Refugee Tales - 8 July 2024

Sutton group member Barbara attended "An Evening With Refugee Tales" on 8 July at Holy Trinity Church, Wallington and heard personal stories from two refugees about their challenges in trying to settle in Britain. They told of their despair, frustration, loneliness and discrimination from bureaucratic institutions and authorities. How one had " leave to remain" and had worked several years but after a short prison spell everything was taken away from him and he had to fight deportation. Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group (GDWG) supported these individuals getting appropriate help from solicitors and other organisations. Both individuals showed tremendous courage, patience and resilience in the face of all this adversity and are now flourishing!

Intermittently, a band played music and sang whilst the audience was encouraged to dance around the hall!

As Barbara left she noticed many sleeping bags on the floor of a room ready for GDWG members to have a good night's sleep before setting off again on their walk from Edenbridge to Westminster. Next stop Wandsworth. The aim is to tell the tales in various communities en route, to make people aware of the plight of refugees and the difficulties experienced by those seeking asylum and held in immigration detention. And finally of course, to consider what we can all do to help.