Refugee festival coming to Paisley
Communities in Paisley are coming together this summer to celebrate Refugee Festival Scotland.
The festival is organised by Scottish Refugee Council and runs from June 16 to June 25. This year’s packed programme of events includes contributions from people who came to Paisley seeking refugee protection and the communities that have welcomed them.
There’s something for everyone with more than 100 events taking place in communities across Scotland. Paisley events include a croquet tournament, an art installation from a local sewing group and a free community barbecue.
This year, the theme of the festival is hope, with many events showcasing inspiring stories and sharing hopes and dreams for a better future.
At a time when the UK Government is seeking to pass legislation that could ban people fleeing war and persecution from claiming asylum in the UK, the festival brings communities together to celebrate the positive contribution refugees make to life in Scotland.
Razieh is the artist developing “Paisley Conversations”– a
Sewing2Together All Nations exhibition that will run during the festival.
She said:“When asylum seekers arrive in a new country, they need to have some support such as food, clothes, home facilities, learning new language and the important one is mental health and wellbeing.
“Most of the asylum seekers and refugees do not have any family in the new country, therefore being a member of a group such as Sewing2gether All Nations can help them to find some friends the same as their families.”