Have you ever lazily stared out of the bus window, watching the world go by and lulled by the juddering of the engine as you journey across the city centre? Maybe you take the bus as a way to visit friends or pick up your shopping? But imagine you did not have this luxury. Imagine if the bus was unaffordable. This is the reality for many refugees seeking residency in Sheffield.
Change Lab is a volunteering group part of the Sheffield Students’ Union social action programme, which aims to use student campaigning to help the local area. They have previously worked with food banks and other local charities to improve Sheffield. Currently, their campaign extends their previous work, collaborating with the City Of Sanctuary to make Sheffield safe and welcoming for refugees by influencing the local government to grant free bus passes.
This scheme has been in progress for five months. A small team of motivated students come together weekly to discuss plans and brainstorm ideas. Meet Ren McMullen, a second-year history student who is involved with the program. I chatted to them about Change Lab and they told me: “I am currently working on a petition and we are also working on creating an email template for open letters to the mayor.”
These individual goals are how Change Lab volunteers work towards their long-term aim of putting pressure on the government to enact change for the community.
“We are starting this from the ground up,” said Ren. To create meaningful change Change Lab needs to garner support amongst students.
This aim is made all the more challenging by the current political climate concerning refugees. With the environment policy and Illegal Migration Bill set up by the government in 2010 and 2023 respectively, and now recent legislation to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, it is a more dire time than ever to be a refugee in England. These policies restrict the rights of refugees, making it more difficult for them to access support by placing additional checks in the way of reaching services like healthcare and housing.
Sam Cundy, a project leader at Change Lab and second year student studying history and politics, said: “The climate of the UK at the moment is very unwelcoming to refugees.
“Unfortunately I think the government scapegoats them, when they are not to blame, and in fact are in need of our support.”
However, Change Lab is hopeful that the student population does not agree with government policies, which doesn’t reflect the attitude many hold in Sheffield.
As a City of Sanctuary, Sheffield aims to be welcoming to everyone but there are still significant barriers. Charities host community events for refugees in the city’s centre such as choirs and zumba classes, but a big challenge is making these activities more accessible.
As Ren pointed out: “All of their community events are in the heart of the city but asylum seekers are not in the city centre. “They are based in a hotel on the outskirts.”
When speaking to a woman seeking asylum, who wishes to remain anonymous, she explained the difficulties. “Sometimes I walk from my accommodation to the city centre, this takes me almost two hours and I do this in all weather conditions.”
If asylum seekers are to feel the full benefit of activities hosted in the centre, it is proposed public transport should be made more accessible. A scheme like this would hugely benefit refugees by allowing them to be welcomed into society and travel all over the city. They could make the most of Sheffield by experiencing the beauty of the Peak District or chatting with locals at the Moor Market– things that most people can easily access.
However, the issue of free bus passes goes further than accessing leisure activities. It is essential to physical well-being. In Sheffield, refugees have to make choices daily that impact their survival. As they are not allowed to obtain a driving license, their only means of transport is by bus. There is a crucial problem with this as a day pass costs roughly £5 yet the budget for food and essentials for a refugee is £7 per day forcing them to make some harrowing decisions. The same asylum seeker describes her situation.
She said: “When myself or my children go to college, we make a choice between food and school every day because we are not eligible for free travel. The money we pay for a bus pass means we cannot afford good food, we often wait for food reductions in the supermarket every night to find something nutritious to eat.”
This scheme to make buses free would remove an additional burden on already difficult lives. The basic human right of eating should not have to be a choice. Change Lab is continuing its work and looking towards a more optimistic future for asylum seekers. Project leader and second year history student Maddie Avery, says how she has “learned so much” and has been able to see the “wide impact of activism and volunteering”.
Free bus passes for refugees have already been achieved in other places in the UK such as Wales and Scotland in 2023, providing a source of inspiration for the group. Seeing as fares are already reduced for children and pensioners in Sheffield, Change Lab is hopeful it would be possible to extend this to refugees as well if they can get enough public support. As Maddie said: “By working at the City of Sanctuary, I have seen the direct impact of our project and how the work we are doing will actually change lives.”
To find out more look out for Change Lab who will have a stall up at the Student Union Week of Social Action promoting their bus pass scheme or follow their instagram account @costeamtravel.