Are you from UK? Welcome!
You're in the right place to find out more. Feel free to comment below as your friendly oofras LINK modrates this page to support local networking. You can also follow UKoofras on Twitter for a stream of relevant news!
Refugees & asylum seekers in UK
A good place to start is the Information Centre about Asylum & Refugees because it aims to support understanding, public debate and policy making with accurate and academically sourced information.
A lot of rubbish is talked about asylum. The same old myths and scare stories are peddled again and again. The Refugee Council wanted to put that right, and tell it like it is.
Researching Asylum in London is an independent database of research on refugee and asylum issues relevant to London that you can search by theme or location. Susbscribe for updates so you're always in the loop!
Research findings and case senarios that offer a glimpse of refugees and asylum seekers with special needs in this 2005 report by the Refugee Council
You can find out what the UNHCR does in UK here and explore visual mash up of UNHCR stats here
The Institute of Race Relations has been educating for racial justice in the UK for 50 yrs and has a library collection specific to refugees & asylum seekers here
A very recent and comprehensive report from the university of Kent about UK Refugees and Asylum Seekers; A review from an equality and human rights perspective. Published 2010 from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
I spoke to a doctor who gave me some good links to medical/health related organisations working with refugees. We spoke about MEDACT; Crossing Borders (join mailing list here crossingborders@medsin.org); Doctors of the World; The Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture (MF) (the only organisation in the UK dedicated solely to the treatment of torture survivors).
Still Human Still Here a coalition of more than 40 organisations that are campaigning to end the destitution of thousands of refused asylum seekers in the UK. . . supported by the refugee council, red cross etc. There is a resources page with various reports and information here. Reading down the list of campaign supporters on the right hand column of the home page is a great way of finding out about relevant organisations to contact/get involved with! Any organisation can join, you don't have to be a member to work with them however they can help with training and advocacy.
Get connected with Refugee Studies Centre event calendar so you don't miss an opportunity to hear the latest and greatest lectures and seminars!
OT response to the occupational needs
There's a growing number of UK OTs on Skype with OOFRAS. . .contact us if you'd like to arrange a group call!
Comments below re local dialogue and action happening. . .auto approved, so comment freely!
References of UK interest . . .more in our Mendely Research Group - online collection of literature and references.
Sutton, V., Robbins, I., Senior, V., and Gordon, S., 2006. A qualitative study exploring refugee minors’ personal accounts of post-traumatic growth and positive change processes in adapting to life in the UK. Diversity in health and social care, 3, 77-88
Brown, C.A., 2008. The implications of occupational deprivation experienced by elderly female immigrants. Diversity in health and social care, 5: 65-69
Chiang, M., and Carlson, G., 2003. Occupational Therapy in Multicultural Contexts: issues and strategies. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, (66) 12, p 559-566.
Links to local people, places, programs, publications
Refugee Action has over 28 years' experience in the reception, resettlement, development and integration of asylum seekers and refugees in the UK, check out the Refugees into Business project to support entrepreneurial refugees.
Re taking occupational therapy students at the Refugee Council...she was very keen! She understands the role rather well and has taken on people before with great success. Rachel was happy for me to pass on her details for OT students to make contact: Rachel Hardiman; rachel.hardiman@refugeecouncil.org.uk, Regugee Council, Hurley House, 1 Dewsbury road, Leeds, UK.
Regional Refugee Forum North East is a collaboraton of agencies and the links page is further orientation to local networks.
Refugee Council in London (Brixton) training and events and volunteer opportunities here. Similar opportunities with Scottish Refugee Council here
If your service doesn't already use interpreters, your manager may be interested in the face to face and phone interpreters (over 90 languages) from the Refugee Council.
North of England Refugee Service welcomes volunteers and has opportunities for students to do internships.
Current volunteer opportunites in the UK with the British Red Cross working specifically with refugee populations. Their location of services for refugee/vulnerable migrants may help too.
Health for Undocumented Migrants and Asylum Seekers (HUMA network) is an advocacy project lead by 16 NGOs throughout Europe. OOFRAS Inc is a signatory to the "European declaration towards a non discriminatory access to health care" demanding that we be allowed to provide access to health care to those who need it, regardless of status.
The Refugee & Migrant Centre is a springboard for other UK links and are well set up for volunteers gaining work experience as is the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture
Introduce yourself below in comments - they are automatically approved, so what are you waiting for?
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http://www.maternityaction.org.uk/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/experiencesofmidwivesreport2011.pdf
International Tracing and Messaging Service for those looking to seek oout their loved ones. Check out this link: http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Finding-missing-family/International-tracing-and-message-services
The BRC also provide advocacy support; support in orientation and with destitution; provide women's and young persons services; facilitate family reunion and resettlement and also assist in emergency large scale arrivals.
For more information and contact details see: http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Refugee-services/Our-services-for-refugees
Just incase you guys and gals weren't aware of the MAJOR campaign 'Still Human Still Here':
http://stillhumanstillhere.wordpress.com/
It is a coalition of over 50 organisations that are campaigning to end the destitution of thousands of refused asylum seekers in the UK.
Happy reading :)
http://www.platforma.org.uk/about
Platforma - arts and refugee network supports and develops arts by and about refugees.
It brings together groups and artists of any background or political status (e.g. refugees and non-refugees), whose work examines the varied experiences of refugees both before and after they arrived and settled in their host country.
Platforma - arts and refugee network supports and develops arts by and about refugees.
It brings together groups and artists of any background or political status (e.g. refugees and non-refugees), whose work examines the varied experiences of refugees both before and after they arrived and settled in their host country.
InterACT brings together 16–25 year-old asylum seekers and refugees with local young people. It supports them to identify issues of concern to them in their communities, and to work together to design their own social action projects to address them.
Union Street is looking to work with 15 young refugee and asylum seekers in a creative arts and media project. The project will take place at then end of March/beginning of April 2012 so get in contact with them now to reserve a place!
Check them out :)
http://www.star-network.org.uk/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duVFBZoTQis
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2011/jul/25/zac-home-office-asylum-seekers?INTCMP=SRCH
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/safe-havens-in-a-hostile-world-ndash-for-60-years-2319537.html
I am an OT student just finishing my first year at Northampton University and enjoying every minute. I am looking to get involved with the work OT’s do with refugees but am finding it difficult to find a contact within my area (Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire). I would like to make contact with an OT working within the Milton Keynes or Bedfordshire area to find out more about the work that is done and how I could get involved. Please email me on javan.stamp@hotmail.com
Thanks for your time
Javan Stamp
The current employment situation for OTs and new graduates in the UK is difficult, but many social problems and ocupational issues are unaddressed - the local Sheffield branch of the UN Refugee Council for example is interested in getting OT volunteers to work with asylum seekers. I'd like to talk to someone about the experience of setting up agencies like OOFRAS so I can share this with students about to graduate - many local students could be put in touch with existing agencies (rather than trying to set up things that duplicate or compete with existing services) but there are others who will be returning home to areas where there is no organisation providing coverage.
If there is someone in the UK already working on developments like this it would be great to be put in touch. I don't know what the take up of such opportunities would be, but it seems to me that having a potential surplus of OTs that might not be taken up in state services must be a development opportunity for something!
I'm happy for this to be passed around.
All the best
Nick