That the Parliament notes that 17 to 23 June 2019 is Refugee Week, which will have the theme "You, me and those who came before"; acknowledges that the awareness week was established in 1998 to challenge hostility to refugees and asylum seekers; notes that it now comprises a UK-wide programme of arts, cultural and educational events that celebrate the contribution made to Scotland and the rest of the UK by refugees and seeks to promote a better understanding of why people claim sanctuary; warmly welcomes refugees and asylum seekers; recognises how they can contribute and enrich communities, including in Clackmannanshire and Dunblane; believes that it is a human right to claim asylum; commends the organisers of Refugee Week on their efforts to give refugees and asylum seekers a platform to be seen, heard and valued; welcomes the work done by the Scottish Government in relation to refugees, including extending the Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment to young asylum seekers, taking what it sees is a fair and proportionate share of refugees as part of the Syrian resettlement programme, its work with unaccompanied children and the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy, and reaffirms Scotland’s commitment to offering sanctuary to the world’s most vulnerable people.
Supported by:
Clare Adamson, Tom Arthur, Alex Cole-Hamilton, Angela Constance, Bob Doris, Jenny Gilruth, Emma Harper, Monica Lennon, Richard Lyle, Fulton MacGregor, Ruth Maguire, Gillian Martin, John Mason, Liam McArthur, Mark McDonald, Stuart McMillan, Pauline McNeill, Gail Ross, Stewart Stevenson, David Torrance, Sandra White