Fears for future of West Midlands city amid 'changing attitudes' towards refugees

Refugees and asylum seekers living in Brum have spoken of their fear for the future amid concerns over ‘changing attitudes’ and ‘divisive’ politics.

Their concerns were voiced after Birmingham Reform controversially called on the city council to end its status as a ‘City of Sanctuary’ and “play no part” in any new voluntary refugee sponsorship scheme.

The move triggered fierce criticism from other parties on the council and the motion to end the city’s ‘sanctuary’ status was ultimately lost.

However, the request sparked sadness and anxiety among refugees and their supporters in Birmingham.

Algar Goredema-Braid, a migrant from Zimbabwe, was among those who felt disheartened by Reform’s motion, describing her reaction to it as a “mixture of angry, disdain and sometimes pity”.

Having moved to Birmingham nearly 40 years ago, she also expressed concern that attitudes towards refugees had changed to a “great extent” over the decades.

“We were very welcome at that particular time and a lot of the people I knew were academics, ambassadors and so on,” the 68-year-old said after attending the meeting. “People came and really prospered.

“You were not frightened to say where you were from.

“It’s really sad now to hear the divisions that there are and people being treated differently because of their colour, their accent.

“I’m proud to be a Zimbabwean but I’m also a very proud Brummie – Birmingham is my home.”

On why she thought attitudes towards refugees were changing, she said: “Maybe the divisiveness of our leaders [is the reason], you only have to look at Trump.

“There is that language in the media and everything else.

“But the end of the day, I don’t want to use that as an excuse.”

She continued: “I really would like to sit with [the councillors] and just have a conversation, have a cup of tea.

“I know that sounds naïve but I think you need to have that greater conversation to actually understand.”

Charley Jacobs, originally from South Africa, said the vast majority of people in Birmingham are welcoming but added the city would be a “dark place without City of Sanctuary”.

“I think it would be a bad thing if [the council withdraw from the scheme] because like most of the councillors were saying, asylum seekers and refugees [would become] scapegoats for things that are not our fault,” she said.

“If City of Sanctuary should close, what is going to happen to all those people that are working as carers, doctors and all of those things. It would just fall apart.”

Angel, originally from Albania, said: “The idea of making our city less welcoming is deeply upsetting to me.

“I don’t think turning people away or making them feel unwanted reflects the values that make Birmingham such a special place.

“I hope Birmingham continues to be a city where people are treated with dignity, kindness, and respect, and where everyone has the opportunity to feel that they belong.”

“Being in a City of Sanctuary, it was really good for me,” Temitayo Ajayi, 54, from Nigeria, said. “[There was an] atmosphere to express myself and be helped.”

Asked how she felt about Reform’s request, she said: “It made me scared.

“I would say to the councillors just be compassionate and think sometimes, when you see or hear what people are going through on their own – they really need help.”

Mansour Masoud, who moved to Birmingham back in 2017, said refugees want to “contribute to this country and give back” once they have settled.

“I think I can see the future of Birmingham,” he said. “You can see now it’s a mixed, multicultural city.

“[The City of Sanctuary continuing] is a big relief.”

What Reform and Tory councillors said

Birmingham has been a recognised City of Sanctuary since 2015 and has supported people seeking safety through resettlement programmes, local partnerships and services that help individuals rebuild their lives.

But ahead of recent meeting, Reform councillors Graham Green and Cherie Waddingham put forward a motion that argued the council continues to face “significant challenges” and should withdraw from the City of Sanctuary scheme.

These included pressure on housing, neighbourhood services and local government finances.

“The council’s first responsibility is to the residents of Birmingham and to delivering high-quality public services,” they wrote. “Birmingham City Council should focus its resources on the needs of existing residents and the recovery of local public services.”

Presenting the motion at Tuesday’s meeting, Cllr Green argued that the city had been reduced to ‘a shambles’ by the previous Labour leadership.

“What those who served on this council over the last 14 years appear to have forgotten is that their primary duty is to the Brummies that put them here – the tens of thousands of people who were born and worked in this city, bought a house here, raised a family here,” he said.

Cllr Jex Parkin, Reform group leader, added: “All we are proposing is that we put our city first. All we want to do is deliver public services effectively.”

The Tories put forward an amendment to Reform’s motion and also called for the council to end its City of Sanctuary status, saying thousands of people of “all races and all faiths” were on Birmingham’s housing waiting list.

“We have a duty to make sure we are looking after every single person in this city,” Conservative group leader Cllr Robert Alden said.

But calls to withdraw from the City of Sanctuary scheme were slammed by the other parties, with Green Cllr Jane Baston describing Birmingham as a city “that welcomes and celebrates our diversity because we know that it is our strength”.

Labour group leader Cllr Nicky Brennan said Reform could have taken the opportunity to discuss something meaningful that ‘actually helps Birmingham’.

Independent Cllr Nosheen Khalid meanwhile aid “putting Birmingham first” does not mean “turning vulnerable people into political footballs”.

“I think there’s misunderstanding, the money that comes into the city that supports asylum seekers is ringfenced,” Shari Brown, chair of the Birmingham City of Sanctuary committee, also said.

“So as many a councillor said, withdrawing that sanctuary status is not going to make any difference.

“If we are concerned about housing, health and employment for everyone in the city, then sure we should be concerned but that doesn’t exclude the vulnerable – it includes the vulnerable.

“Compassion and fiscal responsibility can complement each other.”

Reform has previously said it wants to represent people of all backgrounds and faiths.