Supporting people seeking sanctuary in Manchester is one of the Policy and Influence Team's policy priorities. Below you can see the work we are doing in this area.
GM Sanctuary Seekers Community Response Group
GM Sanctuary Seekers Community Response Group is a network for organisations across Greater Manchester who support people seeking asylum, refugees, and other migrants. We have a mailing list to share updates with each other, and come together via fortnightly Zoom meetings.
As well as providing a space for collaboration and the development of partnership approaches, the group also functions as a peer support space for VCSE colleagues. It is a space to meet up and share updates and insights, discuss challenges, advocacy and campaigns, and increase knowledge of where to seek support and information.
The space is also used to contribute to and coordinate responses to policy developments in Manchester. We receive regular updates from the North West Asylum Contract Board, and GMCA GM Asylum and Migration Response meetings.
The group is currently made up of local infrastructure and service delivery organisations delivering support to people seeking sanctuary in Greater Manchester. We welcome those from all sectors who have an interest in how people seeking sanctuary are supported in Greater Manchester.
If you would like to be added to the group mailing list and/or attend the fortnightly online meetings, please email Milly via [email protected]
There is also a GM Sanctuary Seekers WhatsApp group for members to share recent and time limited updates, resources, and requests. To join this group please email Milly with your telephone number.
Fair Begins Here Campaign
Fair Begins Here is a campaign by Together With Refugees, which is a coalition of organisations that believe in a more compassionate approach to refugees.
Macc has signed the Fair Begins Here Promise. By signing the Fair Begins Here Promise, we are standing with hundreds of organisations to reject hostility, demonstrate solidarity with refugees and commit to taking action to win a fair new plan for refugees.
You can find out more about the promise and how to sign your organisation up here.
The campaign has recently launched their Parliamentary Promise, giving politicians of all parties the opportunity to stand with organisations who have signed the Fair Begins Here promise, and commit to taking action to secure an asylum system that is well managed, fair and compassionate. You can find out more about this here.