Citizens for Sanctuary

CLICK ON THE ICON TO DOWNLOAD OUR TOOLKIT FOR ACTION 1 - MIND YOUR LANGUAGE!

Issue: People are confused about the word "asylum” and do not share a common understanding that it means providing sanctuary to people fleeing persecution.

Solution: When talking about people seeking sanctuary from persecution avoid using the term “asylum”.

What can I do? Try to use the term “sanctuary” when talking about people fleeing persecution. People understand “sanctuary” and 85% of the public think it is a positive word.

What can I do? Help people understand what it means to be a person seeking sanctuary from persecution by asking them if they have a personal sanctuary.

What can I do? Encourage your local MP, newspaper and council to use alternatives to “asylum” like “sanctuary”.

CLICK ON THE ICON TO DOWNLOAD OUR TOOLKIT FOR ACTION 2 - UNDERSTAND REASONS TO COME

Issue: The British public is confused about the reasons people come to the UK, mixing up people seeking sanctuary from persecution with those who come to work and study.

Solution: Use language carefully so that you use the right terms for people who come seeking sanctuary, and for other legitimate reasons such as to study or work.

What can I do? Spend 10 minutes on the internet or in the library researching the different reasons that people come to the UK, such as to seek sanctuary, study or work.

What can I do? Email your friends the link to the UN's online game 'Against All Odds' and find out what it is like for those who flee persecution.

What can I do? Ask your local newspaper editor to update their style guide to include terms such as "sanctuary".

CLICK ON THE ICON TO DOWNLOAD OUR TOOLKIT FOR ACTION 3 - CELEBRATE CONTRIBUTION

Issue: The public are proud of the UK’s history of providing sanctuary to people fleeing persecution, but are unaware of the contribution that refugees have made in shaping UK society.

Solution: Celebrate the enormous contribution that refugees have made to the UK.

What can I do? Read the book “Bloody Foreigners” by Robert Winder to find examples of some contributions that refugees have made to the UK over the centuries.

What can I do? Encourage your church, mosque or school to hold an event celebrating the contribution of refugees to the UK – or even your community.

What can I do? Ask your local chip shop if they will support Refugee Week by displaying a poster or leaflet explaining how fish and chips was brought to the UK by refugees.

CLICK ON THE ICON TO DOWNLOAD OUR TOOLKIT FOR ACTION 4 - ENCOURAGE PERSONAL ENCOUNTERS

Issue: Research shows that British people want to provide sanctuary to people fleeing persecution, and that they feel even more positive when they have met a person seeking sanctuary.

Solution: Encourage encounters between people seeking sanctuary and UK residents.

What can I do? Invite a person who has sought sanctuary to give a presentation on their experience to your local group, branch or congregation.

What can I do? Encourage local sports clubs or cultural organisations to participate in events that bring together settled communities and people seeking sanctuary.

CLICK ON THE ICON TO DOWNLOAD OUR TOOLKIT FOR ACTION 5 - NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

Issue: People who live in the same areas as those seeking sanctuary feel that they do not know enough about who the new arrivals are and why they have come.

Solution: Provide communities better with better information about the people seeking sanctuary in their area.

What can I do? Find out the facts about the people seeking sanctuary in your locality.

What can I do? Encourage your community to join with others locally to form “sanctuary welcoming groups”. Why not push for your area to become a “City of Sanctuary” too?

What can I do? Persuade your local council to provide clear and impartial information about people seeking sanctuary to local residents.

CLICK ON THE ICON TO DOWNLOAD OUR TOOLKIT FOR ACTION 6 - CREATE PATHWAYS TO EMPLOYMENT

Issue: The public supports the idea that those seeking sanctuary should be allowed to make a contribution through work – but they are prevented from doing so by the government.

Solution: Provide people seeking sanctuary with support to increase their skills and prepare them for work in the UK or back home.

What can I do? Mentor a person seeking sanctuary who works in a similar job to you.

What can I do? Ask businesses, voluntary and other organisations to set up volunteer internships for people seeking sanctuary to help them and the communities in which they live.

What can I do? Work with others locally to lobby your MP and Government to allow people seeking sanctuary to work.

CLICK ON THE ICON TO DOWNLOAD OUR TOOLKIT FOR ACTION 7 - JUST DECISIONS

Issue: The public wants the government to ensure that fair and just decisions are made about who is given sanctuary.

Solution: Help make sure that the UK makes the right decisions about who needs sanctuary and who does not.

What can I do? Adopt one of the civil servants who make the difficult decisions about who needs sanctuary and who does not; encourage them to make fair and just decisions.

What can I do? Set up a group to serve tea and coffee and provide a friendly welcome to people seeking sanctuary when they visit your local UK Border Agency office.

What can I do? Volunteer to become a "McKenzie Friend", supporting people seeking sanctuary when they go to court to have their case heard without a legal representative.

Issue: People believe strongly that those seeking sanctuary should not be made destitute by the government in an attempt to force them out of the country.

What can I do? Try to live on a £10 charity food parcel for a week, like a person refused sanctuary in the UK. Film your day or write down your thoughts and send it to your local TV station or newspaper.

What can I do? Find a local scheme that exchanges cash for the supermarket vouchers given to some people seeking sanctuary, or get your church, community group or trade union branch to set one up.

CLICK ON THE ICON TO DOWNLOAD OUR TOOLKIT FOR ACTION 9 - SHOW LEADERSHIP LOCALLY

Issue: People's primary source of information about people seeking sanctuary is the national media, followed by local media, and word of mouth.

Solution: Show leadership and challenge negative stereotypes of those seeking sanctuary.

What can I do? Challenge stereotypes held by friends and colleagues about people seeking sanctuary with positive stories about individuals who have sought sanctuary and made a contribution to the UK.

What can I do? Write to your local schools and ask them to ensure children leave with an understanding of the importance of the UK's past and present role as a sanctuary for those fleeing persecution.

What can I do? Meet with the people who are asking for your vote before the next general election, and ask them to support the recommendations of the Independent Asylum Commission.

Issue: There is no system for monitoring the safety of people who are refused sanctuary and then expected to return home.

Solution: Monitor people refused sanctuary to make sure that they are not in danger when they return home.

What can I do? Help to support and prepare a person refused sanctuary to return home safely and sustainably.

What can I do? Twin your congregation or community with a congregation or community that the person is linked to so you can monitor their safety.

What can I do? Write to the Foreign Secretary to ask what the government are doing to monitor the safety of those refused sanctuary in the UK.

Contact us at sanctuary@cof.org.uk if you have any problems or want to tell us about some of the actions that you are doing in your area!

TOOLKITS for '10 Ways for Citizens to Save Sanctuary'