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Search for press releasesHome Office Minister Visits Congolese Refugees At Their New Home In Motherwell
6 February 2007
Refugees from war- torn Congo resettled in Scotland under the Home Office's Gateway Protection Programme were welcomed to their new home in Motherwell by Home Office Minister Joan Ryan today.
The families, who arrived in North Lanarkshire yesterday (Monday 5 February), were part of a group of 80 refugees from 20 families being settled in Motherwell after spending years in a refugee camp in Zambia.
The refugees include families with young children who fled the continuing fighting in the Congo. Many of them have endured further attacks in their country of refuge. Most of the women are survivors of rape and torture while others have witnessed the murder of family members.
Home Office Minister Joan Ryan said:
"It has been a moving and rewarding experience for me to meet these families in their new home and hear about their hopes for the future — all of which has only been possible through the Home Office's Gateway Protection Programme.
"The Gateway Protection Programme affirms the Government's commitment to providing a safe haven for those genuinely in need, by enabling refugees from some of the most troubled parts of the world to rebuild their lives in the UK. These refugees have suffered enormously and it is a credit to the people of North Lanarkshire that they are willing to provide a safe haven to them.
"The partnership between North Lanarkshire Council and the Home Office is testimony to the commitment of central and local government as well as the local community to offer refuge to those most in need of protection."
The latest group of refugees will join 684 refugees resettled in the UK since the programme began in March 2004. This has been possible thanks to the work of Sheffield, Bolton & Bury, Hull, Rochdale and Norwich local authorities, which are now being joined by North Lanarkshire. Sheffield and Bolton have each run the programme twice and are set to do so a third time. The last group of refugees were resettled in Norwich in December 2006. Refugees have come from a number of countries including Sudan, Burma and Ethiopia.
The scheme is a partnership between the UK Government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and builds on similar schemes around the world, including in Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, the United States and Canada.
Notes for Editors:
- Photos and footage from Joan Ryan's visit to the family are available. Please call Alison MacLeod, Home Office, on 020 7035 3816 or 07917 273 950 for more details.
- The refugees taking part in the programme have been identified and assessed by the UNHCR, working closely with the Home Office. Before travelling to the UK, they have taken part in an orientation programme to help them adjust to life in Britain.
- The Home Office will meet the full costs of resettlement in the first year.
- For further information on North Lanarkshire Council's role in welcoming the refugees and to facilitate interviews with the Council Leader please call Joan Grady on 01698 302312.
- The following case studies describe the experiences of some of the refugees who have been resettled in the UK from the Congo. They have been anonomised to protect the confidentiality of the individuals.
Case 1:
When the rebel forces entered his town, he and his family fled to the bush where they hid for days. Many of his ethnic group were killed brutally. The family fled to a refugee camp in Tanzania where they stayed for several years, but encountered serious problems because they were identified as Tutsis. His wife received daily threats to her life. They felt their lives were in danger and so fled to Zambia. Tutsis are still considered at risk in the DRC and especially in Eastern Congo. In light of the charged environment in the Eastern Congo, each of the warring factions may consider the family as "the enemy” even though they have never been involved in politics or fighting. The family have been recognised as refugees within the terms of the 1951 Convention on account of their ethnic group. The family remain insecure in the refugee camp in Zambia and have been targeted by those blaming Tutsis for bringing war to DRC.
Case 2:
Six years ago in Eastern Congo his family and that of his wife were all brutally murdered by militia troops because of their ethnic group. The rebels later attacked him and his wife in their home, torturing and stabbing him, leaving him with physical scars that are still visible. His wife was violently assaulted requiring hospital treatment. The couple managed to escape, but became separated from each other. They were later reunited and fled together to Zambia however their problems have continued because they belong to one of the minority groups in the refugee camp. They have been threatened and attacked so badly that they have required hospital treatment. Although the attacks have been reported, no action has been taken. The family now have small children who are also being harassed in the camp. UNHCR has moved them on several occasions for their own safety but they remain at risk and feel insecure. It is considered that their own long term solution is to be resettled to a safe environment where they can begin to overcome their experiences.
Case 3:
He was arrested and tortured on several occasions in DRC because of his prominent involvement with a church-based organisation promoting human rights. He was kidnapped and held for a couple of months, being released only after pressure by the church and because his horrific injuries required hospital treatment. He returned home to find his house ransacked. When his church was set on fire he fled to Zambia. He met and married his wife in the refugee camp. They have made every effort to integrate locally in Zambia. He has qualified in the medical profession but has been unable to practice. Despite making every attempt to do so he has concluded his problems are as a result of discrimination because he is a refugee.
