1951 refugee convention states that a refugee;

“owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country.”

So what is an asylum seeker?

An asylum seeker is simply someone who has not yet been officially recognised as a refugee by a country they are applying to.

1937 – The Basque Children

1937 – The Basque Children

1938 – Kindertransport

Harry Bibring, 1938

Harry Bibring, 2012

Czech refugees, 1938

Polish refugees, 1938

Survivors from Belsen concentration camp in Hampshire, 1945

Hungarian refugees arrive, November 1956

Ugandan Asians arrive, 1972

People greet 160 Kosovan refugees to Leeds in 1999

2014 Video by Banksy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VVoCxdm7T8

One of the refugee camps in Jordan, across the border from Syria

160,000 people live here.

'No one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land'

Cold, wet and without shelter

First Vienna FC, Austria

Celtic, Scotland

Derry City, Ireland

NORWICH City FC held a day of action which raised more than £60,000 for the Save the Children Child

Refugee Crisis Appeal.

Bayern Munich

• Donating 1 million euro to support refugees

• Set up a football training camp for refugees

• Entering the field on Saturday holding hands with one German child and one refugee child

"Bayern sees it as his social responsibility to help the refugees, needy children, women and men, to help them and to accompany them in Germany.“ – Karl-Heinz Rumenigge, Chairman

Germany has taken in 800,000 refugees from the civil war in Syria

Russia has taken in 800,000 refugees from the civil war in Ukraine

Britain’s response

• From the leaders:“already welcomed 216 vulnerable Syrians to the UK.”Furthermore, “since the crisis began we have granted asylum to nearly 5,000 Syrians and their dependents.”The UK Government has offered to accept 20,000 refugees over five years. Many people feel that we should take many more. One retired judge said the UK could cope with taking in 75,000 a year.

Empathy

“The ability to understand and share the feelings of another”.

Reflection Time:

• Is it possible to put yourself in the position of someone who is a refugee?

• Why do you think so many parts of the world are in such chaos?

• Who should be helping to solve this crisis and what are the arguments for and against us helping at this school?

• What can you do personally to help?