London: A quiet stillness without our refugee friends

Joanna, from Jesuit Refugee Services writes:

In any normal week, you can expect a quiet stillness on a Friday morning following our Day Centre drop-in; the lively hustle and bustle of which fills our centre, and our hearts, every Thursday afternoon.

It has been strange and unsettling these last few weeks not to experience either, as my colleagues and I continue our work remotely from home. There is no doubt that the thing many of us miss most of all, is the interaction with our refugee friends; hearing them laugh & sing, smelling their cooking, advising them face-to-face on their cases, and welcoming them with a smile through our centre door.

The absence of this physical accompaniment may be painful, but I am so grateful that we are still able to support our friends in many ways; from our Emergency Response Team deliveries, to increased phone support and our active advocacy work.

In this week's e-update, Cameron from the Immigration Advice Service writes our first guest article in our Legal Blog: www.jrsuk.net/blog/legal-blog-why-covid-19-is-a-threat-to-uk-asylum-seekers/series,

We call for better access to emergency accommodation for homeless migrants and refugees: www.jrsuk.net/news/still-striving-to-ensure-all-homeless-people-are-housed-during-covid-19/

Read about our joint letters to UK Secretaries of State calling on them to recognise the rights of our friends: www.jrsuk.net/news/joint-letter-freedom-from-torture/

And we thank you for your incredible generosity to our emergency hardship fund: www.jrsuk.net/news/refugeesreceive100parcels/

As always, thank you for your support and prayers for our work, Joanna