People seeking asylum in the UK are forced to survive on only £9.95 a week and are banned from working. Hostile environment policies, enforced and added to in the UK since 2010, make life as purposefully unenjoyable as physically possible to encourage undocumented migrants to leave. This process is severely inhumane and is only slightly improved upon for refugees and asylum seekers in Sheffield who live in isolated hotels on the outskirts of the city.  Despite being crucial to their well-being, paying for public transportation to Sheffield city centre for volunteer and social opportunities, schooling, legal appointments, doctor visits, and more can significantly cut into these families' daily budgets. 

With this petition and public pressure on our local government, we can relieve some of the significant financial burden refugees and asylum seekers face. The lack of these policies is an unacceptable and inexcusable burden upon those denied the right to work. While Section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act (1999) claims these groups have the right to seek support from the Home Office, the condition, quality, or state of their accommodations, and their mental state, can and have been ignored. 

As free or reduced bus passes for refugees and asylum seekers have recently been funded in Wales (2022), Scotland (2023), and Oxford (2024-25), the city of Sheffield, the UK's first City of Sanctuary, has the ability and privilege of setting a precedent for free bus passes for these groups in England. This goal is supported by Sheffield City of Sanctuary, which is fighting to implement this policy. Follow @costeamtravel on Instagram or visit the City of Sanctuary website for more information about this campaign.