Welcome to Bradford, 'City of Sanctuary'

"Karibu" - welcome! It was one of the few words I could remember in kiswahili to greet the beautiful mother sitting beside me at the "Stories of Sanctuary" annual event tonight. She says is from Somalia, but a member of a minority that lives near the Kenyan border and doesn't speak Mahatiri like the majority of her compatriots. She was at the soiree with her husband and three-month old daughter, whom I had the pleasure of rocking as the evening progressed. Both mother and daughter had beautiful smiles and gentle spirits - the wee one made only gurgles of contentment during the three hours we were there. And in that uplifting atmosphere I saw her as a child of hope - that asylum seekers and refugees can build lives and faith in a future of peace here beyond the memory of violence.

Indeed this was the theme of the evening, a celebration of transcendence amidst the challenges of adaption to a new culture, climate and government (that in many cases has not welcomed these people with open arms). We were fortunate to hear the stories from courageous friends from Malawi, the D.R. Congo and Burma/Bangladesh (Rohingya)... as well as a bitter-sweet story of an Afghan woman whose photography will be on exhibit in a few weeks but who will be unable to see it as she was recently deported to another European country (though she had a claim she transited through another country so the UK didn't have to grant her asylum).

I am just beginning to learn of the challenges that asylum seekers and refugees face here in the UK... but have heard a bit about dawn raids, detention centres and deportation if one's refugee claim isn't 110% air tight. Depending on one's country of origin one may also be denied asylum but not sent back if it is deemed too dangerous to do this (which should then warrant an asylum claim, no?)... and the result of this is often abject poverty as the 'non-refugee' is not entitled to work or able to access social support. Of course these are the extremes... others face linguistic barriers, somewhat cramped housing, are frequently moved from city to city and lack legal support depending on the supposed strength of their case.

Given these types of challenges, the work of service-providing organizations like Bradford Action for Refugees, BEACON, STAR, and McKenzie Friends play essential roles in filling gaps and addressing issues. And making Bradford a city of sanctuary - a community that makes an effort to welcome and support asylum seekers and refugees with businesses that sign on and a council behind the movement - also helps. Bradford is now one of 15 throughout the UK to make this commitment. Though still gaining in depth, I think it's an important place to start. And though my friend Jacques from the DRC may complain that he shares a bathroom and kitchen with three others, at least he knows he's safe, and has a friend to speak broken french or play cards with him every Monday night. There's l of room for the government to change their policies but Toto, we're not in Kairos anymore!