Free cookbook showcases the cuisines of refugees

It is World Refugee Day on Thursday and Australia for UNHCR has launched a new online cookbook showcasing recipes by current and former refugees.

The aim is to raise money for the UN Refugee Agency.

Flavours of Hope includes recipes and stories from 10 individuals, including those who have found safety in Australia, and others living as refugees overseas.

“Although our contributors have survived extremely difficult experiences, they have not lost the urge to share what they have with others - in this case, their stories, their culture and their food,” Australia for UNHCR CEO Trudi Mitchell said.

“I encourage everyone to download the free book via our website to experience these amazing recipes and help support the cause.”

World Refugee Day is an annual celebration of the talent, contribution and resilience of refugees in communities.

Australia for UNHCR Ambassador and founder of Boost Juice, Janine Allis, is making a donation every time someone downloads the book.

These funds will go towards UNHCR’s life-saving work helping people flee conflict, disaster and persecution around the world.

Cooks featured in Flavours of Hope include former AFLW player and Australia for UNHCR ambassador Akec Makur Chuot, Melbourne restaurant owner Hamed Allahyari, and captain of the Afghan women’s football team, Fatima Yousufi.

“Afghan food has a very special taste," Yousifi says. "The flavours are unique and whenever those smells hit my nose, it takes me straight back to my childhood.”

“Eating Afghan food in Australia has allowed me to feel much more alive and connected.”

The free cookbook can be downloaded via: unrefugees.org.au/cookbook

Image: Fatima Yousufi and her mother Khadija. ©Australia for UNHCR/Sally Hulse

British Minister is both cruel and crazy

Suella Braverman is the stone-cold crazy Home Secretary of the United Kingdom.

Despite being the daughter of migrants from Mauritius and Kenya, she wants to send refugees seeking asylum in Britain to live in Rwanda.

Braverman is on the right wing of the Conservative Party (which is a statement in itself), was a supporter of Brexit and is in favour of the UK withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights. She is, predictably, also anti transgender rights.

Suella is not her real name: she was previously known as Sue Ellen, named after a character in TV soap Dallas.

Her latest act of cruelty is aimed at the government having to avoid paying for accommodation for refugees while they are being processed.

Cruella has apparently purchased tents to accommodate up to 2,000 migrants on disused military sites as part of emergency plans to avoid the expensive process of last-minute hotel bookings, The Times reports.

The tents will start to be erected over coming weeks as part of contingency plans to deal with an expected surge of small boat arrivals.

The UK Border Force is predicting that the next three months will be the busiest time for migrant crossings, in a repeat of last year, which saw 51% of the year’s record-breaking 45,755 small boat arrivals (the Brits cunningly think calling refugees small boat arrivals helps demonise them) land in August, September and October.

Home Office sources told The Times there was “nothing wrong” with accommodating migrants in temporary accommodation such as tents.

The latest plan has sparked criticism of "inhumane treatment" of asylum seekers and been compared to concentration camps.

Given her track record, the Right Honourable Cruella is unlikely to care.

"Give them the most basic accommodation possible": British Government

The British Government has revealed plans to treat asylum seekers with the minimum of respect.

Coming from the immoral clan that was responsible for Brexit, that comes as no surprise.

The Conservatives have announced plans to put "thousands of asylum seekers" in disused military bases to accommodate their "essential living needs and nothing more".

The Government is also considering using out-of-service cruise ships and barges as new homes for migrants, saying hotels and bed and breakfasts are too expensive.

Still, at least they aren't sending them to remote islands like Australia's politicians do.

The Government is seeking cheaper options as it is spending over €5 million per day on migrant hotels, which seems like an absurd figure, Someone, somewhere is making serious money.

In a Commons statement setting out the next stage in the plans to reduce asylum claims in the UK, Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, said the plans would meet legal requirements to ensure that those who arrived were not made “destitute”, but would offer nothing more," Travel Mole reported.

“We must not elevate the wellbeing of illegal migrants above those of the British people,” he told MPs. Of course, seeking asylum is not illegal, but lies come easy to Conservative politicians.

Jenrick confirmed plans to house people at the disused defence base at Wethersfield in Essex, the RAF base at Scampton in Lincolnshire (above), an RAF site turned prison in Bexhill, East Sussex, and the Catterick garrison in North Yorkshire.

Ministers were also continuing to “explore the possibility of accommodating migrants in vessels”, he added.

The proposal follows plans to bar people who arrive in the UK without paperwork from ever being able to claim asylum or settle in the country. They will instead face deportation to Rwanda or another country.

Shades of Australian cruelty there, too.

Given the scale of arrivals on boats across the Channel, “we must fundamentally alter our posture towards those who seek to enter our country illegally,” Jenrick said with his pants on fire. 

Hotel group offers accommodation to Ukraine refugees

A luxury travel group is offering emergency accommodation to refugees fleeing Russia's attack on Ukraine. 

Karma Group founder John Spence said the resort company is introducing a program that sees hotels transformed into accommodation for Ukrainian refugees. 

Dubbed Karma Refuge, the campaign will be launched in France, and see Karma Résidence Normande turned into a temporary shelter for those in need.

"I'm taking my resort in Normandy and turning it into hotel accommodation for Ukrainian refugees," Spence said. 

"We have plans to populate it with people fleeing desperate conditions in Ukraine. Mainly women and children, these people have had to long journeys in freezing temperatures for nine, 10 hours at a time just to cross the border.

“Karma won't just be somewhere to sleep, but we will also provide all food, we have full hotel staff, and all facilities free to use. Children will be given a range of activities, while parents will be given a chance to learn English and French, and will set up a Ukrainian kitchen.”

As for how these refugees will gain access to Normandy, Spence already has a plan of action. 

“To get them there we have a manager based in Warsaw, and will be using the assistance of local agents to identify those in need," he says. "They will then have a fleet of coaches to get them through to France."

This is the first time that a hotel company has done this and Spence hopes that Karma Group won't be the only global company involved. 

“Once successful my plan is to promote Karma Refuge, find other hoteliers who are willing to take it on, or private individuals who are happy to become a part of this humanitarian channel and bring people from Ukraine into a safe shelter in Europe.”

Karma Group currently operates 32 properties worldwide. 

Karma Residence Normande features private studio, one, and two-bedroom holiday-style apartments. 

On the right track: rail companies help Ukraine refugees

 

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Railway companies across Europe are coming to the aid of Ukraine citizens fleeing Russian brutality. following the invasion.  

Many European Union countries have introduced fast-track visa processes to allow quick entry for refugees and now rail companies have joined Wizz Air in helping move people.

Eurostar, the cross-Channel train operator, is offering free travel to Ukrainians entering the UK from Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. 

The firm said that all those with a valid UK visa should speak to a member of Eurostar staff at Paris Nord, Brussels-Midi, Lille Europe or Amsterdam Central stations to receive their free ticket.

Rail companies in Poland, Germany, Belgium, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Denmark and France have also launched similar schemes for those fleeing the conflict. 

This follows Wizz Air offering 100,000 free seats on flights across continental Europe departing from Hungary, Poland, Slovakia or Romania in March.

The UK Government, many of whose members are fast friend with Russian oligarchs, has not followed the EU’s lead in waiving limits to visa-free access. 

This is largely due to the intransigence of stone-hearted Home Secretary Priti Patel, surely the most inappropriately named politician on the planet. 

It has, instead, announced temporary concessions that allow elderly parents, grandparents, adult children and siblings of UK-based Ukrainian nationals to enter the country. 

Eurostar said: “To help Ukrainian nationals travelling to the UK, we can offer a free Eurostar ticket from any Eurostar station to London St. Pancras International.”

“It is important to arrive with the necessary visa documents, as these will be checked by the UK Border Force during the check-in process. 

"The UK government is regularly reviewing the criteria for Ukrainian refugees to enter the UK, so we would strongly recommend contacting the British Embassy or checking the UK government website for the latest information.”