How To Take Action for Ukraine
As with last year’s events in Afghanistan, the unfolding situation in Ukraine is terrifying, and many of us want to help any way we can.
Here’s a range of ways to make a difference, no matter what your capacity might be. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, sometimes the best thing to do is just take positive action.
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Donate
One of the quickest and simplest ways of making an impact is to support the organisations already working hard to support people.
The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain is fundraising as are British-Ukrainian Aid.
Additionally there are many major organisations providing humanitarian relief on the ground including the Red Cross. The Disaster Emergency Committee is coordinating aid to organisations on the ground.
Thinking more long term than the immediate situation in Ukraine, the UN food programme is still playing an important role, especially in Afghanistan and Yemen. After the initial crisis, it will go on providing food in Ukraine as the impact of war deepens.
Unfortunately we are not able to accept offers of clothes, household goods or food at this point because we do not have any storage facilities. When refugees arrive in Cheltenham they usually have specific needs such as bikes, car seats, school bags or other particular items and we will do call outs for these when the need arises.
If you have items you need to pass on, how about a British Red Cross charity shop to support the work they have been doing in Ukraine and with refugees from elsewhere arriving in the UK?
GARAS (Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers) are helping bring families to safety in Gloucestershire, dealing with legal issues and housing. They’re currently seeking funds to support their work, so any contributions make a big difference.
Or you may want to consider a financial donation (https://www.cheltenhamwelcomesrefugees.org.uk/donate) or a store voucher, as some essentials (e.g. underwear) cannot be provided second-hand.
And remember we are still supporting the families who have fled Syria, Afghanistan, and the people from many other war-torn countries who are seeking asylum here.
We also really recommend the amazing work done by:
Raise your voice
There are lots of petitions and calls to action currently circulating to help protect the people of Ukraine and to ensure that Britain is a safe haven for them, including Oxfam and Freedom from Torture.
Campaigning for a more generous and welcoming refugee policy is one of the most important actions we can take here in the UK. The Nationality and Borders bill will criminalise asylum seekers arriving the UK from the Ukraine and elsewhere. It seeks to send asylum seekers to offshore detention centres, and imprison for long periods anyone who helps them into the country. It is an incredibly cruel and hostile bill and it needs to be stopped.
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Most local groups, including CWR, and many national groups are campaigning against the bill and in support of Ukrainian refugees. Refugee Action, Detention Action, Freedom for Torture are all running major campaigns.
Specifically on Ukrainian refugee policy, the UK Government could be doing much more to assist Ukrainian refugees who wish to come to the UK and you can add your voice to the pressure on the UK Government to match commitments made in the European Union to allow entry without visa requirements and costs.
Writing to your MP, especially if it is a Conservative MP, lets your MP know you care about this issue and would support a change in policy by the Government.
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signposting for direct assistance
In Cheltenham, MP Alex Chalk has stated he is available to assist any Cheltenham-based Ukrainians with getting their family members to the UK, so anyone needing direct assistance with this in Cheltenham should get in touch with him.
Free UK immigration advice for people fleeing Ukraine is currently being offered from the following sources:
Take it to the next level
Some people really want to go the distance on making a difference, and there definitely are big ways to change a life. This is even more the case with the advent of the government’s Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme. There is a good explainer of what we currently know of the scheme here on the Guardian website.
Gloucestershire County Council have set up a resource page for the scheme providing information: Homes for Ukraine Scheme Information.
Several charities already do great work facilitating and supporting sponsorship schemes or refugee hosting, for example:
Refugees at Home do amazing work in helping UK households to host individuals who have attained refugee status and who are in search of longer-term accommodation.
Sanctuary Foundation is looking to facilitate matching hosts and refugees.
Reset is doing similar matching work and has experience supporting refugee sponsorship schemes.
Other ways to make a difference:
Gloucestershire Nightstop also help locate overnight accommodation for people whose asylum claims have been granted and need to urgently find short-term housing while they transfer from state support.
There’s also information on fostering refugee children through Gloucestershire County Council here, which can be one of the most impactful things you can do.
There are several ways to involve your wider community in helping refugees in Ukraine and across the world.
Talent Airlift uses shortcuts given by work visa regulations to rapidly bring refugees to safety and new job opportunities. Your own place of work can recruit people qualified in certain fields and at risk of displacement.
Community sponsorship is an ongoing scheme in coordination with UNHCR that helps local people to fund the resettlement of vulnerable families. There’s more detailed information on it here, and so far this scheme’s helped almost 500 families to settle in the UK.
There are also ways of donating air miles to refugees so they can find safety in new countries - while no UK airlines currently support this scheme, you could call or write to companies such as British Airways or Easyjet to ask them to get involved too.
stay informed
This situation has got people talking, and while it’s good we’re having these difficult conversations, it’s really important to take opportunities to correct any misinformation you might encounter.
Remember:
There’s no such thing as an “illegal refugee”. The right to seek asylum when experiencing displacement is enshrined in international law, no matter how you travel or which countries you pass through along the way. Refugees in small boats on the Channel are just as legitimate in their needs and claims to safety as people in camps who go through the laborious and years-long process of applying remotely for asylum - and honestly, both these routes to safety are inhumane and untenable. We need to fight for better asylum laws in the UK.
We should - and can - accommodate whole families. No family should be traumatised by having to leave loved ones behind simply because UK laws have been dismantling routes of reunification. We shouldn’t selectively grant asylum only to women and children - entire family units deserve to find safe new homes together without abandoning anyone to violence.
We have space and resources for everyone who needs them. You can help to keep refugee rights on the agenda by correcting misinformation, by boycotting any media outlets using migrants as scapegoats, or by asking the Government to accept their international responsibilities of compassion and mutual support.
Photo by Marjan Blan | @marjanblan on Unsplash