Three people who have given up a spare room share their stories – and offer advice to anyone hoping to do the same for Ukrainian guests
Click here to read more – What I learnt when I took in refugees
Click here to watch the interview.
Alison Baxter, Chair of Trustees and experienced host, talks to Stephen Nolan about the experience of hosting a refugee and the support offered by Sanctuary Hosting’s staff and volunteer support workers.
As Afghans flee their country in the wake of the Taliban takeover, CNN reporter Nada Bashir talks to Alison Baxter, our Chair of Trustees, and hosts, Kate and Richard Delacour, about Sanctuary Hosting’s vital work in providing temporary accommodation in the Thames Valley for refugees fleeing war and conflict zones.
Sanctuary Hosting has seen a surge in support following media coverage of the events unfolding in Afghanistan.
Alison Baxter, Chair of Trustees and experienced host, talks to Lily Mitchell about the experience of opening up her home to a refugee in need and how she and her guest are supported by Sanctuary Hosting.
Can we gain a fairer society after pandemic?
This pandemic is highlighting profound gaps in UK’s social security net. Rapidly, the government has opened up services for all to keep the public safe. Sanctuary Hosting, a charity based in Oxford, is familiar with one major gap – housing for people who are homeless, seeking safety in the UK and cannot access statutory housing. Local authorities must now help everyone without a home, regardless of their immigration status. But healthcare access for all remains a challenge. On 29 January, the government announced that no charge would be made to an overseas visitor for treatment of COVID 19. In recent weeks, immigration detention centres are emptying to safeguard inmates and workers within the centres. With each step we move closer to a society where everyone can access vital services to keep the public as a whole safe from COVID 19.
By bringing these problems to the surface, we are facing up to how UK social policy prevents certain groups from accessing vital services. Campaign groups are calling for undocumented migrants and those waiting for a decision from the Home Office to be given permission to stay. On 2nd April 2020, Portugal temporarily granted all migrants and asylum seekers currently in the country access to the same services as citizens for the duration of the crisis, without actually making them permanent citizens. Could the UK follow suit?
