HOW CAN I HELP AND SUPPORT THE WORK OF LEWCAS?

Donate

Click here to find out how you can donate food or money. During the pandemic, we have new teams of volunteers, providing for many more destitute families and individuals.

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Publicise

Publicise the plight of asylum seekers, particularly those who are destitute and encourage all the members of your church to pray for a right response to their situation.

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Write to your MP

Church House Publishing and Methodist Publishing House includes this challenge to Government. Consider writing a letter along similar lines.  To find your local MP's details click here

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We believe that it is inhuman and unacceptable that some people seeking asylum are left homeless and destitute by government policies. Every city has people destitute or living on food parcels because they have no means of support. We support Church Action on Poverty's call to change the policies that make refused asylum seekers destitute.

As a society we have international moral and legal responsibilities to welcome those fleeing adversity from other parts of the world and provide social security. But the threat of destitution is being used as a way of pressuring refused asylum seekers to leave the country.

There are many people seeking asylum who have their cases refused but have no safe route to return or whose travel documents cause logistical problems for removal. There are also many cases where people are unjustly refused asylum.

All those within our borders - including people seeking asylum - should have the opportunity to help themselves and society through paid employment. Where this is not possible people seeking asylum, whatever their status, should be given the necessary rights to food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services (UN Declaration of Human Rights).

Refused asylum seekers are still human, and deserve to be treated the same, as we would expect if we had to flee to another country. We should offer the respect to our neighbours that we expect ourselves. This is at the heart of the Christian faith, and of many other religions.

We therefore call on the Government to allow people seeking asylum to sustain themselves and contribute to wider society through paid work, and where this is not possible, to re-instate 'refused' asylum seekers' entitlement to benefits until such time as they may be removed.

Signed

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FUNDRAISE

Hold a special fundraising event or consider us when your church allocates its mission funds. Send donations to our Treasurer Sue Chapman, LewCAS, Church of St Johns Deptford, St John's Vale, London SE8 4EA. You can email Sue here.

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HOW CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT LewCAS?

Come along to St John's Church (St John's Vale, SE8 4EA) any Tuesday morning 10 am - noon, or contact our Secretary on the contact page here for the dates of upcoming meetings.

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DOESN'T THE GOVERNMENT HELP ALREADY?
Asylum seekers are not allowed to work.  They are given a basic living allowance 30% below income support.  Failed asylum seekers are not entitled to benefits, housing or health care.

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WHICH COUNTRIES DO REFUGEES COME FROM?
Many countries including Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Eritrea and Ethiopia.