This morning, the JRS UK team were delighted to welcome the centre’s local Member of Parliament, Jim Fitzpatrick MP, into their centre in Wapping. Jim, who is the Labour MP for Poplar and Limehouse, came to hear more about the work of JRS UK and to see how he could be of assistance.
JRS is an international Catholic organisation at work in around 50 countries around the world whose mission is to accompany, serve and advocate on behalf of refugees and those who have been forcibly displaced. In the UK, JRS has a special ministry to serve those who have been made destitute in the process of seeking asylum and those held in immigration detention near Heathrow. JRS UK also works with many victims of trafficking held in immigration detention and much of the conversation with Jim Fitzpatrick MP this morning centred on the difficulties they face in gaining recognition and safety.
Sarah Teather, Director of JRS UK, said: “We are really grateful to Jim Fitzpatrick MP for visiting us this morning and listening as we shared with him the situation facing asylum seekers in the UK. It was good to hear of Jim’s support for the campaign to Lift the Ban on asylum seekers working. We also shared with him our report ‘Out in the Cold’ which details the horrifying extent of street homelessness amongst destitute asylum seekers.
“We are grateful for Jim’s support for our work and look forward to continuing to work with him to improve the situation facing refugees.”
