Volunteering with asylum seekers and refugees

[Lemniscate8]

There is so much said on MN about asylum seekers and refugees, and often it is speaking about them as a block, rather than by people who know any as individuals.

AIBU to suggest that some of you who currently feel fear and hostility have a go at some volunteering to get to know one or more individuals and see if your feelings change?

There are lots of ways to get involved in helping welcome a refugee to the country, and maybe more people extending more welcome will help with intergration, which seems to be one of the main concerns of some posters.

Many places have volunteers facilitating english conversation sessions, or literacy support. Many councils look for volunteers to support refugee and asylum seeker children in schools, you can ask your local council, or one of the main refugee organisations what volunteering opportunities are available in your area.

Also volunteering with any homeless charity is ineviatably going to bring you into contact with refugees, as so many are sleeping rough

You can find out about people first hand, rather than through the right wing press. Personal relationships can only help people understand each other better

You are wasting your time op. I worked with asylum seekers for years. Primarily young men and I worked alone, often visiting HMOs. I had no issues at all. Well, that’s not true actually, I got fat! Because for many, culturally, it is hospitable to cook for visitors, so I’d visit 6 properties in a day and be given six meals. Properties occupied by 6-10 men, 18-25 yrs old, were immaculate, everyone was polite and I never once felt unsafe.
Many people don’t understand that asylum seekers aren’t allowed to work. They absolutely should be and they do want to, but for some reason I simply don’t understand, we don’t let them.
In contrast, in a different role, visiting white British people in their own homes, I’ve been spat on, called a cunt more times than I can count, had my car vandalised, my purse stolen and been attacked with a hammer.

😂😂😂😂😂

An explanation for those struggling with what is a refugee, asylum seeker, migrant

https://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/stay-informed/explainers/the-truth-about-asylum/

My neighbourhood has the biggest concentration of refugees in the country -I am sorry you are so angry. I wish you weren't.

In your volunteering capacity, have you asked these predominantly male asylum seekers where their wife’s, children and mothers are?

DD and her friend were 18 and asked by their school to volunteer with teaching men from Afghanistan English. The behaviour of the men towards the girls was completely inappropriate and scared them. The men had no idea of acceptable behaviour towards young women and seemed to think they were there for their gratification rather than education.

Do you think they don't know?

This is mostly a female site. Have you posted this on a male dominated site too?

I have no time for middle class liberals who say oh just get to know them and blame everything on the right wing press. I'm the trustee of a charity working with vulnerable local people and live in an area that is 80% non-white British, with huge numbers of refugees, asylum seekers and their wider families. Crime has gone through the roof, women are regularly harassed, and a woman was raped by an asylum seeker just round the corner from me.

The streets are covered in litter, men congregate on street corners and spit or urinate where they please. I rarely hear English spoken and via the charity all I hear are demands for more - expectations for a house, money, health care, schooling for their many children etc. They get established then bring over a huge extended family.

Wake up OP and stop patronising us. It is not racist to want our borders closed. Let them claim asylum in one of the many safe countries they went through to get here.

well, some are with them, some are dead, in any human or natural disaster men are more likely to survive then women. Some men talk about their lost relatives, some don't. I do think many posters are underestimating the numbers of refugees that are women, it is more than a third.

Thank you. People who are closed minded (and that's an increasingly large number of posters here) won't bother to inform themselves though.

You don't have to speak the same language. I go to a craft and natter group for local people and asylum seekers/refugees in my area. We have ladies from Somalia, Sudan, Sri Lanka, and from many other places some of whom speak good English some who don't. You would be surprised how well you can communicate and get on with people even if you have little language in common. All the ladies are attempting to improve their English. They bring their craft skills from their home countries to the group, as well as making wonderful food from their home countries. So far we have learned Pakistani embroidery, weaving from Nepal, natural dying from Sudan and we all have a great time.
Much can be gained from mixing with people from other cultures, not least that it shows that people no matter their cultural background have more similarities than differences.

YABU to assume everyone has formed their opinion from the media only and not from everyday interactions, including criminal activity and harassment.
Why is it that my 15 year old and her friends are being filmed and harassed on their way to and from school by foreign men in our local town (currently living in a crap, run down hotel) and yet police fail to act on this? (sorry they have gave them a couple of "warnings" and had the school tell pupils to avoid the street). Yet when locals kick off about it, we get branded racist? This is happening. This isn't just on tik tok or on FB. This is currently happening right where I live. My daughter rang me on her way home in floods of tears because a man was following her home when one of her friends had gone down another street. He had is phone out, asking if she was "legal".
But yes, I'm sure if I volunteered and spent my time with these vulnerable people I'd see how wonderful they really are.

I'm just amazed that someone who does so much voluntary work, misspells the word twice!

im dyslexic. And im off duty. what difference does that make?

I've nothing against asylum seekers personally, but it's a bit naive to tell a load of racists to spend their time for free helping the people they purport to despise.

….plus, of course, one gets that lovely, warm, tingly feeling of moral superiority. Frankly, OP, your post reeks of smugness and condescension. I have no doubt there are genuine refugees. I feel genuine sympathy for a young gay boy fleeing Iran, or a young woman who has fled a forced marriage in Afghanistan. But I’m also convinced the majority of so-called ‘asylum seekers’ are really economic migrants or rootless drifters. We keep being told they are “fleeing war and persecution.” In reality, I suspect many of them are actually fleeing the police. We have no idea who these young men are. Why don’t you consider the impact mass immigration has on the people who already live here for a change? In the 1990s, Sweden had one of the lowest rates of gun violence in Europe. Then the left threw open the borders, and Sweden now has one of the highest rates - four deaths per million (compared to the European average of 1.6). As for the rape statistics, they’re horrifying.

Real life isn’t like some crappy BBC drama. Look at the case of Anicet Mayala, an illegal immigrant from the Congo. Human rights groups fought against his deportation and won. No doubt they hugged themselves and felt all good and fuzzy and holy - like heroes in some mawkish Hollywood film. Anicet Mayala is now in prison for raping a 15-year-old girl. What about her human rights? Those campaigners should be forced to meet that girl and her family and explain themselves. Everywhere I look I see groups of young immigrant men wandering around. A neighbour no longer goes into town because she feels so intimidated. Watch the YouTube clip of Alex Philips explaining what it’s like to be constantly hassled and followed home by such men. Thank you for the advice OP, but I’ll be spending my time campaigning for Reform. And I don’t give a damn whether you approve or not.

Many do.

The ones i know volunteer in care homes and for homeless charities.

I can't decide whether OP lives in cloud cuckoo land, is rather stupid or ignorant of the news.

I live in a real city with real refugees and have spent several real decades really volunteering.

Who are you referring to here? Anyone who doesn’t volunteer as the op thinks they should

The majority do claim asylum in the first country they get to. Compare numbers for Pakistan and Turkey. Globally they are in the highest takers of asylum seekers.

Are you talking about asylum seekers and refugees who come into the country legally, or those who come in illegally?

my answer would be different for each group. 🤷🏻

I've found similar back in the days when my work involved home visits.

Romani families were always very hospitable, too.

I was referring to people who are very anti migrants/asylum seekers. That it's unlikely they'll wish to volunteer in such a capacity.

I don't care what other people do with their spare time as long as it doesn't hurt anyone.