Holocaust Centre addresses local impact of migration

The first of two ground-breaking seminars addressing the challenges of migration for Nottinghamshire and the Midlands will tomorrow be held at the Holocaust Centre, near Laxton.
 
In the context of dispersal of asylum seekers across the Midlands, and rising numbers of migrants from Eastern Europe living and working in local communities, participants from across the county will gather to discuss what it means to be a migrant. They will consider challenges and opportunities for communities to which migrants are contributing, and think about ways to deal with potential fears, prejudice and discrimination.
 
The seminar will hear from Dr Stephen Smith, Director of the Holocaust Centre; Sue Pearson, who came to the UK as a child refugee fleeing the Nazis; Andy Peacock, Community Cohesion Manager for Notts County Council; Hajar Sadoon, from Refugee Action, and Andy Sykes, former coordinator for the BNP in Bradford.
 
“Whether people have fled persecution or simply come here to work, finding their feet can be tough,” says Dr Smith. “Wherever they are from, people wanting to build their lives within our communities can enrich our culture, experience and the local economy in doing so. We should welcome them, learn from them, and ensure we build relationships of trust for the future. If we fail to do so then the isolation of different groups from one another increases, with all the dangers that ignorance and prejudice can bring.”
 
The second seminar in this series, intended to address issues raised by migration for local businesses, will take place on 6 September.
 
The Holocaust Centre is open to the public seven days a week to the end of September. Survivors of the Nazi concentration camps speak every Saturday and Sunday at 1pm. This weekend, Eva Clark, who was born in Mathausen, will speak on Saturday; Arek Hersh, who survived Auschwitz, will speak on Sunday.
 
ENDS
 
For more information, or to arrange interviews, contact Head of Media David Brown, tel: 01623 836627, mobile: 07921 471985, email: david.brown@aegistrust.org