Welcome to the June edition of Macc’s Policy and Influence Shorts! 

In this special issue, we are celebrating Refugee Week 2024 by placing the spotlight on Greater Manchester’s asylum and migration sector, and the amazing work done by VCSE organisations within it. We have put together interviews and stories from organisations working with asylum seekers and refugees, reports on the asylum and migration sector in GM, and information on how you can get involved this refugee week. We are also launching our 'What Macc Stands For Statement' on sanctuary seekers, have a read below!

For Refugee Week 2024, we are continuing our support for the Fair Begins Here campaign, calling for a fair new plan for refugees from the next UK government. We have added our name to the Fair Begins Here Promise from Together With Refugees and pledge to take action to win a system that is fair, just and compassionate. If you want to join us in signing this promise, follow the link here.  

As always, we wish you a peaceful and eventful month ahead. Feel free to contact us at [email protected] for any policy-related inquiries, suggestions, or to share any events you'd like us to circulate. We hope you find this month’s Shorts useful and informative! 

Best wishes, 

Josie, Anna, Milly, Zara and Aaron 

Policy and Influence Team 

Refugee Week is the world’s largest arts & culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. Established in 1998 in the UK, this annual festival aligns with World Refugee Day, celebrated globally on June 20th. In 2024, refugee week will take place from June 17th to 23rd. The theme for Refugee Week 2024 is “Our Home”. From the places we gather to share meals to our collective home - planet earth: everyone is invited to celebrate what our Our Home means to them. 

For Refugee Week 2024, Macc are holding an event this Thursday 20th June. We hope to bring the VCSE sector together to raise awareness of the work happening in the asylum and migration sector and to find ways of working together to better support those seeking sanctuary in Greater Manchester. Everyone is welcome, come along to find out more about the work happening in our communities Sign up here! 

We have also put together a list of other events happening throughout this week across GM, which you can view here. 

You can join Macc in support of the Fair Begins Here campaign by signing your organisation up to the Fair Begins Here promise today. Sign up to take action and call for a fair new plan for refugees from the next UK government. 

Throughout the year, Macc hosts the GM Sanctuary Seekers Network, for organisations working with asylum seekers, refugees and other migrants in Greater Manchester. We meet fortnightly to share knowledge, updates and opportunities for collaboration. If you would like to find out more, head to our webpage here. 

Macc also hosts the GM Migrant Destitution Fund, which provides critical financial assistance to individuals who are forced into destitution due to their immigration status. The fund gives direct cash payments to allow people the dignity to choose and live more equally.

To raise awareness about some of the great work and collective efforts taking place in Greater Manchester, we have put together interviews and stories from our GM Sanctuary Seekers Network, as examples of good practice. Read our Refugee Week booklet to find out more about Patrick’s work leading an Experts by Experience group within the Step Change consortium, the GMYN Beeing Together programme for unaccompanied young people seeking asylum, Andrew’s experience of hosting a refugee with Refugees at Home and more. 

Today, we are launching our What Macc Stands for Statement on Sanctuary Seekers.

Our statements set out our stance on a range of issues that affect our city. However, these are more than just written statements. They are our commitment to sharing what we believe and collaborating with others to challenge the very real social issues facing our city. We want to see real change in Manchester and so we are inviting you to join with us to discuss, campaign and take action on these issues. 

To get in touch

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