Respect the humanity of all, Quakers urge policy makers this Refugee Week
Quakers in Britain is marking Refugee Week by highlighting the UK's hostile immigration policies alongside Women for Refugee Women (WRW).
WRW has taken over Quakers in Britain social media accounts this week, to raise awareness of the intersection between climate and immigration crises.
Forced to leave their homes by climate crises, climate refugees face racist border policies when they reach the UK, a rich industrialised country whose greenhouse gas emissions have contributed significantly to climate change.
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In every refugee there is a child of God, one who is precious and loved.
- Siobhan Haire
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WRW works to counter these policies, supporting women seeking safety in the UK from persecution and extreme gender-based violence, sexual violence, and other torture, to rebuild their lives.
Quakers have long worked to offer sanctuary to people forced to flee their homes, including most recently opposing forced removals to Rwanda and protesting against the detention of asylum seekers.
With the general election only two weeks away, they are urging all political parties to draw up a humane, co-ordinated response to those seeking refuge.
The new government should repeal and replace recent laws which punish people seeking sanctuary, they say, and process asylum applications quickly, fairly and affordably.
People seeking asylum should be allowed to work and be housed in the community, instead of being detained, placed in dangerous barges and barracks, or forced into destitution, Quakers say.
Under UK law, people forced to flee by human-caused climate disasters, including conflict, desertification or rising sea levels, are classed as economic migrants, not those seeking asylum.
Siobhan Haire, deputy recording clerk for Quakers in Britain, said: “In every refugee there is a child of God, one who is precious and loved.
“We urge whoever forms the next government to bear witness to the humanity of all people and provide peaceful, safe routes for people seeking sanctuary."
This Saturday, 22 June, from 10am to 4pm the Quaker Asylum and Refugee Network is hosting a meeting at Friends House in Euston around the migration experience.
Speakers including Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, and Mariam Yusuf of Women Asylum Seekers Together. Register to attend here.