Demands on Jesuit Refugee Service in the UK grow

Demand for the services provided by JRS-UK has increased considerably over the past two years.  Their 'live' client file at the end of September 2010 numbered around 850 individuals, with an additional 200 new people coming to their day centres for help and support during the same period.

Writing in their bi-annual report, Louise Zanré, the Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service in the UK, pays tribute to 'the tenacity, determination and faith of the people with whom we work'.  She says what often makes their work bearable is 'the people': the refugees themselves, colleagues and supporters.

But she also expresses her sadness that, despite the increase in need for JRS, they were forced to reduce their services during this period, due to falling income and escalating demand.  And they are still unable to run more than one day centre a week: this is in Wapping, East London, where JRS-UK is now based.

Louise lists several specific groups of people who have sought help and support from JRS-UK: single parents with babies or young children, people with serious health problems and torture survivors, as well as those who are completely destitute, with no permission to work and no recourse to public funds. 'They were completely reliant on charity and open to exploitation', she writes.

The JRS-UK report details some of the main features of their work, including the supermarket vouchers exchange campaign, giving refugees training to address groups of people about the issues and advocacy in the field.

For a copy of the Jesuit Refugee Service - UK report, phone 020 7488 7310.


 JRS-UK