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BEACON – Bradford Ecumenical Asylum Concern

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Did you know?
  1. The British asylum system is extremely tough. Just 34% of initial decisions made in the year to June 2017 have been grants of protection (asylum or humanitarian protection). The proportion of asylum appeals allowed over that time was 36%.
  2. Around 800 asylum seekers find themselves living in Bradford. They have no choice over their accommodation, and are usually placed in ‘hard to let’ properties, existing on around £5.00 a day. (Source: www.refugeecouncil.org.uk)
BEACON’s small HOSTING Project

It’s in the context of these statistics that BEACON tries to ‘welcome the stranger’. The people who find their way to BEACON have had traumatic journeys. They are seeking safety amongst us to rebuild their lives and make their contribution to the UK. The process to being given ‘status’ or ‘leave to remain’, usually for five years, is often long and stressful. Over two thirds of applications are initially turned down and people have to make appeals to the courts in order to have that negative ruling overturned. Our Hosting Project provides a temporary home for destitute asylum seekers, whilst they are working to gather evidence to present to the courts and be granted permission to stay in the UK.

Our hosts are volunteers from many walks of life who open up their homes to welcome the stranger. They receive training and support from the BEACON Hosting co-ordinator. Their guest, a destitute asylum seeker, referred to BEACON by a trusted organisation such as the Red Cross, has a chance of a successful outcome in the courts.

Over the past nine years, of the guests we have information for, there’s been a 1 in 3 success rate.

Can you help?

The Hosting project is looking for more hosts and an assistant host co- ordinator to help support the 
project. If you’d like more information, do get in touch with me.

Thank you to all of you who’ve raised funds for BEACON over the year. Thank you for your prayers and support.
Rev Sarah (BEACON Chair) 

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