We hold regular meetings which are free and open to the general public as well as members. We invite people with lived experience – for example a panel discussion with Young Leaders from the refugee community and an interview with Gulwali Passarlay. We also invite experts on critical issues, such as the Rwanda policy; modern slavery & trafficking; and climate change and migration.
For information on the next open meeting, please visit the Upcoming Events section on the Homepage.
Stalls and talks:
Each year, in June we mark Refugee Week with an information stall in Cliffe Precinct, Lewes. We have given talks to local organisations, including faith groups, community groups, Depot Cinema audiences and professionals working in the field.
We welcome enquiries and would be happy to provide your group with a speaker or an information stall.
Every autumn term we lead workshops with all of the Year 8 classes at Priory School, Lewes, about what it means to be a refugee or a person seeking asylum. The students consistently impress us with their empathy and understanding. To mark Refugee Week, assemblies are held in Southover and Western Road Primary Schools.
We have recently delivered sessions at Plumpton College and Lewes Old Grammar School and we welcome invitations to other schools and colleges to run similar sessions.
There is a lot of misinformation in the media about refugees and asylum seekers. It is important to separate the facts from the rhetoric. Try our quiz!
Q1
How much money do people seeking asylum in the UK have to live on each day?
Correct
The right answer is (a) £5.84. This has to cover all food, clothes, travel costs, toiletries etc. The average time it takes the Home Office to make a decision on an asylum claim, is between one and three years. For all that time asylum seekers are forbidden from working, so they have no opportunity to earn money.
Asylum seekers who are placed in hotels or old army camps are given some basic food, but they only have £1 per day for all their other needs
Incorrect
The right answer is (a) £5.84. This has to cover all food, clothes, travel costs, toiletries etc. The average time it takes the Home Office to make a decision on an asylum claim, is between one and three years. For all that time asylum seekers are forbidden from working, so they have no opportunity to earn money.
Asylum seekers who are placed in hotels or old army camps are given some basic food, but they only have £1 per day for all their other needs
Incorrect
The right answer is (a) £5.84. This has to cover all food, clothes, travel costs, toiletries etc. The average time it takes the Home Office to make a decision on an asylum claim, is between one and three years. For all that time asylum seekers are forbidden from working, so they have no opportunity to earn money.
Asylum seekers who are placed in hotels or old army camps are given some basic food, but they only have £1 per day for all their other needs
Incorrect
The right answer is (a) £5.84. This has to cover all food, clothes, travel costs, toiletries etc. The average time it takes the Home Office to make a decision on an asylum claim, is between one and three years. For all that time asylum seekers are forbidden from working, so they have no opportunity to earn money.
Asylum seekers who are placed in hotels or old army camps are given some basic food, but they only have £1 per day for all their other needs
Q2
What percentage of the UK population have refugee backgrounds?
Incorrect
The right answer is (d) 0.6%. That is the equivalent of less than two children in an average sized primary school.
Incorrect
The right answer is (d) 0.6%. That is the equivalent of less than two children in an average sized primary school.
Incorrect
The right answer is (d) 0.6%. That is the equivalent of less than two children in an average sized primary school.
Correct
The right answer is (d) 0.6%. That is the equivalent of less than two children in an average sized primary school.
Q3
Which European country had the highest number of applications from asylum seekers last year?
Incorrect
The right answer is (c) Germany at about 150,000 in 2021. The UK came fourth with about 50,000, but some countries, e.g. Cyprus, with a much smaller population, had proportionately more applications per head of population.
Incorrect
The right answer is (c) Germany at about 150,000 in 2021. The UK came fourth with about 50,000, but some countries, e.g. Cyprus, with a much smaller population, had proportionately more applications per head of population.
Correct
The right answer is (c) Germany at about 150,000 in 2021. The UK came fourth with about 50,000, but some countries, e.g. Cyprus, with a much smaller population, had proportionately more applications per head of population.
Incorrect
The right answer is (c) Germany at about 150,000 in 2021. The UK came fourth with about 50,000, but some countries, e.g. Cyprus, with a much smaller population, had proportionately more applications per head of population.
Q4
What are the legal routes to claim asylum in the UK ?
Incorrect
The right answer is (d) none of the above. There is no such thing as a refugee visa or any visa that allows a person to claim asylum in the UK.
Sometimes the UK Government has worked with the UNHCR on limited special resettlement programmes, e.g. from Syria.
Ukrainians are the only people who can get visas to come here to seek safety, but they are only short-term visas.
The ONLY way people seeking safety from other dangerous/war-torn countries can claim asylum in the UK is if they can get themselves here without papers, which is why criminal trafficking by dangerous routes is flourishing.
Incorrect
The right answer is (d) none of the above. There is no such thing as a refugee visa or any visa that allows a person to claim asylum in the UK.
Sometimes the UK Government has worked with the UNHCR on limited special resettlement programmes, e.g. from Syria.
Ukrainians are the only people who can get visas to come here to seek safety, but they are only short-term visas.
The ONLY way people seeking safety from other dangerous/war-torn countries can claim asylum in the UK is if they can get themselves here without papers, which is why criminal trafficking by dangerous routes is flourishing.
Incorrect
The right answer is (d) none of the above. There is no such thing as a refugee visa or any visa that allows a person to claim asylum in the UK.
Sometimes the UK Government has worked with the UNHCR on limited special resettlement programmes, e.g. from Syria.
Ukrainians are the only people who can get visas to come here to seek safety, but they are only short-term visas.
The ONLY way people seeking safety from other dangerous/war-torn countries can claim asylum in the UK is if they can get themselves here without papers, which is why criminal trafficking by dangerous routes is flourishing.
Correct
The right answer is (d) none of the above. There is no such thing as a refugee visa or any visa that allows a person to claim asylum in the UK.
Sometimes the UK Government has worked with the UNHCR on limited special resettlement programmes, e.g. from Syria.
Ukrainians are the only people who can get visas to come here to seek safety, but they are only short-term visas.
The ONLY way people seeking safety from other dangerous/war-torn countries can claim asylum in the UK is if they can get themselves here without papers, which is why criminal trafficking by dangerous routes is flourishing.
HOW CAN I HELP?
Become a member
LOSRAS is a membership organisation. We welcome new members who share our aims.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement
1 year
Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
CookieLawInfoConsent
1 year
Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie.
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Cookie
Duration
Description
_ga
1 year 1 month 4 days
The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_ga_*
1 year 1 month 4 days
Google Analytics sets this cookie to store and count page views.
_gat_gtag_UA_*
1 minute
Google Analytics sets this cookie to store a unique user ID.
_gid
1 day
Installed by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
CONSENT
2 years
YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
