RST Destitution Grants April – September 2017

Overview The first half of 2017-18 has once again seen an increase in the number of people applying for Destitution Grants from the Refugee Survival Trust, in comparison to previous years. Q1 & Q2 2015-16 – 370 grants distributed to a value of £25,821 Q1 & Q2 2016-17 – 410 grants…

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Freshly leeked – Veg Pledge is back!

Following its very successful launch in early summer, we are running another Veg Pledge to raise funds for our Destitute Asylum Seeker Service shopping budget programme.  Through this programme, we give small amounts of cash to help destitute asylum seekers in our temporary project accommodation with their weekly shop. The people we…

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New refugees and destitution

You are an asylum seeker in Glasgow. You have been in the asylum process for several years, working to persuade the Home Office that your claim for asylum is genuine and that you cannot return to your home country. Finally a decision is made – you have been granted refugee…

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Veg pledge for asylum seekers

Unfortunately, many people within the UK’s asylum process experience destitution. The Refugee Survival Trust’s Destitute Asylum Seeker Service is a lifeline for these individuals; we provide comprehensive support, including organising accommodation, bus pass vouchers and legal advice to help them to resolve their cases. We are now raising funds for…

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Preventing homelessness through the Destitute Asylum Seeker Service

Guest post by Katharine Weatherhead Next month, it will have been four years since the publication of a report entitled Preventing Destitute Homelessness (June 2013). The report, commissioned by the Refugee Survival Trust and compiled by Community InfoSource, investigated the challenges posed by homelessness for asylum seekers in Scotland. What…

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Destitute refugee children in Scotland a growing concern

Analysis of the destitution grants awarded by RST over the 9 months from April to December 2016 show that the number of children we are supporting continues to increase. 20% of the grant applications over this period included children – 125 cases, supporting a total of 307 children. Of these, 43…

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