A welcoming Manchester: How local initiatives support migrant communities  

In this article, Seraphus staff member highlights the work being done to support people seeking asylum and migrants in local communities across the UK. With this, we want to emphasise the many ways in which local initiatives and organisations can make a difference in the hostile environment faced by displaced individuals and migrant communities.

Moving to the UK to pursue my higher education, I became part of the approximately 10 million migrants who live in this country. Being a migrant has been a decisive factor in all my later choices, including which city I wanted to call my new home. When I picked Manchester, I did so understanding that the local population diversity is a testament to the city’s welcoming spirit, and its initiatives in supporting migrants and displaced population has proven so. Having previously volunteered as a translator of resources for professionals working with vulnerable refugees across Central and South Europe, I knew how important these initiatives are, not only for displaced individuals, but the local community at large as well. 

Manchester is a City of Sanctuary, working to bring together migrant and non-migrant population and organisations, strengthening the sense of community, offering support, and advancing public education on issues relating to people seeking sanctuary. In 2022 alone, Manchester City of Sanctuary delivered 171 sessions (arts and crafts, wellbeing walks, yoga), with 100% of respondents saying that MCoS has had a positive impact in their life, and 72% agreeing strongly that accessing MCoS events had made them feel more welcome in Manchester. 

Being home to one of the best universities in the world, a third of Manchester’s student population are from outside the UK. My experience living in the city is that local initiatives mirror the lived experiences and background of the youth population, with one such example being the Muslim Social Justice Initiative (MSJI), a decolonial community projects building capacities for solidarity, and working with and for Muslim young people and their allies. With partners such as Contact Theatre and Manchester Museum, they have hosted open mics, inclusive iftars, as well as curated political education workshops. 

University of Manchester is also a University of Sanctuary, creating opportunities for and support for refugees and students seeking asylum, ensuring that it is a welcoming place of safety for all. This is also obvious in their initiatives to helping sanctuary seekers afford university with financial support packages, including five Article 26 Sanctuary Scholarships and tuition fee concessions for eligible students. The university works closely with MCoS to help with its aim of making Manchester an open and fair place for those seeking sanctuary. It also runs awareness sessions for staff and students, to ensure a broader understanding of the issues impacting migrants and people seeking asylum across campus. 

Building solidarity and sharing lived experience and resources between migrant and non-migrant population is essential in building a sense of community, creating a welcoming and supportive environment on both sides, and allowing a city to thrive. 

Manchester Migrant Solidarity (Manchester MiSol) is a network providing solidarity with migrants in Manchester by offering practical advice for mutual support, empowerment and solidarity, with the goal of dismantling the systemic mistreatment of migrants in the city, and in the UK at large. The work they undertake includes workshops, language lessons and assistance, social groups, anti-deportation mobilisation and detention support, as well as film-showings, talks and info sessions. 

I have felt safe and welcomed in Manchester, and that is in part thanks to the local organisations campaigning and creating such a network of support. The success of such initiatives is proof of the power of mutual aid, and that community building has the power to withstand the rise of hate and political pushback against migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum.