My name is Nathaniel. I’m 29 years old, and I’m from Eritrea. I sought asylum in the UK back in 2012, when I was just 16.
On the Jubilee of Migrants and Refugees, will you help people seeking sanctuary to access vital legal support?
I had to flee my home because I couldn’t freely practice my faith, and I needed to escape indefinite military conscription – where people are forced to serve for years without end, on poor wages, with no hope of release.
I was refused asylum four times. It took over a decade before I was finally recognised as a refugee this year.
JRS UK welcomed me with warmth and dignity. I was able to come to their centre for hot lunches, received money for public transport, and had help accessing medical care. It felt like being cared for by family again.
I also met Michael from JRS UK’s Legal Team, who took the time to advise me on what my options were and what my lawyer was doing.
The lawyers I had wanted thousands of pounds to help me with my appeal. They see you as a cash cow because you are trapped. Take it or leave it.
Luckily Michael and the Legal Team were then able to take my case on and represent me at my appeal. We won.
My asylum case was eventually – finally – resolved, because JRS UK’s Legal Team helped me prove my nationality and my need for international protection.
As we approach the Jubilee of Migrants and Refugees, you are all in my prayers.
With every blessing,
Nathaniel
Why the Jubilee matters
The Jubilee is a time to renew our commitment to justice, hospitality, and hope. Inspired by the Gospel call to welcome the stranger, it is a chance for Catholic communities to stand with refugees and forcibly displaced people.
JRS UK works with over 300 refugee friends each year, offering practical support, legal advice, and accompaniment. We also visit people held in immigration detention, as well as advocating for a more just and humane asylum system.
This Jubilee, your parish can make a real difference to the women, men, and children we accompany as they try to rebuild their lives here.
How you can get involved
We are so grateful for the many ways parishes across the country support people seeking sanctuary.
Our Jubilee Parish Pack is full of practical ways to get involved. Whether you’re planning a one-off event or looking to embed refugee solidarity into parish life, there’s something for every community.
Resources include:
- Prayers of the Faithful for Sunday Mass
- Fundraising ideas
- A reflection for your parish newsletter
- Letter-writing templates to MPs
- Youth engagement activities
- Social media toolkit to share your parish’s support
Go deeper: explore Love the Stranger with Caritas Southwark
If your parish is looking to deepen its understanding of the Church’s response to migrants and refugees, we recommend exploring Caritas Southwark’s Love the Stranger resource.
Developed in collaboration with JRS UK, the resource offers a rich, faith-based framework for reflecting on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference document Love the Stranger.
It draws on Scripture, Catholic Social Teaching, and real-life stories to help communities engage thoughtfully and compassionately with the realities faced by displaced people.
It includes:
- Resources for parish awareness sessions
- Posters & other visual aids
- Guidance on how to lead sessions
Share your Jubilee
Use the hashtag #JubileeWithRefugees and tag JRS UK to share your parish’s activities. Let’s inspire others to live out the Jubilee call to Love the Stranger!
Write to your MP
Dear (customise: MP name),
The UK has a proud tradition of offering sanctuary to people fleeing danger. Yet today, our asylum system is failing in that duty. People who need protection are being wrongly refused, not because they are safe, but because the system is broken.
Unreasonably high standards of proof, poor decision-making, and a severe lack of legal support mean refugees are often denied safety or left in limbo for years. These are people who have sought sanctuary—yet they are punished instead of protected.
As my MP, I urge you to support an asylum system that offers justice and hope. Every person’s case must be assessed fairly and fully, with access to legal support and a genuine chance to rebuild their life in safety. A fair system protects – not punishes.
Yours sincerely,
More
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Learn more: What Good News study day
Fr Mike's reflection at the start of the Jubilee
The theme of this year’s jubilee is hope. It is a year of hope.
And it’s a year when we think especially of refugees.
