‘English language learning is crucial to ensure successful integration in our communities’ – Humza Yousaf
All adult refugees who have arrived in Scotland under the Syrian Resettlement Programme are receiving English language training, Humza Yousaf confirmed today. Continue reading Yousaf: All refugees receive English language tuition
Stockbridge Church, Saxe Coburg Street 5pm
Entrance by donation
This week Scotland welcomed its first groups of Syrian refugees. Edinburgh will be receiving around 100 people over the next year (writes Hannah Kitchen). Continue reading Refugees in Edinburgh: some timely information
Please help to publicise the screening of the Glasgow Girls next Thursday night (8 October) at North Edinburgh Arts (writes Lynn McCabe).
We will be joined by one of the young women from Drumchapel High School who helped to initiate the campaign against dawn raids and deportation of asylum seekers in her community in 2005.
Transport will be available for anyone who needs it. For further information call 552 5700 or email lynn.mccabe@ea.edin.sch.uk
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Womens International Group (WIG) are holding the second in a series of ‘Getting Together, Making a Difference’ events next week.
CLD worker Lynn McCabe, who supports the WIG group, said: “The event is taking place next Thursday (24th September) from 10 – 12.30 in Royston Wardieburn Community Centre. This event will be addressing important issues such as home, immigration, asylum and human rights. The centre will be a drop-off point that day for anyone wishing to donate basic supplies to support Syrian refugees stranded in Calais.”
See poster (below) for further information or call Lynn on 552 5700
Edinburgh Direct Aid supporting Syrian refugees
Newhaven -based charity Edinburgh Direct Aid (EDA) is supporting international efforts to give aid to the tens of thousands of desperate people who have been forced to flee their homes, run for their lives and risk the safety of their families.
We can help by providing much-needed supplies – we can all help to make a difference.
The public response has already been tremendous, but the following items are urgently needed:
underwear (new!)
toothpaste
toothbrushes
soap
detergent
toilet paper
nappies
sanitary towels
wipes
And equipment needed for education and vocational training:
notebooks
A4 paper
pens/pencils
boardwriters
sewing materials
wool’
WHERE TO DONATE:
GRANTON MUIRHOUSE and WEST PILTON
The EDA warehouse is located behind a wire-grid gate on the south side of West Harbour Road – just past the TEBA boxing studio and opposite Len Lothian. It’s now open on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 11am – 3pm.
It is usually possible to park in the road outside, or to bring a car inside the gate but manoeuvring inside the yard can be awkward.
For further information contact Ian on 0785 785 5849
If it’s more convenient, you can make your donations in Muirhouse or West Pilton – both Muirhouse Community Shop on Pennywell Road (Monday to Friday 9am -3pm) and Pilton Youth & Childrens Project (PYCP) (telephone 332 9815) are also collection points for the Edinburgh Direct Aid appeal.
Please give what you can
‘this is a country of extraordinary compassion, always standing up for our values and helping those in need.’ – Prime Minister David Cameron
The Scottish Government has welcomed Prime Minister David Cameron’s announcement that Great Britain is to give refuge to up 20,000 Syrian people and has offered to work with Westminster to tackle the humanitarian crisis.
Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, the Prime Minister said: “Britain already works with the UN to deliver resettlement programmes and we will accept thousands more under these existing schemes. We have already provided sanctuary to more than 5,000 Syrians in Britain and have introduced a specific resettlement scheme, alongside those we already have, to help those Syrian refugees particularly at risk.
“But given the scale of the crisis and the suffering of the Syrian people it is right that we should do much more. So Mr Speaker, we are proposing that Britain should resettle up to 20,000 Syrian refugees over the rest of this Parliament.
“In doing so we will continue to show the world that this is a country of extraordinary compassion always standing up for our values and helping those in need.”
The Scottish Government has repeatedly called on the UK Government to play a part in a co-ordinated European response to this emergency humanitarian issue and has pledged to take a fair and proportionate share of refugees in Scotland.
Responding to the Prime Minister’s announcement, Scotland’s Minister for Europe and International Development Humza Yousaf said:
“As made clear by the First Minister at last week’s emergency humanitarian summit, Scotland is willing to take our fair share of refugees to help some of the most vulnerable people in need.
“We welcome the Prime Minister’s shift in attitude and late recognition that the UK has a role to play as an important first step. The 20,000 refugees over five years should not be seen as a cap or an upper limit and we must also play our part in responding to the crisis on the southern European coast line.
“We believe that the UK Should opt in to the EU relocation scheme and while the Prime Minister has made clear that the year one resettlement will be funded from the UK international aid budget, we seek urgent clarification on the impact that this will have on the work of existing aid projects.
“The refugee situation is at crisis point now and stretching UK support and refugee intake over the next five years means a number of people who could be helped immediately will be left without the vital help they need.
“We want to work constructively with the UK Government and the First Minister has again, today, written to the Prime Minster outlining the proceedings of Friday’s summit which focused on looking at some of the practical issues involved in integrating those who come here to seek protection.
“Today, I met with the Scottish Refugee Council to discuss the immediate service provision required to take in refugees and tomorrow I will chair the first meeting of the taskforce which will bring together stakeholders from across Scotland in the areas of local government, housing, health services, language support, transport and social services and will co-ordinate Scotland’s humanitarian and practical response.
“This is first and foremost a humanitarian crisis and it requires a humanitarian response. The overwhelming support we have seen from the Scottish people over the past few days shows our willingness to help the most vulnerable in the world.”
‘we as a nation have to step up and respond in a way that matches the scale of this tragedy’ – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon
An operational taskforce is to be established to co-ordinate Scotland’s practical response to the humanitarian refugee crisis following yesterday’s Edinburgh summit convened by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
The First Minister said Scotland stands ready to welcome refugees, as she confirmed that the task force would urgently engage organisations across Scotland to establish capacity in a range of matters such as housing, health services, language support, transport and social services.
The First Minister announced that Europe and International Development Minister Humza Yousaf will chair the group, which will also examine how Scotland can harness the goodwill of the public in Scotland with many of the humanitarian organisations already reporting a huge number of offers of practical help from individuals and groups across the country.
Ms Sturgeon said that yesterday’s summit had been positive and productive with people who have sought sanctuary in Scotland invited to give their own personal testimonies about the practicalities of settling in a new country.
She also confirmed that the discussions would be summarised and sent to the Prime Minister as part of a positive offer of support from Scotland as the UK responds to the migration crisis.
The First Minister said: “I want, as First Minister, to ensure that Scotland is playing its part in dealing with this humanitarian crisis. Today’s summit was a positive and productive first step with a sense that we as a nation have to step up and respond in a way that matches the scale of this tragedy.
“Scotland already has well established structures in place for integrating those who come here seeking asylum and we stand ready to welcome our fair share of people fleeing persecution. However, if we are to do this, there is no doubt that we do require a proper, co-ordinated approach.
“Today’s summit was focused on looking at some of the practical issues involved and I have now established a task force to co-ordinate Scotland’s response, working with local authorities, public agencies and third sector organisations to ensure that any refugees that come to Scotland will be able to integrate successfully. As a first step, I expect the task force to examine capacity in a range of services in Scotland, including housing, health and social services.
“The task force will also have a hugely important role in harnessing the many, many expressions of goodwill and offers of help from the public in Scotland, providing a focal point for that activity and ensuring that the wider Scottish community is able to play its part in welcoming people to our country.”
Ms Sturgeon went on: “During the talks today there was real clarity expressed around the UK Government’s need to play a part in a co-ordinated European response to the problem and agree to take a fair and proportionate share of refugees.
“We want to work constructively with the UK government and I welcome the additional steps that the Prime Minister has set out but there has to be much more detail given – for example we still don’t know how many refugees he is talking about or whether these are just refugees from Syrian camps or those in Europe.
“There are not any easy solutions to this, but all of us have a responsibility as human beings to recognise the extent of this humanitarian crisis and resolve together to do something about it. If we all play our part then the totality of that response might just have a chance of dealing effectively with the problem.”
First Minister convenes emergency summit
Scotland’s response to the unfolding humanitarian tragedy in southern Europe will be set out at a summit chaired by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in Edinburgh today (Friday 4 September).
The First Minister will bring together stakeholders from the refugee community, third sector, local authorities, political leaders and other representatives of civic Scotland in Edinburgh to discuss the situation and set out what Scotland can do to help.
Ahead of the summit, the First Minister has again written to the Prime Minister urging him to sign up to the EU proposals on relocation and refugee resettlement and allow the UK to take its fair share of people fleeing persecution and conflict (see below).
Yesterday, the First Minister told the Scottish Parliament that Scotland stood ready to help refugees in need of help.
She said: “I have taken the step of convening a summit tomorrow to which I have invited humanitarian organisations including the Scottish Refugee Council, leaders of councils and civic organisations and indeed our churches.
“As First Minister of Scotland, I pledge that I will ensure that Scotland does everything possible to help this refuges crisis. I will be far from the only person reduced to tears last night by the picture of a little boy washed up on a beach.
“That wee boy has touched our hearts but his is not an isolated tragedy. He and thousands like him, whose lives are at risk, are not somebody else’s responsibility, they are the responsibility of all of us.
“I am angry, very angry, at the walk on by on the other side approach of the UK Government. I implore David Cameron to change his position and change it today. And I pledge, as First Minister of this country, that we stand ready to help offer sanctuary to refugees who need our help.”
The First Minister’s letter to the Prime Minister reads:
Dear David,
I am in no doubt that we are all horrified by the scale of the refugee crisis unfolding on Europe’s shore. The tragic death of three year old Aylan Kurdi, washed up on Turkey’s beach line, only serves to highlight further the plight of the thousands of people seeking safety and protection.
The scale of such a humanitarian emergency is immense but it is not insurmountable. We recognise the need for long term, coordinated action to tackle the causes of this crisis but this cannot be a substitute for an immediate humanitarian response.
We, with our neighbours and friends across the EU, have a moral obligation to offer a place of safety to these desperate people fleeing conflict and persecution. I welcomed the expansion of the Syrian Vulnerable Person scheme but I would stress that this in itself is not sufficient to address the crisis we are witnessing.
I strongly urge you to reconsider the UK Government’s current response. The Scottish Government believes we must take part in the EU response. We can start by participating in the initial EU proposals on relocation and refugee resettlement. The UK must take a proportionate share of people fleeing conflict and persecution.
I would once again reiterate that Scotland stands ready to support the UK Government in providing an appropriate response to this situation.
Nicola Sturgeon
‘We are proud that Scotland provides a place of safety to men, women and children fleeing terrible situations around the world and think this is something worth celebrating.’ – Suzi Maciver, Scottish Refugee Council
Refugee Festival Scotland is back for its fifteenth year and runs from 3 – 21 June with a packed programme of events at venues across Edinburgh. From art to theatre there is something for everyone to get involved with and learn more about life for refugees in the UK.
The first festival took place in 2000 and was held over one day in Glasgow. It has now rapidly expanded to involve communities all across Scotland with its wide range of events!
This year’s festival theme is ‘celebrate’. The festival offers an opportunity to join in, celebrate and support the diversity and the contribution refugees make to Scotland’s cultural life – the food and drink, music and poetry, dance, visual art, language and ideas that refugees bring with them when they begin new lives in Scotland. The events reflect upon the positive variety these contributions make to the community’s we live in.
Scottish Refugee Council’s Arts Officer Suzi Maciver said: “Most refugees arrive in Scotland with little more than the clothes on their backs and the stories and memories in their hearts. In fleeing for their lives, people leave behind their homes, jobs and loved ones.
“But people don’t come here with nothing. They bring skills and talents, songs, stories, recipes and so much more. They become our friends, colleagues and neighbours, and make Scotland a richer and more vibrant place to live.
“Refugee Festival Scotland offers an opportunity for people from different communities in Edinburgh, as well as its other locations in Scotland to come together and learn more about these different backgrounds, individual’s stories and cultures in their area.
“We are proud that Scotland provides a place of safety to men, women and children fleeing terrible situations around the world and think this is something worth celebrating.”
Here are some of the event highlights coming to Edinburgh in the 2015 festival:
FILM
When I saw you
A young Palestinians search for a way out of a refugee camp in Jordan in 1967. This leads him into a group of freedom fighters and a life-changing journey.
Filmhouse, Edinburgh
Sunday 7 June, 3.30-5:30pm. £9.00 full price/ £7.20 concessions
To book visit: filmhousecinema.com / Box Office: 0131 228 2688
Wilaya
A visually stunning drama which offers a fascinating look at the culture of Sahrawi people, a young woman leaves her foster family in Spain and returns to her family at a refugee camp in Wilaya.
The Church of St John the Evangelist, Edinburgh
Wednesday 10 June, 7:00pm-9:00pm. Free
Information contact: info@africa-in-motion.org.uk
THEATRE
A quick decision can be made
A story of detained fast-track procedure.
A new play to understand the absurdity of the system for those claiming asylum in the UK, with the support of the Mary Leishman scholarship and the Adam Smith foundation.
Discover 21, Edinburgh
5-6 June, 7:30pm. £5, ticket available at the door
Bookings: aquickdecisioncanbemade@gmail.com / 07722415057
ART
Refugee Festival Art Exhibition
An exhibition of visual art by multiple artists around the themes of refugees, displacement, diaspora and acceptance.
Forest café, Edinburgh
1-30 June, 10.00am-11.00pm, Free.
MEET-UPS
Refugee Survival Trust Picnic
A chance to meet refugee survival trust volunteers and supporters over a scenic summer picnic. Bring along international snacks.
Arthurs Seat/Holyrood Park
Sunday 7 June, 12.30-3pm, Free.
Follow us on Twitter @ScotRefCouncil and use our festival hashtag #RefugeeFestScot or become a fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/refugeefestivalscotland
