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RAPAR Press Release: Open letter: Deep sadness at another child’s death fuels our determination to extend solidarity with refugees

12 Oct 2015 - 15:00 by michelle.foster

Press release from RAPAR:

'The dead baby boy washed up on the the beach in Kos a few days ago -www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34479482 -is further strengthening Greater Manchester’s commitment to extending real solidarity to the people who are refugees.

This autumn, 169 people including 44 children are reported have been downed or missing in the Aegean Sea.
Next Saturday, 17th October, we will be taking our solidarity from Greater Manchester to Calais.

The Government, along with their friends in much of the media, have done their utmost to dehumanise the tens of thousands of refugees fleeing war and desperate poverty in the Middle East and north Africa. They have focused their venom particularly on the thousands of refugees camping out in terrible conditions in Calais.

The Home Secretary has claimed that Britain cannot be “socially cohesive” and blamed migration for the current lack of accessible housing, jobs and hospital beds. Their sentiments, that are intended to divide and rule us, are astonishing: the fact is that Tory economic policies pose a far greater threat to the population’s standard of living than refugees seeking safety here.

Further, the unity of the 100,000 people who demonstrated here in Manchester throughout the week of the Tory Party Conference exposes the fact that ‘social cohesion’ is alive, and growing against Austerity and racism.

We call on anti-racists, trade unionists, politicians, students and faith and community groups in Greater Manchester to stand in opposition to the dehumanisation and scapegoating of those fleeing wars, famine and repression.

Support the convoys taking much-needed items to Calais, and take part in local activities welcoming migrants and refugees to our cities and towns.

ENDS
Dr Rhetta Moran, RAPAR Matron, Friends Meeting House, 6 Mount Street, Manchester M2 5NS, UK t: 0044-161-834-8221 m: 0044-777-626-4646 e: [email protected] w: www.rapar.org.uk

WORKING TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE EQUAL HUMAN RIGHTS
ABOUT RAPAR, SEE:
• Melanie McFadyean (2003). A Cold Shoulder for Saddam's Victims:  www.theguardian.com/world/2003/mar/22/iraq.immigrationandpublicservices
• Experiences of Personal Safety, Salford, (2003): www.rapar.org.uk/uploads/4/6/8/7/4687542/final_report-_personal_safety-_...
• Anushka Asthana (2004): "Special investigation: hidden asylum seekers | UK news | The Observer"
• Learning to Live Together (2005) - Joseph Rowntree study on how to integrate with refugee people and local communities: www.amazon.co.uk/Learning-Live-Together-D'

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