A screenshot of a facebook comment by Ray McHale that reads: Anonymous participant 487 Our council don't determine how many asylum seekers are housed here - that is Serco with their Government contract. Our council did get some money from government for housing refugees from Afghanistan (where they helped our army) and Ukraine. They paid half the cost of buying housing for these specific groups. In the long run this means they will have obtained those extra council houses at half the cost - so this was a very good deal for the council. In terms of the City of Sanctuary - mainly Chester - this is about saying those who come here, men women and children, should be given support and a welcoming fitting of the civilised people we are. Helping the kids in schools, helping with English lessons, providing volunteering opportunities (often at Churches or with the local conservation volunteers) for those that are not allowed to work, but who want to contribute to society. In my view the only alternative to this welcome is some sort of hostility and bad feeling, making them feel unwelcome - even though they have no choice where they are. So I fully support the City of Sanctuary, and Theatre Porto's - Theatre of Sanctuary. Of those I have talked to at Trinity Church - many Iranian Christians who have fled persecution - you couldn't find nicer people wanting to fit in with our society. I don't want to be part of some hostility towards refugees - 75% of which are granted leave to stay in this country because there claim for asylum is up-held.
A screenshot of a facebook comment by "Anonymous participant 487" that reads "he hasn't answered despite being asked many time his opinion on the towns current status as a "town of sanctuary for asylum seekers"?. Below this you can see the start of the reply by Ray McHale which is in the previous post.
I was recently asked for my stance on Chester's "City of Sanctuary" status:
“…this is about saying those who come here, men women and children, should be given support and a welcoming fitting of the civilised people we are."
#election #cwac #ellesmereport #theatreporto
