Following the Afghan crisis, Newcastle responded quickly through the City of Sanctuary Network, building on the work that already happens with refugees and asylum seekers from across the world.
What has also been incredible and what we want to profile, is the citywide effort to support refugees. Donations have been pouring in and partner organisations such as N.E.S.T, Action Foundation and West End Refugee Service (WERS) have been supporting and sharing donations. Newcastle United Foundation has been providing support and logistics and lots of volunteers have been giving up their time to sort through donations and make up welcome packs. What an amazing way to welcome people and what a great effort Newcastle!
Find out more about one example and also about how you can help refugees and asylum seekers in Newcastle.
N.E.S.T – a great example of the city’s response
North East Solidarity and Teaching (N.E.S.T) is a multi-award winning and internationally-recognised student-led project at Newcastle University Students Union (NUSU) which empowers the refugee and asylum-seeking community in the region through a variety of formats such as one-to-one English teaching, group English classes, sports, creative arts and trips into the local area. N.E.S.T runs every day, providing up to 13 sessions each week for people of all ages.
In response to the most recent refugee crisis with Afghanistan, they have been galvanising support and did this very effectively through a local call out for donations to support new arrivals. They received a lot of donations and spent a lot of time sorting them all out into really thoughtful packs with specific needs such as age and gender accounted for.
It’s been brilliant to be able to mobilise support from students, staff and alumni to respond to urgent needs within the community and N.E.S.T are hugely grateful to have been able to work with partners around the region such as Action Foundation and WERS to coordinate this response.
Bridget Stratford, N.E.S.T
It has been brilliant to see such a positive response from residents wanting to welcome and support new arrivals in the city. The work of individuals, volunteers, organisations and other involved in the effort to welcome people has been incredible.
Newcastle is proud to be recognised as a City of Sanctuary and this is a great example of Newcastle:City of Sanctuary in action!
Rosie Tapsfield, Newcastle City of Sanctuary
How you can help in Newcastle
Newcastle City Council has put together a webpage of information about different ways to help refugees and asylum seekers and those being resettled due to conflict and persecution. This will be kept up to date.
Click here for ‘Refugees – how you can help’ webage
The webpage currently lists these ways to help:
- Offering a spare room
- Offering some accommodation
- Fostering a child
- Offering practical support
- Linking in with local agencies already providing support – as a volunteer, providing financial donations or donations of much needed items, sharing information and understanding what is on offer to help people, lobbying and advocating as part of campaigns supporting refugees and asylum seekers
Whatever help people can offer is always welcome.
Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Newcastle
As well as hosting over 1000 asylum seekers in the city through the Home Office’s contracted dispersal programme, the city also delivers on other resettlement schemes, welcoming families from countries such as Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan and Syria, and since 2014, those who worked alongside the British Army in Afghanistan.
Newcastle is also supporting Afghan families through the extended Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy for those at risk due to their work with the British military and UK Government.