Is this Sanctuary? A film showing how it feels to sign at the police station

Esam, a Kurdish asylum seeker from Iraq has made this film 'Is this Sanctuary?' about how it feels to go to the police station to sign for the UK border agency. He interviews asylum seekers before and after they sign and also those who support them.

We hope you find this film enlightening and we would like to invite you to join us on to march through Bristol with us on June 29th or to support asylum seekers in your city as part of our national day of action.You can read more about this on the rest of this website.



Sorry this video doesn't seem to be working in older versions of Internet Explorer, please update your browser to latest version of flash  or use google chrome or firefox browsers.

You are welcome to link to this page on facebook and elsewhere, (but please don't copy or embed the video), to help people see the reality of the fear and pressure asylum seekers are living with in Bristol and build awareness about our campaign for dignity for asylum seekers.

Please e-mail esam.bristol@mail.com if you would like to have a copy of this film suitable for group screenings or if you would like to invite him to talk about his film.

Three Cities to take action on same day against Destitution

Plans are developing well for the shared day of action on the 29th June with three cities now confirmed and others hoping to organise something.

Yes!
Bristol
Glasgow
Manchester

Meeting to talk about it:
Sheffield
Cardiff
Nottingham
Oxford

Invited:
Coventry, London, Plymouth,
Hull, Gloucester,Swansea,
Newcastle, Bradford, Birmingham

Video - Marching 29th June

We Want to Contribute - End Destitution of Asylum Seekers

Asylum seekers and supporters in Bristol are marching again this June as part of the growing national campaign to end destitution. They are inviting other cities to also take action on the same day.

دعونا نساهم في بناء المجتمع ! لنوقف الحرمان الاجباري لطالبي اللجوء(Arabic translation)

2013 دعونا نساهم في بناء المجتمع !  لنوقف الحرمان الاجباري لطالبي اللجوء

في حزيران 2012 قام 250 شخص من طالبي اللجوء و من يدعموهم  بمسيرة في ارجاء برستول لاطلاع العالم بمشاكلنا و للمطالبة بالكرامة لطالبي اللجوء . و لقد زاد هذا من ثقتنا للاستمرار و الالتزام  .

بعد مسيرة العام الماضي تمكنا من جعل بلدية برستول القيام بالتصويت و دعمنا  و ادانة سياسة وزارة الداخلية فيما يتعلق بالحرمان الاجباري الذي ينص على :

* عدم السماح لنا بالعمل

* عدم تليقينا للمساعدات ( المالية - الصحية ..... الخ)

* عدم السماح لنا بالاقامة

و نرغب الان ان نقوم بحملة وطنية قوية و سنقوم بمسيرة ثانية في هذا العام و ندعو المدن الاخرى بالقيام بمسيرات في نفس اليوم .

نحثكم و ندعوكم لالنضمام الينا لوضع حد لهذه القوانين اللامنصفة و اللاانسانية . 

MAALINTA BANNAAN BAXA DADKA NABADGELYO DOONKA AH (Somali Translation)

MAALINTA BANNAAN BAXA DADKA NABADGELYO DOONKA AH 

 (NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS)

Waxa jira bannaan bax uu soo qaban qaabiyey ururka Sumcada Dadka Nabadgelyo Doonka (Dignity for Asylum Seekers) ah oo la qaban doono maalinta sabtida ah ee bishu taay 29ka Juun 2013.

“Waxanu doonaynaa inaanu waxqadka wadanka ka qayb qaadano” . Waa in la dabar gooyo daranyada dadka nabad gelyo doonka ah.

250 qof oo ah dadka nabad gelyo doonka ah (asylum seekers) iyo taageerayaashooda ayaa bannaan bax ku maray magaalada Bristol dhexdeeda bishii Juun ee 2012 dii, si aanu dadka ugu sheegno dhibaatadayada isla markaana aanu codsanay in sumcad nala siiyo. Arrintani waxay na siisay kalsooni nagu dhiirri gelisay inaanu ka hadalo dhibaatada na haysata.

Waxanu doonaynaa sannadkanna inaanu samayno bannaan bax kii oo kale ah Waxa aanu ka codsanaynaa magaalooyinka kale inay nagala qayb qaataan inay iyaguna bannaan bax sameeyaan maalintan.

Intii ka dambaysay bannaanbixii la qabtay sannadkii hore, waxanu go’aansanay inaanu u ololayno in ay Bristol City Council dhalleecayo, khaladna ay tahay siyaasada dawlada ee oo dhigaysa in dadka nabad gelyo doonka ah aan:

• Shaqo loo oggolayn
• Gunno ama cayd (benefit) inay qaataan aan loo oggolayn
• Oggolaansho waddanka ay ku joogaana (leave to remain) aan la siin

Arrimahan kor ku xusani waxay dadka ku qasbayaan inay daranyoodaan ama darxumoodaan.

Waxanu ku faraxsanahay in council ka Bristol u codeeyey inay nagu taageeraan dhalleecaynta siyaadan kor ku xusan.

Markan waxa aanu doonaynaa inaanu abaabulno bannaan bax qaran oo xooggan. Waxana aanu doonaynaa inaanu la bannaan baxno dadka nabad gelyo doonka ah iyo taageerayaashooda ku nool magaalooyinka kale ee waddankan ingiriiska.

Nagula soo biir inaynu nidhaahno siyaasadan iyo sharcigan dadka nabad gelyo doonka ah loo cuskadaa waa mid aan caddaalad ahayn.

Waxa taageeray: Ururka Xuquuqda Qaxoontiga ee Bristol (Bristol Refugee Rights). Hospitality Network

March in Bristol - Saturday 29th June 2013

'We want to contribute' - End Destitution of Asylum Seekers

In June 2012, 250 asylum seekers and supporters marched through Bristol to tell people our problems and to demand Dignity For Asylum Seekers.  This gave us more confidence to speak out. This year we are going to march again and we are asking other cities to join us and protest on the same day.

We, asylum seekers were forced to run from our countries. Our lives were at risk. We left our homes and families. We came here to find a place for peace and safety. But for many of us, our cases were disbelieved and our appeals for safety rejected by the Home Office.

We have been kicked out of our accommodation and our food vouchers are stopped. We are not allowed to work, we can't access education, or most health services and we can not receive benefits. We struggle to have families. We can not go home. We are stuck here like this for years.

All this makes us feel alone, depressed, isolated from society and there are even some people who have taken their own lives because of this situation..

We want to contribute, to be part of society and to pay taxes. We are teachers, electricians, artists, business men, doctors, farmers, students, parents, and friends. We are human. How can a human survive like this? We should not be scapegoated.

After last years' march we campaigned to get Bristol City Council to say the government’s policy on forced destitution is wrong. We are pleased to say that in January they voted overwhelmingly to support us, and condemn this policy.

Now, we want to build a strong national campaign. We want to make links with asylum seekers and supporters in other cities, to raise awareness and to join together to say that these unjust and inhumane laws are wrong.

We want to build this, it might not make our own lives better but it will help those in the future who come seeking safety.

Please join us by taking action on the same day in your town or city to make this a national day of asylum seekers taking action.

Supported by Bristol Refugee Rights, Bristol Hospitality Network,

Marching forward

Last Thursday a group of asylum seekers and friends met and decided to do another march at the end of June in Bristol.

Last year 250 of us marched from Easton to the City Centre. 'Dignity for Asylum Seekers' was our shout.  We then decided to focus on Destituion as a major problem and after 6 months of hard work ending with the Sleep Out on College Green, we succeeded at getting the council to vote in favour of supporting our campaign.

The decision to march again this year, shows the determination of Asylum Seekers to not only keep surviving but also to try and change this system, for themselves and for others.

We want to invite asylum seekers and supporters from around the country to also do action in their own city on the same day so we feel more powerful and have more impact .

Watch this space for more info about our plans and opportunities to get involved.