On 22 June 2016 CRaB teamed up with localmigrant advocacy and support group Friends Without Borders to mark Refugee Week 2016. We screened the film Dirty Pretty Things, which follows the experiences of ‘illegal’ immigrants in London. The film was followed by a panel discussion chaired by CRaB’s Charlie Leddy-Owen involving John Bosco-Nyombi, Treasurer of Friends Without Borders, Majid Dhana, Red Cross volunteer and poet, and the Chair of Friends Without Borders, Michael Woolley.
Discussing the themes raised in the film, John and Majid spoke very movingly about their experiences of injustice with the UK’s immigration system and the lasting effect it had on their lives and families over many years. The event ended with a discussion of how, whilst it is crucial to campaign for and support those caught up in high-profile tragedies such as the Syrian conflict, those concerned with issues of immigration and racism also need to promote awareness of individuals and groups who slip below the radar of public opinion, such as ‘illegal’ migrants or failed asylum seekers.
At the end of the talk Majid Dhana, who is a performance poet, read his poem ‘Run Away from Home’ – http://jidosreality.tumblr.com/post/153831814393/run-away-from-home-no-one-leaves-home-un-less