Refugee rights campaigners STAR protested Thursday night to change public opinion on asylum seekers in the UK.
Using St. Paul’s church to camp out in the graveyard, facts, speakers and music, the small group of protesters entertained Covent Garden in hope of overturning the public’s view of refugees.
Using St. Paul’s church to camp out in the graveyard, facts, speakers and music, the small group of protesters entertained Covent Garden in hope of overturning the public’s view of refugees.
In the UK at the moment there are thousands of refugees that have fled from fear in their own countries that are living on £5 a day government hand outs. Some may argue as this is a charitable favour, what’s wrong with that? Why should we pay more tax to support the victims of other countries?
As Gladys Mabvira, 32, Asylum Seeker and political activist spoke in Covent Garden of her own experiences; being kept in detention for 6 months after fleeing from Mugabe interrogators accused her of being a spy, revealed to tentative listeners – most refugees in detention are professionals.
Gladys herself a dental nurse who studied in the UK, she recounted making friends with doctors and teachers while in detention - all of them wanting to work.
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| Campaign manager Michael Kaye outside St. Paul's church |
Statistically 1 out of 4 decisions made by the government on refuge is wrong. There are situations were refugees from Zimbabwe are not being let in – but the government accepts the risk is too great to deport people.
Despite general public opinion that there are far too many asylum seekers, living in council housing and claiming mass benefits – the UK is 11th in worldly terms of accepting those in need of refuge, there are not millions of asylum seekers, but under 20,000, and under government policy they are not allowed to work, to claim the same benefits or live in council properties. As Gladys asks the crowd:what is my crime? And how would you like it if it was you, or your family? It is hard to answer.
Despite general public opinion that there are far too many asylum seekers, living in council housing and claiming mass benefits – the UK is 11th in worldly terms of accepting those in need of refuge, there are not millions of asylum seekers, but under 20,000, and under government policy they are not allowed to work, to claim the same benefits or live in council properties. As Gladys asks the crowd:what is my crime? And how would you like it if it was you, or your family? It is hard to answer.
Gladys describes the bureaucratic, unsympathetic system after detention. No friends, no food and no home are not a situation anyone wants to be in, but it is what these usually qualified professionals are facing upon entering the UK. Managing to stay at a Hostel for five days before being evicted, Gladys is now staying with friends made from detention, living on hand outs and somewhere in the filing system towards receiving just £5 a day.
The £5 a day - on top of (approximately) a £60 daily cost, per each refugee held in detention, is a massive cost to the tax payer – to keep doctors and teachers detained while their paper work is sorted out, if it is not sorted, they have no choice but to live on the £5 a day.
The £5 a day - on top of (approximately) a £60 daily cost, per each refugee held in detention, is a massive cost to the tax payer – to keep doctors and teachers detained while their paper work is sorted out, if it is not sorted, they have no choice but to live on the £5 a day.
If you ask Gladys what would be the perfect asylum system, the general assumption is for more money, housing etc. to be given to asylum seekers – but all she asks is for the right to work and contribute – that is her dream.
Like many, Gladys thought she would be offered asylum, but faced barrier after barrier. Since trying to return home and being accused of spying Gladys has become more politically active, making it even more dangerous to return home, but as a trained dental nurse who speaks very good English and trained in England – surely she should be allowed to contribute to the economy as she desperately longs to rather than living on benefits like some useless charity-case?
More events are being held at universities around London, Leeds and Manchester. For more information on events and protests please e-mail: volunteering@star-network.org.uk or visit: http://www.star-network.org.uk/
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