homeless women

Another fairly easy night for us. Took some tea to our neighbours but the guy on his own in the doorway still didn't want to talk. The homeless charity Cyrenians came round at 5.20am doing a rough sleeper count and pointing people towards help - Norton House and Drug and Alcohol services. I was awake but wouldn't have wanted to be woken at that time had I been asleep. I wonder what reaction they get.

My companion last night has worked in the field of domestic violence for many years. There are huge issues there for women with no recourse to public funds - refused asylum seekers, visa overstayers, Eastern Europeans who have not worked for a year, overseas students, people on spouse visas who have not been here 2 years. None of them can access any more than one night from a women's refuge as they depend on housing benefit to pay their staff and accommodation costs. No recourse to public funds mean no housing benefit.

Many continue staying in a violent relationship as there is no option - and they are usually away from
family who may be able to help. Unlike my neighbour, most women are too frightened to sleep on the street.

Children are affected too as there are now families with no recourse to public funds. They go from overcrowded house to overcrowded house. Fearful that Social Care will take their children away, they remain hidden and do not access the health and education they and their children need.

I am writing this later today as I had to go out early to set up the detention cage we had in Shelton Square as another Peace Festival action. Someone sat inside with their mouth taped. It attracted a lot of attention and people read the information about Adeoti Ogunsola, the 10 year old Nigerian girl who tried to kill herself in detention a few weeks ago, and about the British system of unlimited detention for people in removal centres. It had the words 'Liable to be detained' on each side. These are the words on an asylum seekers temporary admission papers and they remain liable until they either receive their status to stay here or leave the country. Refugees who saw it were very pleased we were showing the reality to passers by. A lot of people showed concern. There was a stillness around the cage.