Can you give sanctuary this Christmas?

Sanctuary Hosting at Asylum Welcome links refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants who are at risk of homelessness with local hosts who can offer a spare room, rent-free, for a limited period. All placements are supported by our dedicated staff and volunteers.

Punishing rules require newly recognised refugees to move on from asylum accommodation to mainstream employment or benefits and find someone to live within a few weeks of successfully claiming asylum.

This leaves vulnerable people facing homelessness and destitution at the very moment when they should finally be able to feel safe.

It is a national scandal.

In this dire (and growing) emergency, Sanctuary Hosting is working tirelessly to provide shelter for as many refugees as possible, ensuring that they are not left on the streets.

We are in desperate need of compassionate hosts in Oxfordshire and Reading who are willing to offer rent-free accommodation for a limited period.

If you are interested in hosting, we will:

Facilitate a meeting between you and a potential guest before any hosting agreement is made.

Assign a local host ‘buddy’ to provide you with support throughout the hosting process.

Check in with you after the first 24 hours of your guest moving in, and then at regular intervals.

Provide your guest with a small weekly subsistence and a bus pass if they have no other financial means.

Make sure your guest has a caseworker and is actively working towards moving on.

Provide you with ongoing training and support.

Our hosts determine how long their guests stay with them. You can choose to be an ‘emergency host’ for a week or two, or you can specify a different time frame.

If you have a spare room, would you be willing to offer temporary accommodation to a refugee or asylum seeker?

If you don’t have a spare room, you can still help by making a donation to support our work.

Your support is crucial in providing shelter this winter. Thank you.

Can you give sanctuary this Christmas?