3-ти Март 2011 – Нашата Първа Reunion
3-ти март 2011 видя нашата първа семейна среща. Мари *, са били отделени от двете си малки деца, тъй като бягат от родината си над 2 преди години. След събиране този месец Мари каза: “Няма нищо по-красиво, отколкото да бъде в състояние да живеят заедно със семейството си. Днес, Аз съм в състояние да ядат и да мога да се смея, and I can find enjoyment with my children.”
Marie,* 31, fled to the UK in 2009 following persecution in her home country. She was forced to leave her children then aged 7 и 4 with her family. After Marie gained Refugee Status in the UK, в 2009, she undertook the long and difficult process of applying through the Home Office to bring her children over. However, there is no statutory provision for the travel costs; blocking Marie who couldn’t afford this expense. AAfter being referred by the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, where she is receiving weekly counselling within 4 weeks the Refugee Welcome Trust provided a grant to cover the cost of the flights so the children were able to be back with their mother as quickly as possible.
Jude Boyles is the Manager at Medical Foundation North West and referred Marie to the Refugee Welcome Trust.
“M has found it extremely painful to be separated from her children and as soon as she was granted refugee status, her priority was to bring them to the UK. M was detained and tortured in Central Africa and was profoundly traumatised following her experiences and very isolated. When the family re-union process began, M had no friends or contacts who she could ask for the money to pay for the children’s flights and there are now very few grants available now for refugees like M to fund family re-union costs.
It is really difficult for isolated and traumatised survivors like M to raise the funds for travel and without the Refugee Welcome Trust; M would still be separated from her children. The Refugee Welcome Trust has been sensitive, responsive and extremely helpful and we are grateful to them for enabling M to bring her children to the UK”
The Refugee Welcome Trust was set up in October 2010 and Marie’s family is the first to benefit from their work – there are many more families in the UK who are in this position. The charity helps those who have been granted Refugee Status in the UK to exercise their right to family reunion; which allows their spouse and dependent children to join them.
Read the Press Release for our 1st Grant in full here…
