Halifax protests against the Bill. Photo credit: Veecca Smith-Uka, Right to Remain
Following months of campaigning against the “Anti-Refugee Bill”, which has seen protests in Settle, Skipton, Ripon, Halifax, Leeds, and Bradford, as well as action taken by leaders of Sheffield City Council, over 120 charities, faith groups, businesses, political leaders and community organisations from across Yorkshire have come together to publish a joint statement making clear our region’s support for refugees and opposing proposals in the Government’s new Nationality and Borders Bill.
If you would like to add your name to this statement as a representative of a group or organisation, or as an elected representative, you can do so here.
The statement can be read in full here:
As leaders, charities, communities, businesses and faith groups from Yorkshire, we are proud to be a place of welcome. The recent outpouring of support across our region for people fleeing Ukraine and Afghanistan is testament to this. Our spirit of care and solidarity with people seeking safety is stronger than ever, regardless of their method of travel.
The tragic loss of human life, to war, persecution, or in the Channel, is utterly devastating. Instead of allowing these avoidable deaths to continue, the UK must alter its course, showing global leadership by establishing a compassionate, humane protection system based on the right to seek asylum, safe routes and international cooperation. Only by honouring our obligations to protect refugees and ensuring safe routes to claim asylum will we prevent further tragedies from happening.
That is why we are deeply concerned about the Government’s Nationality and Borders Bill, which will have grave consequences for people seeking safety and for our society as a whole.
We are persuaded that the Nationality and Borders Bill is unlikely to stop people attempting to reach safety, but it will make their journeys more dangerous. It seeks to punish and criminalise people seeking safety outside the very limited resettlement schemes. It will prevent people who have fled violence and persecution from rebuilding their lives, make it nearly impossible to reunite families and prevent our communities from giving the welcome we are so proud to give. Together, we are striving to make our communities safer and stronger, but the measures in this legislation are likely to undermine our efforts by increasing destitution and inhibiting integration in our areas.
Yorkshire is a place that is strengthened by refugees and people seeking safety, this disregard for human life cannot happen in our name. We are united in opposing this anti-refugee bill, which has been condemned by the UNHCR, the Jewish Council for Racial Equality, Amnesty International, a coalition of over 200 immigration lawyers and many, many others. We call on the UK Government to withdraw these cruel and divisive proposals; and instead to protect people fleeing war and persecution.
Signatories:
Alex Croft, Creative Director, Kala Sangam
Alex Jagger, Treasurer, Amnesty International – Sheffield Local Group
Alexander Ferris, Associate Director – Creative Engagement, Leeds Playhouse
Ali Mahgoub, Director, Leeds Refugee Forum
Alison Lowe OBE, Deputy Mayor Policing and Crime West Yorkshire, West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Amanda Church-Mcfarlane, Co-CEO/Bradford Project Manager, Abigail Housing
Andrew Rathbone, Chair of Trustees, West Yorkshire Destitute Asylum Network (WYDAN)
Andy Dykes, Chairperson of Board of Trustees, Chilypep
Angela Everson, CEO, WomenCentre
Angie Pedley, Treasurer, Settle Refugee Support Group
Andrew Jones, Co-Chair, St. Augustine’s Centre Halifax
Ashleigh May, Founder, Mums on a Mission
Ben Deutsch, Business Owner, 5Rhythms with Ben Deutsch
Bill Dennis, Chair, Kirklees Multi-Agency Voluntary Sector Group
Blessan Babu, SPRING Front of House Welcome
Brian McDaid, Skipton & Ripon Constituency Representative, The Skipton & Ripon Labour Party
Bola Adams, Chair, Light Up Black and African Heritage Calderdale
Bukky Oladiran, Committee Member, Sisters United
Catherine Hemmings, Director, Migrant English Support Hub (MESH)
Carol Hill, Director, Catholic Care
Celine Barry, Secretary, Richmondshire Refugee Support Group
Charles Dobson, Chair, Skipton Refugee Support Group
Councillor Audrey Smith, Councillor for Sowerby Bridge, Calderdale Council
Councillor David Jenkins, Councillor for Killingbeck and Seacroft and Deputy Executive Member, Leeds City Council
Councillor Alan Hickman, Councillor for Skipton West Ward, Skipton Town of Sanctuary
Councillor Andrew Cooper, Councillor for Newsome Ward and Leader of Green Group, Kirklees Council
Councillor Andy Brown, Leader of the Green Group, Craven District Council
Councillor Christine Gilligan, Councillor for Hillsborough, Sheffield City Council
Councillor Colin Campbell, Councillor for Otley and Yeadon, Leeds City Council
Councillor Jane Scullion, Deputy Leader, Calderdale Council
Councillor Kaltum Rivers, City Councillor for Broomhill and Sharrow Vale, Sheffield City Council
David Olver, Chair of Trustees, Quakers in Yorkshire
David Paterson, Project Manager, Unity in Poverty Action (UPA)
David Swindells, Committee Member, Garforth Refugee Group
Deborah Rees, Director, Cast Doncaster
Dr Ibtissam, Director, Development and Empowerment for Women’s Advancement (DEWA)
Dr İsmail Sezgin, Manager, Yorkshire Education Solutions Ltd
Dr Kate Smith, Senior Research Fellow, University of Huddersfield
Elizabeth Thomas, Trustee, Conversation Club Leeds
Eman Elsayed, Cultural Learning and Participation Officer, Open Source Arts
Emily Aitchison, Field Organiser, Penistone People and Planet
Emily Aitchison, Field Organiser, Holmfirth Has Heart
Emily Aitchison, Field Organiser, Wakefield and the World
Emma Crossley, Project Manager, CCACP-Meeting Point
Father Francis Smith, Parish Priest, St Boniface RC Church, Bentham
Father Francis Smith, Parish Priest, St Mary & St Michael RC Parish, Settle
Frank Parnham, Secretary, Barnsley City of Sanctuary
Gary Bell, Interim Chair of Trustees, South Yorkshire Refugee Law & Justice
George Arthur, Secretary, Barnsley TUC
Gogo Leonora Charles-Louhrey, Creative Director, Hope and Dignity Hearth
Graham Millar, Executive Director, ASSIST Sheffield
Hannah West, Project Lead, Women’s Health Matters
Helen Syrop, Manager, Hope Housing
Hayley Nelson and Gill Rhodes, Directors, Learn for Life Enterprise
Heston Groenewald, Vicar, All Hallows Church Leeds
Jaden Adams, Gas Engineer, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing
Jan Foster, Trustee, Doncaster Conversation Club
Jeni Vine, Co-ordinator, Sheffield Cohesion Advisory Group
Jenny Owen, Development and Service Manager, Mediation Sheffield
Jenny Willison, Secretary, Leeds Destitute Asylum-Seekers Support
John Battle, Chair, Diocese of Leeds Justice & Peace Commission
John McKernaghan, Chief Officer, The Brunswick Centre
John McLaughlin, Secretary, St. Monica’s Housing Ltd
Jon Beech, Director, Leeds Asylum Seekers’ Support Network
Judy Rogers, Volunteer, Tennant House
Karen Pearse, Director, Positive Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (PAFRAS)
Kathryn Ashworth, CEO, Solace
Katy Armitstead , Team Leader, Bradford Ecumenical Asylum Concern (BEACON)
Keziah Berelson and Tamsin Cooke, Co-Artistic Directors, Mafwa Theatre CIC
Leeds Anti Raids Action
Leeds Stand Up To Racism
Leeds Beckett SU Officer Team, Leeds Beckett Students’ Union
Linda Fielding, Secretary, Wakefield Amnesty International Local Group
Liz Taylor, Spokesperson, Faith Justice Action Group, Garforth
Maeve Larkin, Manager, Destitute Asylum Seekers Huddersfield (DASH)
Maha Alomari, Project Manager, Yorkshire & Humber Maternity Stream
Majella Kilkey, Professor of Social Policy, University of Sheffield
Margaret Bruno, Co-ordinator, Bentham Area Refugee Support Group
Margaret Smith, Chair, Harrogate & Knaresborough Constituency Labour Party
Mark James, Senior Minister, New North Road Baptist Church, Huddersfield
Martin Mayer, Secretary, Sheffield Trade Union Council
Matthew Annable, Administrator, Skipton and the Dales for Social Change
Mike Poole, Superintendent Minister, Pateley Bridge Methodist Circuit
Moya Woolven, CEO, Basis Yorkshire
Nahim Ruhi-Khan, Muslim Co-Chair, Leeds Nisa Nashim
Neal Heard, Co-CEO/Leeds Project Manager, Abigail Housing
Pat Ki, Membership secretary, Harrogate District of Sanctuary
Paul Kelly, Project Lead, Refugee ReSETTLEment Group
Philip McCarthy, Craven Refugee Support Group
Professor Antony Bryant, Chair, Sinai Synagogue, Leeds
Rachel Goodall, Asylum Services Manager, Refugee Action
Rachel Kelly, Chief Executive, Women’s Health Matters
Rachel Saul, Project Lead, Normanton and Altofts Community Sponsorship Group
Revd Ernie Whalley, Chair, Reach Project, Baptist Church Huddersfield
Revd Dr Casey Strine, Bishop’s Advisor for Inter-Faith Affairs, Diocese of Sheffield, Church of England
Revd Gareth Jones, Minister, St Andrew’s Psalter Lane Church & Highfield Trinity Methodist Church, Sheffield
Reverend Nicholas Mercer, Rector of Bolton Abbey, The Priory Church of Bolton Abbey
Rich Warburton, Artistic Director, Theatre in the Mill
Richard Davies, Chair of Trustees, Wakefield District City of Sanctuary
Richard Hargreaves, Coordinator, BIASAN – Bradford Immigration and Asylum Support and Advice Network and Network
Richard Stroud, Trustee, Bradford Synagogue
Roger Nyantou, Chief Officer, Refugee Education Training Advice Service Leeds (RETAS Leeds)
Rose McCarthy, Committee Member, Leeds City of Sanctuary
Rosie MacPherson, Artistic Director, Stand and Be Counted Theatre
Rosie Tunnadine, Campaigns Coordinator, STAR Leeds
Ruth Cooper-Haime, Society President, Leeds Beckett STAR Group
Sally Brown, Trustee, Leeds Destitute Asylum Seekers’ Support (LEDAS)
Sam Walby, Director, Opus Independents Ltd
Sara Trewhitt, Campaigns Lead, Ripon City of Sanctuary
Sarli Nana, Organiser, Yorkshire & Humber, Migrants Organise
Simon Jones, Founder, Peaceful Birders
Simon Murch, Joint Secretary, Sheffield National Education Union
Simon Myerson QC, Chair, Leeds Jewish Representative Council
Simon Phillips, Co-Chair, Leeds Faiths Forum
Stella Perrott, Co-ordinator, Upper Wharfedale Refugee Support Group
Stuart Crosthwaite, Secretary, South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group
Sue Clark, Bakewell Refugee and Asylum Seekers Network
Tanya Basharat, Chief Executive Officer, Ship Shape Health and Wellbeing
Tom Martin, Director, City of Sanctuary Sheffield
Tracey Nathan, Sheffield Hub Manager, Shelter
Veecca Smith Uka, Founder, Fresh Grassroots Rainbow Community
Vivien Dawson, Editor, Craven Refugee Support Network
Will Sutcliffe, Chair, Bradford City of Sanctuary
Yesmien Bagh Ali, Member/facilitator, Broughton Road Women’s Group
