Refused asylum seekers sleeping rough in Bolton

8:11pm Monday 14th April 2008

One hundred refused asylum seekers - including men and women in their late 80s - are living rough in derelict houses and on people's floors in the Bolton area.

Ray Collett, chairman of BRASS (Befriending Refugees and Asylum Seekers) revealed the scale of the problem at the charity's annual general meeting.

He said: "These people fled their countries with nothing, and they still have nothing - including a future."

The charity provides food, toiletries, maternity assistance and a small amount of cash to "destitute and desperate" refused asylum seekers every week, explained Mr Collett.

"BRASS has to raise funding from the very generous people of Bolton as we are not allowed to access funds from the public sector nor from most charitable trusts for these people.

"These are mostly young, single men who have fled countries where they feared for their lives. But, there are also a significant number of much older people who are also living in these terrible conditions. Their isolation, loneliness and poverty is awful to see."

BRASS holds open drop-ins at the Victoria Hall and also runs training sessions and classes on other weekdays where courses are also held in speaking English, computing and IT skills, driving and British citizenship.

On Wednesdays, there is a special drop-in for those who are destitute to receive practical help. But, added Mr Collett, the charity has to raise an additional £600 every week to do this.

At the AGM, attended by the Mayor of Bolton Cllr Barbara Ronson, the keynote speaker was Shelley Gould from the newly-created Borders and Immigration Agency.

She explained the work of the agency in processing the immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers who seek a new home in the UK, highlighting improvements in the system, particularly concerning families who have been in this country for more than five years without receiving a decision on their asylum claims.

Mr Collett said that the system was "definitely working better and becoming more humane" but, unfortunately, this did not affect those who had already been refused asylum.

"This is not a problem that is going away, but it is one that people prefer to ignore", he said.

"Many people label everyone coming into this country as immigrants', but immigrants are usually people from EU countries who are coming here to work and live. "Asylum seekers and refugees are individuals fleeing from various countries, mostly Africa currently, because they fear the regime there."

Bolton has a long history of welcoming oppressed people, and is popular with newcomers, added Mr Collett, because of the warmth of its residents and the pro-active attitude of Bolton Council.

Steve Rylance from national charity Refugee Action said that the situation in Bolton was "not unusual" for a large town which was involved in refugee dispersal where people put down roots and made friends.

"This destitution is an invisible problem," he stated."But it is not accidental. It is the outcome of Government policy and we are currently campaigning to try to get it changed."

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