Refugee Charter for Manchester
The Refugee Charter is a unique document written by refugees and asylum seekers in Manchester.
The Charter calls for refugees and migrants to be treated with respect and dignity.
The Charter calls for recognition for the contribution refugees make to UK society.
The Charter puts forward our vision for a city where people are treated equally.
The Charter is a practical tool to address inequalities and push for change.
Refugee Charter for Manchester
The Refugee Charter for Manchester is also available as a PDF (1.2MB) for you to print out.
Define us not by our differences but by the principles we share
We are people of courage, ingenuity and perseverance who have been forced to come to seek refuge in Manchester.
We are refugees and asylum seekers, exercising our legal right under the 1951 UN Convention to seek safety from persecution in our countries of origin. We include families, lone individuals, men women and children, young and old, people with disabilities and unaccompanied minors.
We applaud and thank all individuals, public agencies and organizations who have welcomed us and supported us to re-build our lives in the UK.
However the current situation for many asylum seekers and refugees is critical. We see our communities increasingly marginalised, denied or unable to access employment, limited and problematic access to health services and dispersed to highly deprived areas where individuals are isolated, vulnerable and subject to harassment and physical attacks.
While refugees and asylum seekers have different entitlements under British law, we ask that the rights in the law be upheld and that our basic, universal human rights be respected. Immigration policies often run contrary to other government objectives including reducing rough sleeping, encouraging employment and creating an inclusive society.
We exert all possible effort to positively contribute and positively integrate with our host communities. There is a long history of refugees and migrants making a significant contribution to the life of the city, and current refugees must be recognized as continuing this contribution.
Integration is a dynamic and two way process, placing a demand on receiving societies and the new communities.
In order for us to rebuild our lives and fully integrate into society we call for:
BASIC RIGHTS
1. Recognition of the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace;
2. Especially vulnerable members of refugee communities to be treated with the same care and respect as those from host communities expect and where children are involved, the rights of the child must be paramount;
3. Appropriate provisions to be made for refugees and asylum seekers with special needs, such as unaccompanied minors and disabled refugees and asylum seekers;
4. Service providers within Manchester to recognize that they have a responsibility to ensure that all refugee policies are compassionate, ethically sound and consistent with international legal standards;
5. Recognition of the right to adequate legal representation to enable us to have a fair and just asylum hearing;
6. Recognition of the crucial importance of advice and interpretation services in enabling us to realise our rights and contribute to our host community;
HEALTHCARE
7. Recognition that we should have the same access to healthcare as our host community;
8. Asylum seekers and refugees with mental health needs to have these met appropriately and sensitively and to promote good mental health in acknowledgement of the fact that many of us have been traumatised in our country of origin and that our lives are still stressful and uncertain;
HOUSING
9. The right to safe, appropriate accommodation. This should be suitably located, well managed, in good repair and with adequate support to enable us to resettle and rebuild our homes;
10. The recognition that enforced destitution is an inhumane policy which is harmful and dangerous for the victims and damaging for the host communities;
EDUCATION
11. Schools and colleges to encourage integration through valuing each child regardless of background and recognising that each child and young person can play a fundamental role in educating others and promoting greater understanding of the issues affecting refugees;
12. Recognition of the emotional needs of refugee children and the importance of a stable and safe environment in order to assist in their development;
13. Appropriate educational provision to allow adult learners to access educational provision, especially ESOL provision;
EMPLOYMENT
14. Recognition that we want to work, and have no desire to become an economic burden, and that current legislation, which prevents asylum seekers from working, has a detrimental effect both on the individuals concerned and the city as a whole and on community cohesion and integration;
15. Encouragement and promotion of full scale participation in employment preparation and personal development for asylum seekers;
16. Encouragement and promotion of appropriate training and employment opportunities for refugees to enable them to participate in the economic, social and cultural life of the city;
COMMUNITY COHESION AND SOCIAL BONDS
17. Respect as law-abiding people who should not be suspected or accused of a crime due to our immigration status;
18. The right to live in safety without fear of persecution or physical attacks from racist abusers;
19. Recognition that irresponsible media coverage hurts real people and that media representation should therefore be sensitive, fair and truthfully reflective of the positive contribution we make to our host community; and
20. Support for our community organisations and refugee organisations to increase peoples' confidence and ability to integrate on equal terms, to promote respect for the cultures, arts and languages that we bring and to increase inter-cultural understanding.
Endorse the Refugee Charter
The Charter is a living document!
Endorse the Charter:
"We the undersigned support the Refugee Charter for Manchester and recognise the positive contribution made by refugee and migrant communities to the city of Manchester"
Make it by email or post with your name and organisation to:
Development Worker
Refugee and Migrants Forum
St, James Centre
95a, Princess Road
Manchester M14 4TH
The Story of the Refugee Charter
The Initiators
The idea for the Charter came from refugees and asylum seekers enrolled on a Community Leadership training course. The course was run by Community Pride Initiative in partnership with Manchester Refugee Support Network (MRSN) in January 2005.
The course was attended by people from Eritrean, Zimbabwean, Pakistani, Sudanese, Somali Brava and Kurdish communities. These community leaders decided on the idea of a Refugee Charter as a course of action to raise the profile of refugee communities in Manchester and highlight the problems faced by refugees.
Building a Coalition
This initiative was taken up and supported by the Refugee and Migrant Forum Manchester, a wider network in contact with over 50 organisations. A Charter steering group was formed who developed the idea of a Charter and what could be achieved through the process. They held regular rallying meetings and worked to mobilise their community members. Both more established and newly arrived nationalities played an important part in framing the content and direction of the Charter.
In the run up to the launch event, refugees and asylum seekers took the Charter to politicians and service providers in Manchester to ask for their support and the endorsement of the Charter. From these early stages, refugees and asylum seekers had already begun to use the Charter to advocate for their rights and build relationships with decision makers in the city. Over 70 organisations and individuals including faith leaders, politicians, trade unions, and agencies who work with refugees both nationally and locally have endorsed the Charter and the list continues to grow.
Following the launch of the Charter in Manchester Town Hall to an audience of over 500 people, Manchester City Council endorsed the charter in writing on 23rd June 2006.
Taking the Charter Forward
The Charter is a positive tool which allows refugees, asylum seekers and migrants to initiate dialogue, push for change and raise awareness of the substantial contribution of refugee and migrant communities to Manchester. It is the first step in a long process of engagement for new arrivals to Manchester.
Forum members now work to promote the principles of the Charter through our activities, events and meetings, effecting changes which we hope will result in real improvements in the lives refugees and asylum seekers in Manchester.
Who helped develop the Refugee Charter?
Refugee and Migrant Forum Manchester: A network of groups and individuals established to speak out on issues of concern to refugees and to coordinate the work of refugee community organisations. The Forum is very diverse in its make up, and is made up of over 50 refugee community organisations in Manchester. It is one of the communities of interest that make up the Community Network for Manchester.
Community Pride Initiative: A charity working in Manchester and Salford, which aims to enable people to have a greater say over what happens in their neighbourhoods and cities. Community Pride works with a diverse range of local individuals, grassroots activists, community groups and faith-based projects to build their capacity to change this situation.