Dear friends,

My name is Ria and I am a caseworker at JRS UK. Every day, I walk alongside people seeking sanctuary as they navigate the hostile and complex asylum system. My work includes providing immigration advice, as well as helping people to access practical support and essential health services.

Because our refugee friends are excluded from mainstream benefits, housing, and work, many are forced into homelessness or exploitation.

Women seeking sanctuary face particularly complex barriers:

• Many who have experienced domestic abuse are denied vital protections because of their immigration status – unable to access accommodation in domestic violence refuges, they are forced to choose between remaining in an abusive relationship or becoming homeless
• It is extremely difficult for women who have survived violence, trafficking, or torture to find mental health care, as services are frequently operating at capacity
• Some pregnant women are only eligible for support from a few weeks before their baby arrives – meaning they have no stable housing or income for the majority of their pregnancy

JRS UK responds to the women we serve with compassion and expertise, providing crucial support in these situations. Your support makes this possible: expert advice, assistance accessing support, accessing urgent medical care.

This Lent, will you help ensure that women seeking sanctuary can access safe accommodation, expert advice, and compassionate support?

Too often, women who have already been forced to flee from their homes are forced into dangerous situations here in the UK. We believe the ayslum system must be rooted in compassion and fairness, and that someone’s immigration status should never prevent them from accessing support.

Thank you for standing with our refugee friends. Every day, I see how your solidarity helps women seeking sanctuary access the support they need.