people, when I see new people; I know them, I feel that. 

There are a lot of refugee women at home alone, they don’t know how to start or how to get confidence, I tell them to come here, I like being the person to meet them now. Through this group I have met lots of close friends, neighbours, they give energy and inspire women. This group is like a family, GCP is my second home, I come every Friday and I love this community.

*name changed to protect anonymity

 

The Home Office has announced it will extend the ‘move-on’ period of time given to newly granted refugees from 28 days to 56 days.

Govan Community Project Head of Charity, Traci Kirkland, welcomed the news.

“GCP are delighted to hear the news that the Home Office have extended the move-on period for newly granted refugees to 56 days, something that many organisations across the sector have been campaigning for for a long time.  We hope this will see less people being forced into destitution as they take the next steps in rebuilding their lives in our communities.

“We note however that this is currently announced as a ‘time limited trial’ and we would urge the Home Office to make this a permanent policy change, to ensure that all refugees are provided with a more appropriate timescale to access their rights and entitlements, reducing the risk of homelessness.

“Whilst this is a hugely positive step, it does not sit in isolation of other policy and process and individuals and families will only fully benefit from the increased timescale if other barriers are reduced, such as ensuring access to e-visas and notice periods are received within the correct timescales, in the right order.”

We are horrified by the scenes of coordinated violence seen throughout the UK over the weekend targeting refugee, migrant and Muslim communities.

To those in our communities across the UK who have been targeted or are living in fear, we send a message of hope, strength and solidarity. We also send a reminder that our communities have demonstrated time and time again that refugees are welcome here.

To the UK government we send a message that you need to take responsibility and you need to do more to heal communities not divide them, including holding the media to account for their role in inciting division in our nation.

Govan Community Project has signed a letter along with over 240 organisations to call for communities and the country to be brought together for a different way forward- one that’s compassionate and united. This must be a turning point. Find out more about the Fair Begins Here campaign.

Traci Kirkland, Head of Charity at GCP, outlined her message to the new government in our latest newsletter, read below.

“This month we have seen a new UK Government, whose slogan was ‘change’. Here at GCP we really hope that change includes a realistic and compassionate reform to immigration policies, moving away from the hostile environment towards building an inclusive society where everyone’s contributions are recognised, valued and welcomed.

We stand alongside partner agencies we work with in the migration sector and all of our community members to make an appeal to the Prime Minister and his new government to make rebuilding the immigration system one of their big changes. To this end we continue to be part of the Fair Begins Here campaign from Together for Refugees. Polls increasingly show that the majority of the nation see migration and diversity as a huge benefit to our communities and our economy. They agree that the current, dehumanising system is broken beyond repair and does not represent the views of most of the country or how we want other nations to see us.

We were delighted to see the Prime Minister scrapped the inhumane Rwanda scheme on his first days in office. We would now urge the new government to work with and learn from those in the sector, and most importantly, those with lived experience, to co-design a system which is fair and based on humanity. We want to see safe and legal routes for vulnerable individuals and families who seek sanctuary from the social injustices which are happening globally. We would also ask that the government recognises the level of harm and toxicity caused by the use of dehumanising language when talking about migration and takes steps to address this.

“We are way more powerful when we turn to each other and not on each other, when we celebrate our diversity… and together tear down the mighty walls of injustice.” Cynthia McKinney

We ask the government to let people live with choice and dignity, through scrapping policies such as No Recourse to Public Funds, lifting the ban on working for those in the asylum process and scrapping benefit caps which keep families in poverty.

At a local level we bid a fond farewell to our outgoing MP Chris Stephens who stood firmly alongside our community in opposition to hostile immigration policy and thank him for all of his support. We extend a warm welcome to Dr Zubir Ahmed as our new constituency MP in Glasgow South West. We ask Dr Ahmed to stand in solidarity with our community and push his parliamentary colleagues to look beyond the numbers and the reports and truly engage with and listen to people at community level when looking at solutions for the broken immigration system, the ongoing housing crisis and the cost of living crisis.

We live in hope of a new government bringing real, lasting change. A government that believes in cohesion, not division, and we look forward to engaging with our new MP in the near future.”

GCP is launching a series of Community Wellbeing Workshops with a focus on mental health literacy. The first workshop is How to Access NHS Services, including information on registering with a GP, accessing an interpreter for appointments and what to do in an emergency.

The workshop will be led by Francine Bucumi from the Asylum Health Bridging Team. Drawing on her personal and professional experience, Francine will talk about the importance of knowing your rights to medical treatment and how to access mental health services within the NHS. 

She will also talk about the importance of social activity on the impact of mental wellbeing and share her experience of volunteering.

Topics covered in the workshop include:

• HC2 forms (application and renewal)
• Access to primary and secondary NHS care
• Registering with a GP
• Speaking with a GP about your mental health
• Accessing interpreters for NHS appointments
• Asylum seekers rights within the NHS
• Importance of social activity on wellbeing
• What to do/ where to go in an emergency

The workshop will take place on Thursday 16 May, 1pm-2.30pm at The Barber Suite, Elderpark Housing Association.

All workshops are open to anyone in the community who would like to learn more about mental wellbeing, but the support focus is on refugees and asylum seekers. 

Workshops are free to attend, light refreshments will be provided, interpreters and translated materials are available upon request.

You can register by sending your name, contact details and language requirement to wellbeing@govancommunityproject.org.uk. 

 

The UK Government has passed the Rwanda Safety Bill, below is a statement from Govan Community Project in response to this:

We are absolutely devastated and disgusted at the passing of the Rwanda Safety Bill in Parliament. This enables our government to completely ignore human rights and break international law. Despite being ruled by the Supreme Court as unsafe, our uncaring government will forcibly remove people seeking asylum, including children, to a country where they are at serious risk of harm and abuse.

Time and time again, research on the views of the public show that this is not what the majority of the UK population wants. Communities up and down the UK provide a welcoming, safe space for refugees and recognise the value diversity brings to our society.

Instead of this cruel, heartless, ineffective and costly scheme, we stand in solidarity together with refugees and our colleagues across the sector and call for a new plan that recognises and respects human rights and treats everyone fairly and kindly.

We call on all of our friends, neighbours and colleagues across the country to continue to call out the UK Government on their inhumane, harmful policies.

Govan Community Project has signed a letter to the Prime Minister, along with over 250 other organisations, to express our outrage at this law. Read the letter here.

Today (Wednesday 15 November) the Supreme Court ruled the UK Government’s Rwanda plan is unlawful.

Signed (as of noon Wednesday 15 November 2023)

 

1. Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI)
2. BARAC UK
3. Kalayaan 
4. Liberty 
5. Doctors of the World UK
6. Welsh Refugee Council
7. Medical Justice
8. Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX)
9. Rainbow Migration
10. Bail for Immigration Detainees
11. Just Fair
12. René Cassin, the Jewish voice for human rights
13. After Exploitation
14. Freedom from Torture
15. Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS)
16. North Wales Regional Equality Network
17. Young Roots
18. Anti Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit (ATLEU)
19. Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees (AVID)
20. Every Child Protected Against Trafficking (ECPAT UK)
21. Humans for Rights Network
22. Hibiscus Initiatives
23. Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ)
24. Scottish Refugee Council
25. Helen Bamber Foundation
26. Asylum Aid
27. The William Gomes Podcast
28. Routes Collective
29. New Citizens’ Gateway
30. CARAS
31. West London Welcome
32. Student Action for Refugees (STAR)
33. Afghan Association Paiwand
34. RefuAid 
35. IMIX
36. Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group
37. Kent Refugee Action Network (KRAN)
38. Our Second Home
39. Samphire
40. Care4Calais
41. St Augustine’s Centre, Halifax
42. Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit
43. Good Chance Theatre
44. The Runnymede Trust
45. Hope at Home
46. Voices in Exile
47. Refugee Support Group (Berkshire)
48. Ice and Fire Theatre
49. Waging Peace
50. Reading City of Sanctuary
51. forRefugees
52. Cambridge Convoy Refugee Action Group
53. Hastings Supports Refugees
54. Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign
55. Hastings Community of Sanctuary
56. Herts for Refugees
57. City of Sanctuary UK
58. Bristol Refugee Rights
59. Da’aro Youth Project
60. Reunite Families UK
61. Migrants’ Rights Network
62. Public Law Project
63. Praxis
64. Refugee Action
65. Together with Migrant Children
66. JRS UK (Jesuit Refugee Service)
67. Here for Good
68. Refugee Council
69. the3million
70. Open Rights Group
71. National AIDS Trust
72. Anti-Trafficking Monitoring Group (ATMG)
73. Asylum Matters
74. HIAS+JCORE
75. People in Motion
76. Refugee and Migrant Centre (West Midlands)
77. RAMFEL
78. Refugee Women Connect
79. Voices Network 
80. Micro Rainbow
81. LGBT Health and Wellbeing (Scotland)
82. The VOICES Network 
83. Mermaids
84. HOPE not hate
85. African Rainbow Family
86. Manchester Migrant Solidarity
87. Safe Passage
88. Birmingham City of Sanctuary
89. Birmingham Schools of Sanctuary
90. Haringey Welcome
91. House of Rainbow CIC
92. Asylum Welcome 
93. Anti-Slavery International
94. LGBT Foundation
95. Migrants Organise
96. Hope and Aid Direct
97. Inclusive Mosque Initiative 
98. Alawia SBI
99. JustRight Scotland
100. Kanlungan Filipino Consortium
101. Time To Be Out
102. TransActual
103. Durham Visitors Group
104. Lewes Organisation in Support of Refugees & Asylum Seekers
105. RefYouMe
106. Reclaim The Sea
107. Big Leaf Foundation
108. Freedom United
109. Muslim Council of Britain
110. Global Link
111. Lesbian Asylum Support Sheffield
112. Asylum Support Appeals Project
113. Gendered Intelligence
114. Migrant Voice
115. Stand For All
116. Migration Justice Project, Law Centre NI
117. NACCOM
118. Refugee Legal Support
119. South Yorkshire Refugee Law and Justice
120. Choose Love 
121. Refugee and Migrants Forum of Essex and London
122. Leeds Asylum Seekers Support Network
123. Nottingham Arimathea Trust
124. Govan Community Project
125. Simon Community Scotland
126. Welcome Churches
127. The Pickwell Foundation
128. Refugees at Home
129. Stonewall
130. Sahir House
131. Southeast and East Asian Centre (SEEAC)
132. Room to Heal
133. Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative