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Migration stories: Juana in a Million in London
By Tania Farias
Juana in a Million is a story of dreams and the desire to achieve more in life. It’s the story of all those who because of political, economic or social reasons cannot fulfil their aspirations as human beings and decide to leave their most beloved things such as their culture, family, and friends. Yes, Juana in a Million is a story of migration.
Created by Mexican actress Vicky Araico and theatre director Nir Paldi, Juana in a Million is a compilation of stories “The original idea of this play was born when I was living in Toronto, Canada, where [more]
Mental Health and asylum – alone at a crossroads
By Handsen Chikowore and Tania Farias
‘Mugabe, Mugabe, please don’t kill me!’ This was the terrifying cry from Mary*, a young black woman at a busy crossroads in the streets of Cardiff. Although Mary was clearly frightened, pedestrians nearby were ignoring her, unaware that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was the cause for her unusual behavior.
John*, an asylum seeker from Zimbabwe, reacted differently and approached her to help. Having some experience with mental health issues in asylum seekers, as his brother was sectioned at Littlebrook Hospital after displaying signs of anxiety and depression not dissimilar to those experienced by Mary, he was able to [more]
By Rhiannon [more]
By Zubair Gharghasht
For refugees, hoping to find a home in Britain, life – of a sort - goes on, just across the Channel…
Sangatte, on the northern coast of France overlooking the English Channel, is best known as the location of a refugee camp, closed in 2002 following concerns it was a base for illegal immigration into Britain. The camp was run by the Red Cross to shelter 900 people, but it housed some 2,000 refugees. Shortly after its closure, makeshift camps – known as The Jungle - sprang up in the woods around the Calais ferry ports, but these camps [more]
Somalis try to break mental health taboos
By Almaas Ali
Social media, videos and focus groups are just some of the tools being used to help raise awareness of mental health issues within London’s Somali community.
Mental illness is a social taboo amongst many Somalis in Britain, as sufferers are seen as weak, problematic and responsible for bringing shame on their families. Many avoid seeking professional help, preferring to find a cure through homemade treatments or even religion.
To break through the stigma, a north London support group, The Help Somalia Foundation, has joined forces with mental health charity, Brent Mind, to train people from the Somali community so they [more]
By Gary Buswell
Among the many positives of the Olympics this summer was the noticeable change of tone around reporting of migrants in the mainstream press. With a diverse array of British medallists inspiring a more open national pride throughout the country, familiar tabloid headlines of new arrivals here to "milk the system" were nowhere to be seen.
Mo Farah's exploits even inspired stories about the benefits of immigration, leaving some of us thinking a legacy of the games might be more balanced and fact-based reporting on such issues.
Sadly not. Less than a month after the close of the Paralympics both The [more]
