Refugees & Housing

Update: had an interesting zoom time share this last week with Rethink Rebuild Society   A very dynamic Syrian group in Manchester.  I first met up with this group in the APPG Friends of Syria in Parliament so keep in touch on social media platforms. But I think after this brilliant zoom link up with Phil Brown Professor in the Department of Behavioural & Social Sciences Huddersfield University, its time I go along and visit them. I need to plan for a visit up north next year to learn more and share more on all the work going on to help refugees and asylum seekers integrate and be supported through their journey.  There are a few of the slides here scroll down. The recording is on their facebook page and here are details on their website How Housing affects Refugees  I have shared the slides with Juliya, my Ukraine lawyer friend who is now settled near me and as just taken up a post with London Borough of Hillingdon to co-ordinate and advise on Ukrainian refugees. It will be a good model of care link up for her to see what is going on in other geographical areas. 

I remember I had a good day of sharing in Sheffield in the early days of my own personal project Family Link Up - Sheffield visit you can read about that day on the link. Also we do have a nationwide group City of Sanctuary UK it is so important to crosslink and learn from one another.

key points that know are important from my experience is that 

All refugees are patients with PTSD from not only the situation they escape from in war torn areas but the whole journey of seeking safety and then needing to integrate into the new community they settle in. 

So it was good that Phil highlighted the mental care needs and how housing or lack of housing can affect all.  

Languages are so important not only to integrate but so we can understand one another. With understanding comes empathy and healing of refugees {and divisions in society!} I highlighted my admiration for the way Oostende in Belgium has a brilliant language course for all migrants to learn Dutch in the Dutch speaking area of Belgium. This is amplified through a network of local volunteers that put on activities. This then leads to work and to settlement as part of the richness of diversity of the community. There can be problems but the Mayor is a brilliant guy for integrating and supporting all citizens. The schools for the children help but the children are like little professors of linguistics picking up on all the languages around them.  In our zoom meeting it was highlighted we need more access to English courses for refugees here. But I personally feel too its to good to open up all our minds to many languages as fun learning and sharing together. see the slide captures now.......