Asylum seekers, refugees and supporters came together to celebrate Bradford’s recent award of official ‘City of Sanctuary’ status and to pay tribute to the contributions of refugees in Bradford. It also tied in with the 60th anniversary of the Geneva Convention. Over 100 people attended the event at Kala Sangam on Wednesday 23rd March 2011. It was a very inspiring and informative evening.

Indeed, after a wonderful meal prepared by Masoumeh, an Iranian lady recently awarded refugee status with her 2 sons after a 10 year battle, the Deputy Mayor opened the evening, followed by several speakers. The first focused on 60 years of refugee migration to the city, then four refugees told of their incredible achievements despite destitution and other obstacles since arriving in the UK. We finished off with music and dance from various refugee musicians and a Zimbabwean choir.

City of Sanctuary is a movement to build a culture of hospitality for people seeking sanctuary in the UK. A City of Sanctuary is a place of safety, peace and welcome for people whose lives are in danger in their own countries.
We aim to value the skills and cultures of people seeking sanctuary, support community groups, schools and faith organisations to fully include refugees in the local community and enable them to contribute to the life of the city. We also aim to bring understanding by challenging stereotypes as well as engage with strategic agencies to bring change against the injustice refugees face.
For more information, please visit www.cityofsanctuary.org/bradford ,
Also if you would like to get involved or you have any questions, please contact us on [email protected]