The 19th-25th June 2023 is Refugee Week. This year’s theme is compassion, something that really resonates with us here at Simon on the Streets. Compassion, empathy, building strong bonds and connections - each one is a big part of what we do, particularly in our outreach work, every day.
Many of the people we work with have come to this country as asylum seekers, fleeing from conflict ridden or unsafe countries. Many struggle to find work, and are quickly thrown into a cycle of homelessness that’s beyond their control.
All the stress, challenges and fear that this situation can bring is devastating. Isolation and feelings of worthlessness are common. And for us, this is exactly why the theme of compassion is so fitting. You never know what someone is going through, or what they’ve overcome to get to where they are.
This week, we’re shining a light on Refugee Week, as we continue to be out there providing support.
The refugee crisis
We’ve seen a growing number of refugees entering our service - fleeing from persecution and conflict in their home country.
In recent years, some shocking statistics have come to light. For example:
- Approximately 14 million people have fled their homes in Ukraine as a result of the Russian invasion, with 8 million seeking refuge in other countries
- 41% of the world’s 27.1 million refugees are under the age of 18
- The UK received over 3,000 refugee applications from separated children in the year ending September 2022
- In the last quarter, there were 7,365 asylum seekers supported under Section 95 and Section 4 in Yorkshire. However, many of these people will only find themselves in temporary accommodation for extended periods at a time
Our work with refugees
One of the biggest obstacles many of our clients face is that English isn’t their first language - support systems can be extremely difficult to navigate when you’re trying to overcome language barriers in an unfamiliar country. Another obstacle is the fact that many are NRPF (no recourse to public funds), which makes accessing support and resources even harder.
This is why having a collaborative network is so important. The fact is that different organisations offer different types of support. In some circumstances we can achieve more when we work together for the benefit of those who need our help. For example, we’ve put a number of our clients in touch with PAFRAS (Positive Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers), a local support service with a wealth of knowledge about the issues refugees and asylum seekers face.
PAFRAS have been providing a safe place for refugees and asylum seekers for over 20 years. We’ll often signpost our clients to the team at PAFRAS so that we can fully understand their needs and how we can connect with, and support them in the next stage of their journey.
Ben’s story
*Names changed to protect the identities of our clients.
Ben* came to the UK from Romania to work. But on his arrival, he had nowhere to stay. With limited access to UK benefits and accommodation, Ben soon ended up sleeping rough on the streets.
Exploited by his employer and working for just £15 a day, it was extremely difficult for Ben to find secure accommodation. Already in a challenging, volatile environment, it was during this time Ben received news from home that his brother had sadly passed away. To cope with the immense stress, Ben started using alcohol.
Our outreach team connected with Ben during this period of rough sleeping.
Since our first meeting, Ben now has ID, a national insurance number and settled status to remain in the UK. He’s also no longer sleeping on the streets. This means Ben can now access our welfare system and start to move forward after a difficult time.
We’re now in the process of signposting Ben to the appropriate services to support him with his alcohol dependency.
We continue to support Ben, who hopes to soon begin his detox.
This is just one example of how our outreach workers support refugees or migrants who are experiencing homelessness since arriving in the UK. We don’t just want to find them a bed for the night. We want to be there to help them find their feet and begin the process of healing from what are often highly traumatic events. Ultimately, we want to help them take control of the future they want for themselves.
Your donations keep our outreach workers out in the community and we couldn’t be more grateful. Please help us to continue helping others - a little compassion goes a long way.