Besides the annual high-profile Celebrating Sanctuary 'festival', this year's Refugee Week in Birmingham saw a candlelit vigil, organised by the Birmingham Anti-Racist Campaign (ARC), in the grounds of St. Philip's Cathedral on Friday, 22 June, to remember asylum seekers who took their own lives and to protest against the government's racist policies [call]. This was followed by African, Kurdish and Iranian live music, then the annual Refugee Sleep-out to highlight the problem of destitution that many asylum seekers suffer from. The following day, the end of Refugee Week, saw a rally in Victoria Square, organised by ARC as well, to highlight the bitter realities suffered by refugees and asylum seekers in Britain and to protest against the Home Office's war on them [call].

Meanwhile, Birmingham NoBorders issued a statement on the much-talked-about asylum amnesty, pointing out that, even when not based on racist criteria, it is not a long-term solution and often causes great suffering for those who do not 'fit in' and leads to stricter immigration controls.

Related: Celebrating Sanctuary?! What Sanctuary?! | Birmingham NoBorders and The Angel Group at Celebrating Sanctuary | Refugee Week 2006: ARC vigil | Solihull picket | "party without borders"