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Glasgow City Mission Working With Growing Numbers of Refugees

Glasgow City Mission Working With Growing Numbers of Refugees

Wednesday September 30 2015

Jackie Macadam reports on the growing demand for help from refugees at Glasgow City Mission.

 

Refugee numbers using support services at a Glasgow church-supported charity have already increased dramatically, according to new figures.

Glasgow City Mission have seen the normal 10 to 12 people who turn up on a Friday for a regular lunch grow to almost 100.

Graham Steven, Marketing and Fundraising Manager for the Christian charity, explained: “We created a specific group for foreign nationals.

“Generally we would provide lunch and afterwards address one of their biggest problems, and hold an English class.

“Without English it’s difficult to socialise and integrate into Glasgow life.

“Gradually, as numbers rose, we introduced a second drop-in group, but in this one, there were no lessons, no set programme. They were just welcome to come in and ‘be’ themselves.

“We realised this was really needed when one of man approached us and told us that the group was special because ‘everywhere we go, we have to fill in forms. We have to give our names, addresses, tell our stories. We seem to have to justify our existence to everyone, all the time. But here we can just be ordinary people, just accepted for who we are.’"

“Graham explained: "We have Syrians, Iranians, Iraquis and lots of Eritreans and others from all over Africa.

“But learning English isn’t their only problem.

“So many of these people have seen terrible, terrible trauma. They’ve watched unimaginable things happen to their family members, and have faced unbelievable difficulty to get here.

“We can’t really provide the intensive counseling that many of them need – but we are able just to allow them to talk to us and listen to their stories.

“That’s very important.

“The vast majority of asylum seekers are not allowed to work so they don’t have much money. They can suffer from a great deal of isolation and have no real chance at relationships or forming friendships.

“Families have been splintered and they might well have lost contact altogether.”

Glasgow City Mission is supported by a large number of churches across the city, of all denominations, who not only supply volunteers and financial assistance, but prayerful support

Graham said: “We have one volunteer who even comes all the way from Arran every week, and we have others come from Helensburgh, Ayrshire and many other towns and cities on the west coast."

Describing how the support provided by the Mission was beginning to have an impact, he added: “The good news is that, increasingly, our international guests are beginning to integrate into the other services we offer as well. That way they have begun mixing with the locals and are beginning to develop relationships with them.

“So much of the headlines seem designed to frighten people – but once our local residents start to talk to the refugees and to listen to them, they see that they’re just normal people who have been through horrific experiences and then much of the fear and apprehension goes away.

“More referrals come in every day – in many cases from the other agencies across the city who are struggling to cope.

“All I can be sure is that the need for the kind of interventions we offer is only going to rise.”

Glasgow City Mission and Tearfund will be hosting a special joint church service of worship, prayer and reflection on Sunday 15th November, 7pm at St George’s Tron Church, Nelson Mandela Place, Glasgow. The event will consider how the Church in Glasgow could respond to meet the needs of refugees both locally and globally.