In an article in The Independent, Syrians described their journey to the UK as being extremely dangerous and humiliating, and affirmed that they come to the UK 'for safety'. Rethink Rebuild Society said that '[w]e want the UK to take more Syrian refugees and step up to its responsibilities'..
A protest was held in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens on 4 September titled 'All Lives Matter! No Human is Illegal!' Rethink Rebuild Society was one of over twelve organisations that sponsored this protest. The turnout was very high and diverse and Manchester residents stated loud and clear that we want Manchester and the wider UK to resettle more refugees.
In a moving interview with Syrian asylum seeker Fadi Rajjoub on iTV, Rethink Rebuild Society said that the Northwest of England has been very accommodating, but that we can still house a lot more Syrian refugees. We emphasised that Syrians want to 'contribute to the economy, not take away from it'.
In an article on the increasing difficulty of Muslim charities to operate with respect to their banking, Rethink Rebuild cited bank account closures for Syrian individuals and organisations, calling it a discriminatory practice. Banks have been citing sanctions compliance as a reason for denying service to Syrians, which has negatively impacted humanitarian aid work.
In an interview on BBC, Rethink Rebuild Society's Office Coordinator described his trials not only in Syria and through his journey to the UK, but also now as he waits painfully for his asylum decision from the Home Office. He needs a positive decision granting him refugee status before he can take action to bring his family to join him here in the UK.
Rethink Rebuild Society
First Floor
Discovery House
Crossley Road
Manchester
SK4 5BH
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 161 222 9779
Mobile: +44 7730 194083