This week is Refugee Week; a week that celebrates different pasts, shared futures.
Hull City Council is proud to support Refugee Week, the UK’s largest festival celebrating the contribution of refugees and promoting understanding of why people seek sanctuary. The theme for 2019 is ‘You, me and those who came before’, and is an invitation to explore the lives of refugees – and those who have welcomed them – throughout the generations.
Rosemary Pantelakis, Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services said: “Hull is a City of Sanctuary, a place of welcome and safety for people in need of sanctuary. There are a lot of common misconceptions about refugees and this week provides an opportunity to highlight the facts.
“Why not come along to one of the many community events happening here in Hull, enjoy a cultural experience and maybe learn a bit more.”
On Friday Hull Afro Drum Beats present Drum, Sing and Dance from 7pm at Jubilee Central in King Edward Street where people are invited to an evening of song, stories, dance and drama. On Saturday between 3pm and 5pm Hull Community Church on Newland Avenue in partnership with Hull Refugee Council Women’s Group, is opening its doors for a tasty celebration of culture; cooking traditional dishes from Ethiopia, Syria, Palestine, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and Somalia. People are invited to hear the stories behind the dishes and taste the food. Other events include art exhibitions depicting the journey of those seeking sanctuary, a football match and the story of a refugees journey told by Mehdi Ahmad.
Events are taking place across the country and in Hull the council joins partners including the University of Hull, Back to Ours, the Refugee Council, Hull Help for Refugees, Hull Community Church, Open Doors Hull and British Red Cross to provide a programme of events celebrating and promoting awareness about refugees.
A full list of events is available here.
Refugees, asylum seekers and stateless people make up just 0.24 percent of the UK population and almost half of all refugees are children. Yesterday, the government announced a new global resettlement scheme which will start in 2020 for the most vulnerable refugees, once the Vulnerable Person’s Resettlement Scheme concludes. Under the new scheme, the UK will resettle refugees at current levels, meaning thousands more people fleeing conflict and persecution will have the opportunity to build a new life in the UK.
Find out more about Refugee Week 2019 and the new government scheme.
World Refugee Day takes place on 20 June each year and this year celebrates its 19th year. Refugee Week takes place around World Refugee Day.
