Refugees and local residents have called on Lancaster MP Cat Smith to protect the rights of refugees to rebuild their lives in the UK.

As part of the national Together With Refugees campaign, people gathered to express their love and compassion for refugees on Valentine’s Day as part of the ‘Compassion, not Cruelty’ campaign to welcome people who are fleeing war and persecution, and to protect their rights to settle in the UK.

Refugees from RAIL (refugees, asylum seekers in Lancaster) also created a large Valentine’s card for MP Cat Smith urging her to do the same.

This comes in response to a new Home Office asylum policy announcement ‘Restoring Order and Control’ which will limit refugees to temporary protection of 2.5 years (currently it is five) as well as extend the routes to permanent settlement for refugees from five years to up to 20 years.

Residents gathered together to issue a plea to MP Cat Smith.

placeholder image — Residents gathered together to issue a plea to MP Cat Smith.

Gisela Renolds, spokesperson for Lancaster and Morecambe City of Sanctuary, said: “This will achieve nothing but new costly visa applications and a ridiculous administrative burden on the Home Office who will need to process hundreds of thousands of additional visa applications for no reason.

"It punishes people who have fled the horrors of conflict and persecution, and who need support to get back on their feet. These proposals do not represent the people of Lancaster who consistently continue to show warmth and kindness to refugees.”

Omar from the RAIL group said: “We cannot go back to Syria. My wife is disabled from the bombs that blew up our house. We still have shrapnel in our bodies. She continues to need treatment.

“And it is not safe for us to return as there is still conflict and persecution of minorities like us. Under the Government’s new proposals, we are worried that her disability means we may not be able to settle here long term. We urge our local MPs to reject these proposals.”

Lancaster and Morecambe City of Sanctuary was formed in 2015 to welcome asylum seekers and refugees to the district. It works through local charities to provide direct support to prevent destitution and access legal support for asylum claims.

RAIL (refugees, asylum seekers in Lancaster) is a group of people with lived experience of the asylum system and refugee resettlement programmes, supported by Gisela Renolds at Global Link.