Give a home to asylum seekers in York

Thousands of migrants are dying and risking their lives trying to reach Europe daily. Many governments and people are closing their eyes to the problem, and are afraid of the consequences of taking progressive and positive action. This surely can't be the answer.
The national press rarely provides details of individual stories of migrants - no names, no faces. The de-humanisation of whole families who may have faced torture or starvation is happening right in front of us, and still their stories are presented simply as deaths, arrests or statistics by the media.

After days or weeks of journeying, and with their worldly possessions totalling what little they can carry, it is shameful that these people should be turned away from countries where so many possess second TV sets and cars.

After sending an email request to York City staff member and Assistant Director for Communities and Culture Charlie Croft, who is apparently the relevant councillor on refugee issues, asking him to consider ways of helping those seeking asylum, he stated that York was not a designated dispersal area to receive refugees but that York houses refugees who come from these dispersal areas if they have leave to remain. Clearly he did not intend to be proactive.

I hope this petition will encourage York City Council to commit to devising the infrastructure to help a set number of those seeking asylum. I remember a UK that successfully received refugees from the Balkans in the 1990s and before that from Vietnam. We have the skills and experience and we have the people and organisations who will support this.

Please write to York City Council to put the pressure on and ask to share our wealth and give people a new future.