May 2025 Bulletin

EVERYONE IS WELCOME.

Come and share in our festivities and enjoy a barbecue. Things get underway around midday, and begin to draw to a close around 3.30pm.

…doesn’t support staff well-being or facilitate team work.

Mindful of this, Godfrey took the team on a (sometimes challenging) walk to Three Shires Head, which lies at the junction of three counties, Derbyshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire.

Jackie, Godfrey, and Darcy took a quick dip. The others were too ‘chicken’ to follow them!

• People so often labelled ‘illegal migrants’ are men, women and families seeking safety from persecution, civil conflict and war.
• Many arrive in small boats because the government is not offering safe routes to the UK.
• Apart from resettlement schemes for Syrians and Afghans, safe passage has only been offered to Ukrainians.
• Routinely described as illegal migrants they come to be regarded as a security threat.
• At best, they are ‘undocumented’ migrants while the majority are people ‘just like us’

Forty-eight percent of rejected applications in 2024 were later approved. Almost half should have been granted protection from the start. Thousands are wrongly refused protection and are pushed into desperate situations.

As of 24th May, there were 1,281 people seeking asylum in Stoke-on-Trent. That’s 45 asylum seekers for every 10,000 people living in the Potteries—the ninth highest in the UK.

One possible reason for this could be the availability of cheap accommodation.

The number of asylum seekers in Stoke-on-Trent calls out for the city to become a City of Sanctuary.

There are 17 in the Midlands, including Stafford Town of Sanctuary. There is also a movement of local councils working to create a culture of welcome, inclusion and empowerment for people seeking asylum.

Find out more about the cities involved by tapping the button below.

Staff attended a media training course provided by IMIX, who believe that people who migrate or seek safety in the UK, should be welcomed and valued within our communities, and that the stories behind the headlines deserve to be heard.

As Asha becomes increasingly well-known, it becomes an easy target for right wing groups. Staff need the tools to deal with heightened media interest, and ways to contribute positively to public debate.

The day included:

• Interview practice;
• How to make a persuasive argument;
• How to target different audiences; and
• How to respond to media requests.

This year, Asha will be taking its footballers to the annual Refugee Week Football Tournament in Derby.

Godfrey attended a conference organised by long term supporters, Sporting Communities.

Some will remember a Refugee Week football tournament, which may well have been a fiasco without Sporting Communities active involvement! It was no ordinary tournament. There were mixed teams of asylum seekers and local people, and games for women and children.

The conference participants ranged from Sport England to Asha’s digital partner, Wavemaker, all of whom in one way or another affirm the personal and social value of involvement in collective activity.

Help from an MP is often a last the ditch stand before deportation. An MP can help when all else fails.

This is why Asha is especially pleased that our MP, Gareth Snell, will be sending a caseworker to conduct a surgery at Asha every two weeks.

There is every expectation and hope that this may lead to the resolution of cases which have been outstanding for years.

Berna from Refugee Action Care Project, knows Asha well. And what Berna doesn’t know about asylum seekers and refugees is not worth knowing!

It is Berna to whom Tamba and Lydia refer intractable cases concerning housing support under Sections 98, 95, 4, and Schedule 10 Housing.

It’s panic stations when someone receives a letter from the Home Office telling them their support is to end. Now Berna is attending ASHA fortnightly to see asylum seekers in person and to support Tamba and Lydia as they grapple with seemingly intractable problems.

The National Immigration Advice Service is provided by Refugee Action, who will be attending Asha monthly to offer advice and support to asylum seekers facing barriers to legal aid funding.

This includes those making fresh claims on protection or family life grounds where legal aid is not available, or would not be granted due to the case being borderline or involving severe mental health issues—only if exceptional and where there are clear merits.

Support may also be offered for Leave to Remain applications involving children, Leave to Remain renewals, and other complex cases where particular vulnerabilities are present.

Special thanks to Angela Glendenning for compiling the information for the bulletin.

It’s easy to register to receive bulletins about Asha’s events and activities.

Just tap the button below and complete our simple form.

We aim to increase our mailing list by half during the coming year.

THANK YOU.

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Office: 01782 363122

Godfrey Seminega, Services Manager (works full-time): seminega@asha-uk.org

Jackie Gregory, Wellbeing Co-ordinator (works part-time Tuesday, Friday and occasional Saturdays): jackie@asha-uk.org

Lydia Mugoyikazi, Women’s Club Co-Ordinator and Caseworker (works part-time Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday): lydia@asha-uk.org

Helen Ranford, Finance and Administration (works Tuesday to Friday): helen.ranford@asha-uk.org

Facinet Keita, Digital Health/IT and Unaccompanied Young People Support Worker (works Monday to Thursday): keita@asha-uk.org

Tamba Musa, Asylum Guide, Social Inclusion and Men’sSupport Worker (works Tuesday to Saturday): tamba@asha-uk.org

Charity Reg. No. 11769634 (England & Wales) Company No. CE013097