In a partnership between Sheffield City of Sanctuary and ChangeLab Sheffield a campaign is taking place to advocate for free bus passes for refugees and asylum seekers in South Yorkshire.
The launch event will take place on Friday 13th of December in the Quaker Meeting House, 10 St James’ Street from 1-3pm.
The campaign aims to ease financial burdens on refugees and asylum seekers by providing free bus fares, enabling access to social opportunities, education, legal appointments, and healthcare without travel costs eating into their minimal weekly budgets of £7.02 or £1.27 for those in ‘ex-hotel’ housing, where work is prohibited.
Isabella Ortega, student volunteer from the University of Sheffield said: “While this may seem like a small step, it has the potential to significantly improve their quality of life”.
A one-day bus ticket costing an average of £5.60 in Sheffield and many asylum seekers housed on the outskirts of the city, the campaign highlights the significant challenges transportation costs pose to accessing essential services and opportunities.
Miss Ortega said: “By easing the burden of everyday travel, this initiative would reduce stress and increase access to essential services.
“We will foster a more supportive environment for those seeking refuge”.
Student volunteers and their fellow campaign organisers wish to combat these policies which they view as tactically hostile in “encouraging undocumented migrants to leave”.
In Wales (2022) and Scotland (2023), reduced bus passes have been introduced for refugees and asylum seekers. Sheffield, designated as the UK’s first City of Sanctuary in 2007 with the support of the city council, illuminating the city’s commitment to supporting refugees and asylum seekers, aligning with initiatives recently introduced in other parts of the UK.
ChangeLab is paid for by a contributor to the University of Sheffield Students’ Union to fund students who want to get involved in charity work.
Miss Ortgea added: “[ChangeLab] partnered up with City of Sanctuary Sheffield to help actualise the work we are doing and launch a genuine campaign”.
Sheffield City of Sanctuary is an independent charity that offers asylum seekers and refugees a variety of services, including English courses, conversation clubs, legal advice, and others.
The launch event will provide an opportunity for attendees to learn more about the campaign, its goals, and the challenges faced by those seeking sanctuary.
Tickets are free and can be accessed via the linktrees at these Instagram accounts: @changelabsheff/ @sheffieldcityofsanctuary/ @costeamtravel
There you can also find links to the petition.
Written by Millicent Corcoran
