A Town Called Refuge?
By Sarah Milne
Next week’s ‘Refugee Week’ comes at a time when war in Ukraine has led to Europe’s biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War. Over the last two months, 64 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Hastings under the ‘Homes for Ukraine Scheme’ and are now being hosted by family or previously unknown sponsors. A total of 110 Ukrainians are expected to arrive in our town over the coming weeks with predictions of many more to follow, if Putin’s war continues.
Tony Woodward and Neil Mather were among the first sponsors to welcome guests to Hastings on 25 April, when Kira and her daughter Gloria arrived from Kyiv. For Tony, “it has been a joy having them in the house because they are such lovely people.” Neil adds how “we’ve loved cooking for each other and now feel like proud dads when Gloria heads off to school!” Their guests are happy too, claiming to have “the best hosts” and thanking God for “these people with a big heart.”
Most Ukrainians in Hastings are feeling settled and supported but with so many strangers coming together, especially through such traumatic situations, challenges in relationships and housing situations are bound to arise. Krysta Rafalska is a Ukrainian who has been living in Hastings for the past 20 years. She now volunteers to support those arriving in Hastings and has concerns about the lack of adequate professional support: “People are not reaching out because of the language issue. Problems are accumulating, and many wouldn’t even exist if there was somewhere people could go. I’m overwhelmed, there’s only so much I can do as a volunteer. Lots of other councils have a Ukraine Hub set up. If others can do it, I want to know why there is a. hold up here.”
Although there is not yet such a hub, East Sussex County Council have been proactive in organising the distribution of the £200 welcome payment, through Hastings Voluntary Action, and providing weekly information updates for hosts about how and where to get their guests free UK SIM cards, benefit and job centre appointments, bank accounts, English lessons, medical assistance and other services. They recently provided laptops for each family on the sponsorship program to help them with language learning, education and job seeking.
Groups, organisations and individuals across Hastings have also rallied to help our Ukrainian guests, offering coffee afternoons, picnics, art sessions, social and language conversation groups, clothing, toys and many more acts of support and kindness.
However, many are beginning to see a disparity between the support given to Ukrainians and to the other 85 refugees currently living in our community. Hastings is a dispersal area, used by the Home Office to house asylum seekers as they await their decision, 75% of whom will be granted their claim. Hastings is home to refugees from countries such as Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq and Sudan. They too are fleeing from war, persecution, torture and other traumas. Yet there are no cash handouts, no picnics, flags, gifts or streams of offers of help from well-wishers. There is no sponsor to arrange safe transport. Many arrive on a small boat having risked their life crossing the channel.
Jane Grimshaw, Convener of Hastings Supports Refugees and Co-Chair of Hastings Community of Sanctuary, believes “we are creating a two-tier system of people deemed worthy refugees and those deemed unworthy. Despite the fact they are fleeing the same things, some are punished because of the way they arrived.”
Ukrainians on a family visa are stuck somewhere in the middle – ‘worthy refugees’ but not eligible for extras, like the £200 welcome payment, host thank-you payments or laptops given to those arriving to sponsors. The theme for Refugee Week 2022 is healing through creativity and conversations, a perfect time for us to think creatively and have some conversations on how we can extend our love and support so all refugees in Hastings feel equally supported and welcomed as our guests.
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