When the then Home Secretary Theresa May said in 2012 that “The aim is to create, here in Britain, a really hostile environment for illegal immigrants” she may not have foreseen that her words would result in a cultural environment in the UK in which every immigrant would feel insecure but now only six years later many feel that  this is precisely what has happened .

It seemed hopeless but now Birmingham teachers and school children have begun to want to lead the way towards improving things for those who have lost their homes and had to move across the globe by applying to become Schools of Sanctuary. Members of the Birmingham City of Sanctuary Committee, including several local Quakers, have been kept very busy recently responding to a  large number of primary schools, secondary schools and colleges who have been doing outstanding work to understand how it must feel to be a refugee and have been reaching out the hand of friendship within their communities and now wish to apply for a certificate. A report of the work  entitled ‘Refugee Week in Birmingham Schools’ is featured on the National Cities of Sanctuary website.