Without Refugee Tales and the Gatwick Detainee Welfare Group (GDWG) from which it grew there would be no Saffron Stitch.
Our tailor has lived experience of immigration detention and was detained three times over five years before being recognised by the Home Office as a Refugee. Once detained, a person can be re-detained, and re-detained without limit. People who are detained indefinitely do not have a release date to count down to; they can only count up. This has a devastating impact on mental health with more than one person a day requiring treatment for self-harming in UK detention centres. In UK detention centres, between November 2016 and November 2017, there were 10 deaths.
A visitor from GDWG visited our tailor in Brook House immigration removal centre and, after his release, indirectly introduced him to our Director. Having walked beside our tailor, for much of his waiting journey in the UK, our Director is now a Trustee of GDWG and enjoying working with them to try to improve conditions, inform policy and challenge negative images of people affected by the immigration process.
Walking in solidarity with people who have been indefinitely detained and rooted in the work of Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group, Refugee Tales shares the tales of people held in immigration detention and those who work with them.
Birthday Embassador
We are recogised 25 years of GDWG friendship and support for people in immigration detention by being one of their birthday embassadors.
You for helped us raise £1,332 in GDWG's 25th 2020 birthday year just selling face coverings with donations to support Refugee Tales.
Your purchases will also support our tailor being paid a proper price for his talents as he continues his journey in the UK.
The UK is the only country in Europe that detains people indefinitely. To call for that policy to end, Refugee Tales shares the stories of those who have experienced detention. Each day for 28 days a tale was released online
