The City of Sanctuary movement is a network of groups across the country concerned with creating a culture of welcome, friendship and hospitality to people who have had to leave their home country in order to seek safety.
The network is made of up 120+ groups and organisations including cities, towns and villages, community groups, theatres, libraries and schools. In order to become part of the network there is an application process which involves putting in place policies and practices which promote a welcoming environment for people seeking safety.
A meeting was held recently in Wallsend, organised by Asylum Matters, to discuss how North Tyneside Council could become part of this network. The meeting was attended by various local groups committed to the principles of welcome and inclusion and several schools in North Tyneside have expressed an interest in becoming Schools of Sanctuary.
North Tyneside has become home to many refugees and asylum seekers over recent years and it was felt that becoming part of the network was the next step for the Council.
Newcastle, Northumberland, Gateshead and other nearby local authorities are already part of this network.
Find out more about City of Sanctuary and watch this video about Schools of Sanctuary.
A separate but related initiative, led by Refugee Action, is to remove the ban on people seeking asylum here from taking paid employment.
Lift the Ban is a coalition of over 240 members, including the TUC, Unison, the CBI and churches all working to gain the right to work for people who are seeking asylum.
People seeking asylum across the UK are currently prevented from working and are forced to live on just £5.66 per day while the Government processes their claim for asylum, a process which often takes years. This pack is available with ideas about how to campaign locally on this issue.
North Tyneside Green Party supports both these campaigns and in particular would like to see the schools in the borough as well as the Council become part of the City of Sanctuary network.
The local contact for Asylum Matters can be found by getting in touch with the national organisation: info@asylummatters.org