Oldham's Refugees

 

Oldham Unity (Refugee Support) was created in 2003 to provide a welcome to Oldham for people coming to the town under the government's dispersal scheme. The organisation was born out of the local Stop the War group, and has volunteers from groups such as Oldham United Against Racism, various faith groups assiciated with the Oldham Inter-Faith Forum, and Oldham TUC.

Around three years ago it became clear that Oldham Unity neede to do more than simply providing a welcome through the monthly social gathering (see Events for details of the socials). For a variety of reasons, some refugees drop out of the state-support regime (NASS) and have no independent means of support. That means no food vouchers, no cash and no accommodation. In 21st century Oldham we found destitution on our streets.

In association with the Red Cross and Oldham Baptist Church, Oldham Unity runs a weekly emergency food distribution to destitute refugees. This is open every Thursday afternoon from 1 until 3pm, and is run entirely by unpaid volunteers.

The refugees who have come to Oldham come from a very wide spectrum of backgrounds. They include doctors, civil engineers, musicians, politicians and students, as well as single parents looking after young children. If you would like to make friends with some of them, follow the link here to find out where and when.

Oldham's Refugees: some case studies

Several of the volunteers at Oldham Unity are refugees themselves, who have either won leave to remain or are wating for a decision on their claims. One such volunteer was exiled Sierra Leonean journalist Sheka Tarawalie. During his time with us, he produced pen-pictures of a sample of the refugees which Oldham Unity supports, and we reproduce this below. (For information, Sheka is now safely back home in Sierra Leone working for the new President as his Press Officer. Those agents of the state who were persecuting Sheka are now thankfully out of power, and out of harms way).

"WHY WE ARE STILL HERE" – Failed Asylum Seekers Explain Their Plight

Sierra Leonean journalist Sheka Tarawalie (himself an asylum seeker working as an Adviser at the Oldham Citizens Advice Bureau, Chairman of the Manchester branch of the Refugees Asylum Seekers and the Media [RAM] project, and volunteer at the Oldham Unity’s Destitution Project) interviews failed asylum seekers across the board on why they refuse to go back home despite having been declared unwanted in the UK.

MANDLA NYATHI – ZIMBABWE

Mandla came to the UK in 1999 and sought asylum due to the persecution of the Opposition by the Mugabe regime. However his asylum was refused. He appealed and exhausted all legal channels in 2003. He still believes that he could be killed if he returned home: "I don’t know why the Home Office does not believe my story. I prefer to be destitute or even die here than go back to face torture and certain death."

KILLIAN NKOMO – DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Killian suffered rape and terrible abuse at the hands of different rebel forces in the DRC. She was later smuggled out of the country by a gang of sex traders. She was left homeless in the streets of London and ultimately sought asylum. Her claims were dismissed and asked to return home by the Home Office. Killian says, "I don’t know what to do. I thank the Destitution Project for giving me food every week. I’ll rather continue to have that than go to a country that is a nightmare to me."

AHMAD A. MOHAMED

"The daily reports of car bombs and suicide attacks tell the story that my country is not safe," says this 23-year-old Iraqi. He came to the UK in 2003 after the launch of the operation to remove Saddam Hussein from power. Ahmad said he was approached to join the resistant forces to fight against the Coalition, but he refused. He therefore fled to the UK to seek asylum. The Home Office says that notwithstanding it is safe for him to go back to Iraq. "If those people that wanted me to be a suicide bomber see me, they’ll definitely kill me. I prefer to suffer here than go back," he maintains.

ALFRED KAGAMI – UGANDA

Alfred says he fled the rebels in northern Uganda who had killed his parents and recruited him into their ranks. He came to the UK and sought asylum. He was refused and asked to return to his country. "I can’t think properly any more. My future is bleak. If I go back there, no one will ever hear about me again. It is a question of choosing whatever pathetic life here, or go back to death in Uganda. I want to remain illegal here other than face a death squad in my country," he lamented.

CHANTELLE MOIWO – ERITREA

"I come from the part of Eritrea that borders Ethiopia. Our lives are constantly in danger through the political tensions between the two countries that have resulted to constant battles being fought. Every day people are being killed. I was lucky to escape and come to the UK and seek asylum." But Chantelle’s luck stopped short of convincing the Home Office to grant her asylum; but she prefers being a destitute person in the UK than go back to Eritrea.

TERRI DOLLEH – LIBERIA

Terri fled war-ravaged Liberia at the height of hostilities in 2002. She arrived in the UK and sought asylum. But she exhausted the process without proper legal representation. Even though the West African country is now officially peaceful and there is a new government in place, Terri says the thought of going back makes her sick. "My home was burnt down. All members of my family were killed. I am an only survivor. What will I go to? I have lived in this country for a long time and I want to start a new life. I want to be recognized as a refugee. If not, I’ll rather remain underground."

PAUL KAMARA – SIERRA LEONE

Although the war ended in Sierra Leone in 2001, Paul says he cannot return to his native country for fear of being tortured or killed by self-conceited para-military groups. He explains: "The government cannot control its own former fighters. The militia take the law into their hands and there is no one to report to. The police cannot do anything. These former fighters are now being used as thugs by government functionaries. They attacked my house for criticizing government policies. I had to escape in the middle of the night." Paul has however been asked to go back home by the Home Office, and he finds this unbelievable: "I just can’t go back to what I am running away from. It’s amazing that Britain is denying me the right to stay. They are our colonial masters; they should protect everybody, not only government supporters."

KEZIAH AMZA – PAKISTAN

She fled Pakistan after her family vowed to kill her for not marrying the man they had chosen for her. She came to the UK and sought asylum, but she has been denied refugee status and asked to go back to Pakistan. "Everybody knows about honour killings in Pakistan. My family will definitely kill me the day they see me. There is nothing or no one to stop them from doing that. Why should I go back to certain death?" she asked. Keziah has a two-year-old kid with the man she married. However, he has also disappeared and left her with nothing but hope to get a stay in the UK and start a new life.

(All the stories are true, but the names have been changed to protect the identities of the interviewees)

Oldham says "Kick it Out"

There were several events in Oldham during the second half of October 2007 as part of the "Kick it Out" project. Kick it Out aims to bring communities together through football. 

Oldham Athletic Football Club organised a programme of activities involving a group of local children aged 12 to 16, which comprised white kids from youth organisations in Failsworth and Derker and some African refugees on the books of Oldham Unity (Refugee Support).

OAFC's Community Development Officer James Mwale delivered a presentation to the kids at Boundary Park which introduced them to the history of black and Asian professional players, and why there is some way to go before the beautiful game can be truly equal.

This was followed up on the following evening by a training session at the Chapel Road training pitch, and the group was split into four multi-racial teams.

The four teams then competed in a round robin tournament at Chapel Road, and this was a fine example of team work and cameraderie crossing racial boundaries.

The kids were rewarded for their participation by receiving medals and trophies (pictured) prior to parading through the town centre with the Kick it Out Banner. The parade finished at Boundary Park in time for the Oldham versus Northampton match, where the kids were presented to the crowd at half time.



Oldham TUC hopes to help with future activities like this in partnership with Oldham Unity and OAFC.

For more information on Kick it Out visit:

http://www.kickitout.org/