Sanctuary for Syrian Refugees: Tuesday 16th June at 7:30pm, Room B102, Brunei Gallery SOAS, London WC1H 0XG
Facebook event page.
Confirmed speakers: Zrinka Bralo, Citizens UK; Caroline Russell, Green Party; Luke Cooper, Left Unity; Zoe Gardner, Movement against Xenophobia.
So far the UK has admitted only 187 Syrian refugees under its Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme. Citizens UK initiated a campaign in the run up to the election to persuade 50 councils to pledge to host 50 refugees each, in hopes of thereby encouraging the new government to expand the programme. Five boroughs including the Conservative borough of Kingston upon Thames agreed. Islington Council failed to agree, with Labour councillors refusing to commit social housing to the project.
Post election, with a Conservative government confidently hostile to migrants and refugees, and with no social housing building programme in sight, we will be discussing how best to renew this campaign.