Monday, December 19, 2011
Take Action against Destitution with STAR Action Week 2012!
Join 34 student groups across 26 cities between February 20th- 26th to take action against destitution with the Still Human Still Here campaign.
This is when the national network comes together with one voice, one coordinated action and one aim: to end the destitution of asylum seekers in the UK!
The Ask
Tens of thousands of asylum seekers are destitute in this country. The Red Cross says that this has serious mental and physical consequences, and STAR says policies which leave people in destitution cast shame on Britain’s reputation. STAR, together with Still Human Still Here (a coalition of 40 organisations) is campaigning to end the destitution of asylum seekers.
Destitute asylum seekers fall into two groups: those who are supported by the government, but whose level of support is too low to meet their basic needs, and those who have been refused asylum and receive no support at all. For Action Week 2012, STAR is calling on the Government to ensure that all asylum seekers are provided with enough to live with dignity. More specifically, we are asking the Government to:
- Link annual increases for Income Support to annual increases for Asylum Support.
- Grant asylum seekers permission to work if their cases have not been resolved in 6 months or they have been refused but cannot be removed through no fault of their own.
- Ensure that all asylum seekers are adequately supported until they are either given status or returned to their country of origin.
- Provide asylum seekers with support rates equivalent to at least 70% of Income Support, paid in cash, and increase the support rate for lone parents to 70% of Income Support immediately.
STAR believes these asks are no-brainers, they’re winnable and just, well, right!
The Action
Taking part in Action Week is simple…and fun! Just get together with your STAR group and plan one of these fab actions in support of Still Human Still Here:
Challenge yourselves, others students, local politicians, professors… to live on asylum support rates for a week (£5 a day) and help people understand what it’s like for refugees in our communities
Raise awareness – get your team ready to quiz the public and get the evidence for our first ever, national destitution dossier! 5 questions that’ll educate the public and give us the ammo we need to approach policy makers – showing that people care, but just don’t know about the plight of refugees
Host a sleepout to raise awareness of destitution
STAR national will send each group an Action Pack in January with a helpful How To Guide for each of the actions, a full briefing for the campaign, a guide to lobbying your MP and much, much more!
The Next Step!
- Get your diary out: and make sure you’re ready!
- Get informed: read this briefing on the destitution of asylum seekers in the UK
- Spread the word: tell your STAR group about Action Week 2012 and get everyone involved…and excited!
- Partner up: ask other societies if they would like to be involved, and think beyond the usual suspects. Last year STARs teamed up with students from Amnesty, Christian Aid, the Red Cross, Aegis, and many, many more…including a varsity rugby club!
- Be a local: Let local organisations know what you are doing and see if they would like to be involved.
- Stay in the loop: keep checking the website and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more info.
- Plug into the STAR Network: share your plans nationally through the STAR network!
Posted by STAR team on 19/12/2011 at 04:55 PM
