By ANISAH ARIF
A walk is being organised in Lister Park to highlight the struggles and conditions refugees and asylum-seekers go through when arriving into the country.
The multi-faith walk is being organised by Mercy Mission UK, and will take place in Lister Park on Saturday, January 26th from 12 noon.
Families, individuals from all faiths and communities are encouraged to get involved.
Money raised during the event will be used to work with the Home Office and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to bring a family out of the refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan to the UK.
Ayesha, the coordinator from Mercy Mission says: “The aim of this is to give awareness to the people of what kind of work we do and how local refugees need support when resettling in the country.
“It is to feel the cold the refugees are feeling or the hunger, because some have no roof over their head. They are in a critical state and I think as in humanity, it is our duty to accept refugees. We can’t let people die. If we can bring them safely to the country then that shouldn’t be a problem.”
The walk will be led by various faith leaders from the Church of England, the Catholic Church, The Faith Centre in Bradford, and the JKN Institute, also in Bradford.
The event will start at the Bandstand.
Aweis Asghar who runs Raising Explorers, an After School Learning Club, said: “It is really important for us to teach children about the plight of people who are less fortunate than ourselves. We are really proud to be involved and sponsor this event and will be getting our young people and parents well wrapped up”
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), by the end of 2017 there were 121,837 refugees, 40,365 pending asylum cases and 97 stateless persons in the UK. That’s around one quarter of a percent (0.25%) of the UK’s total population.
When a person is given refugee status, they have just 28 days to find accommodation and apply for mainstream benefits before they are evicted from asylum accommodation. Many refugees become homeless at this stage.
There is still chance for others to get involved including faith based organisations, individuals and community groups. Get in touch on 01274 772381 or cs@mercymission.org.uk