Ukrainian Refugees & The Nationality and Borders Bill

Ukrainian Refugees

The dreadful reality for children, women and men fleeing the horror of war has been brought into sharp focus with the terrifying invasion of Ukraine over the last weeks. Around three million refugees have fled Ukraine taking long and sometimes dangerous journeys and often having had to leave family members behind. People are now facing terrible uncertainty and being without a home. 

All of us at Young Roots are ready to welcome Ukrainian refugee children and young people to our activities and support them in the coming weeks and months.

Young Refugee Support

This awful reality is all too familiar to the children and young people we support at Young Roots, who have fled horrific wars and abuse in other parts of the world.  Last year, we worked with 739 children and young people from 46 countries, including Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea, Iran and Sudan.  

So many people here in the UK want to help support refugees to rebuild their lives in our communities. The, albeit slow, willingness of the Government and others to ensure the safe passage of Ukrainian refugees to the UK gives us some hope that this will mark the dawn of a kinder, more empathetic era. 

The Nationality and Borders Bill

Despite the outpouring of empathy, and renewed understanding of the experiences of refugees, the Nationality and Borders Bill is going to be presented to Parliament again imminently, possibly next Tuesday 22nd March. If passed, refugees arriving here from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria and other areas of conflict, other than by pre-agreed routes and arrangements, could be criminalised, held in reception centres or sent back to the countries they fled. 

What is Young Roots doing about the Nationality and Borders Bill?

Young Roots is working hard with other charities, as part of the Together with Refugees coalition, to influence MPs to vote in favour of key amendments to this Bill. 

The House of Lords recently voted through two significant amendments to the Bill: to remove Clause 11 which proposes treating refugees differently based on how they arrive; and to amend Clause 6 which would commit the government to resettling 10,000 refugees a year. 

This win showcases the importance and impact of our stand for a compassionate approach to refugees.

What you can do now;

Asylum seekers are currently banned from work and forced to subsist on £5.84 a day. 
The passage of the Nationality and Borders Bill also presents an opportunity to change this for the better.

During its passage in the Lords, the Bill was amended by cross-party peers to include permission to work for people who have waited over six months for a decision on their asylum application, and for their adult dependents. This would have huge social and economic benefits.

Thank you for standing with young refugees.