Our regular listeners will remember our Welcome the Stranger refugee special where we looked at the crisis through the eyes of a Syrian refugee and a refugee charity worker. The aim was to raise awareness and money through the sale of David Benjamin Blower‘s album Welcome the Stranger. On this week’s podcast, we’re looking at the crisis through the eyes of Dave Smith who started The Boaz Trust, a charity that works with destitute asylum seekers.
Interview begins at 7m 12s
Image provided by Dave Smith. Used with permission.
BOOKS
Refugee Stories: Seven Personal Stories Behind the Headlines
QUOTES
“[Failed asylum seekers] just have no rights…if you’re a [stray] dog at least you can get a kennel…and you get fed. Asylum seekers don’t if they are refused. And people say ‘well aren’t they sent back straight away?’ And the answer is no they are not…after a period of time they can be detained…until they are deported. To actually get support at that stage is very difficult.”
“No I don’t think everybody has to get involved in this. I think everybody has to be involved in something. As you read the scriptures you see that social justice is so important in there. God is a God of justice … everybody needs to get involved somewhere.”
Excellent interview. I thought he sounded a bit like Steve Coogan.
Thanks, Jacqui. Glad you found it helpful. You might be right about Steve Coogan, I’ll have to have another listen!