Right now, efforts to identify the 27 people who drowned in attempts to cross the English Channel are underway.
Tragedy struck on November 24th when an inflatable boat carrying hopeful migrants sank not long after setting off on the treacherous journey to the UK from the French port of Calais. French authorities have arrested five suspected traffickers in their investigation.
When events like this happen it tends to bring up the question of “what can I do to help?”
Although Cheltenham is a relatively small town, there are charities and organisations constantly working to do all they can to provide a safe space and to raise awareness of the refugee crisis many European countries face.
Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees
Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees is a volunteer-led charity with a mission to ensure support is there for refugee families from the moment they land in Cheltenham. They also work hard to create a more accepting attitude towards asylum seekers and migrants in the area. They help families meet each other through their community events, so that they can adjust to the new culture and environment they find themselves in. Their website provides resources and myth busters and they even have a list of 6 Ways You Can Help.
GARAS
GARAS or the Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers is also there to help. They offer a drop-in centre where they can give information and advice on things like housing, health, education, and jobs for asylum seekers, refugees, and other migrants. They are also incredibly passionate about ending the stigma surrounding migrants in the UK and supply a range of resources to educate and inspire those wishing to learn more.
“The number one thing people can do to help is to become informed.”
Adele Owens, Director of GARAS
Today the UK Government is in discussion with their French counterparts to talk about how they can prevent something like this from happening again. In an interview with Park Life News Adele Owens, the director of GARAS says that the next steps global governments need to take are “to open up safer routes.” She went on to say that for the refugee families she works closely with “the news of such incidents can be incredibly retraumatizing, as so many of them have themselves undertaken the perilous journey across the channel.”
Adele ended the interview with the message, “if you’ve got something to give, such as housing, clothing, or money donations, give GARAS a call, we’d be delighted to hear from you.”
GARAS are available on telephone number 01452 550528
