Tag: event

Refugee event this Saturday


The group will be in the Market Square on Saturday as part of Refugee Week

June 2026

Immigration, refugees and asylum seekers are top of the political agenda and generate huge anger in many communities. Some is understandable with a firm called Serco buying up properties and converting them into HMOs* filling them with among others, immigrants.

The debate around this topic has fuelled more heat than light. As we have noted in our reports, the general impression is of an ever rising trend of immigration, mostly by boat, and all of them being housed in ‘luxury’ hotels. They are taking our jobs and are responsible for a great deal of crime it is claimed. Some politicians and their parties have responded to these ideas, with great success. A key element of the forthcoming Makerfield by-election will be the immigration issue.

QUIZ

So how true is all this stuff? How sure are you of your knowledge around this issue? You can find out on Saturday 20th starting at 9 am and finishing at noon in the Cheesemarket (outside HSBC). There we will be hosting a quiz.

This is important in the sense that massive amounts of misinformation and false beliefs are determining policy. The value that immigrants bring to the economy is largely overlooked. The reaction to the Channel crossings verges on the hysterical. There is not denying there are problems to do with immigration but the scale of them is much exaggerated. So come and find out!

*house in multiple occupation

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Ex Iranian prisoner to tell his story


Anoosheh Ashoori will speak in Romsey

March 2026

PAST EVENT – see later report of the event itself.

The story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been widely told and she has become a household name. A BBC film was made of her ordeal and she came to Salisbury to speak. Iran is in the news at present with the bombing campaign being carried out by Israel and the US one aim of which – it is thought – is to rid the nation of the current regime, the regime which thought seizing hostages was a good idea.

Along with Nazanin was the rather less well-known Anoosheh Ashoori (pictured) a dual national businessman who spent 5 years in Evin prison in Tehran at the same time as Nazanin. He is coming to Romsey on 18th March to talk about his experiences. The talk starts at 7pm at the United Reform Church, SO51 8EL. The talk has been organised by the Romsey Amnesty Group.

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North Korean talk


Talk by someone who escaped from the hermit state of North Korea

Jihyun Park. Picture: Right to Remain

This Thursday 16th March Jihyun Park who managed to escape the closed country of North Korea will be giving a talk at the Five Rivers Leisure Centre, Hulse Road starting at 7:30 pm.  Ji has led an incredible life having managed to escape the prison state of North Korea to China.  In China she was trafficked and entered into a forced marriage.  She worked more or less as a slave in China and was subsequently arrested and returned to North Korea where she was sent to a labour camp.  She escaped again and now lives near Manchester.

North Korea is seldom out of the news these days with missile launches into the Sea of Japan and the murder of Kim Jong-un’s half brother in Malaysia.  But the human rights situation in that country is dire and people live in situations of great adversity.

The event is free and there is a departing collection to help with our expenses.

See our video on North Korea

Flyer for the talk

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March minutes


Group minutes for the March meeting are now available thanks to group member Lesley for compiling them.  We covered a lot of ground and there are a number of events including a talk by Jihyun Park this Thursday at the Five Rivers Leisure Centre, Hulse Road, Salisbury at 7:30.

March minutes (pdf)

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