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Bolton offers a safe haven to vulnerable refugees

1 November 2004

Refugees who have fled war and persecution are being offered protection in Bolton as part of a United Nations international resettlement programme.

Thirty-four men, women and children from Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo are to start a new life in Bolton today, November 1, after living in refugee camps for years. Bolton Council has agreed to become the second local authority to participate in the Gateway resettlement programme, which was piloted in Sheffield in March. The UK has agreed to accept 500 refugees in the first year, of which 83 will arrive in Bolton between now and December.

They will be assisted by a small team of resettlement workers from Refugee Action, an independent, national charity working to enable refugees to build new lives in the UK. Refugee Action staff will provide advice and support for the refugees during their first year in Bolton. They will assist the families with everything from learning about their new community to accessing education, training and employment.

The refugees have been selected by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) because they are especially vulnerable and qualify for protection under the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees, to which the UK is a signatory. The Home Office has confirmed their refugee status and is paying the full resettlement costs for the next 12 months.

Bolton Council leader Councillor Barbara Ronson said she was delighted that Bolton had taken the opportunity to be part of such an important humanitarian scheme:

“Our town is well known for its friendly people, and I am sure that Bolton will offer these new members of our community a warm welcome and a chance to start a new life. Many of the refugees have been through unimaginable traumas. Many are young children who have barely known a normal childhood at all.

“This group of people are not asylum seekers; they have been specially pre-selected on the basis of need and have already been granted full refugee status by the Government. All of them are vulnerable and all of them need our help and understanding. This is a great opportunity to help give these people a second chance,” she said.

The Liberian families have fled two major civil wars over the last 15 years, in which an estimated 200,000 people died and more than a million were forced into exile. They have been living in refugee camps in Sierra Leone for a long time, some in desperate circumstances.

The Congolese refugees have fled a five-year civil war in which three million people have lost their lives, either in the conflict or due to disease and malnutrition. They have been living in mud huts in camps in neighbouring Uganda, where 17,000 refugees are housed.

The families have had English lessons and undergone health screenings. They have been allocated accommodation across Bolton provided by St Vincent’s Housing Association. Refugee Action will devise care plans for each individual, based on their aspirations and needs.

Refugee Action’s Sara Buck, manager of the Gateway Resettlement Programme in Bolton, said:

“Refugee Action is proud to be involved with this scheme, which offers a safe route to permanent protection for people who have spent years in refugee camps with no prospect of returning to their homeland. They have fled from war and persecution and can be extremely traumatised as a result of their experiences.

“We will be working closely with Bolton Council and other local voluntary and statutory agencies to help these refugees integrate into their new community and rebuild their shattered lives.”

For more information, or to request an interview, please call:

Refugee Action press office on 0161 233 1956 / 020 7654 7707 or 07810 757 752 (out of hours).

Bolton Council press office on 01204 331396.

About Refugee Action
Refugee Action is an independent, national charity working to enable refugees to build new lives in the UK. We provide practical advice and assistance for newly arrived asylum seekers and long-term commitment to their settlement through community development work, and received 30,000 visits from asylum seekers last year. As one of the country’s leading agencies in the field, Refugee Action has 22 years’ experience in pioneering innovative work in partnership with refugees.

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