Blog

James Davies wrote this piece in 2016 – long before lockdown! He has since retired from ICN, but his wonderful description perfectly captures what it is like to work at ICN. The routine, the unpredictability, and the joy of being able to share with our clients both in their sorrows and in their rejoicing.

Alarm. Tea & Bible. Breakfast. See my wife off to work. Dog up to Taskers Meadow. Car and ferry to Bournemouth. 

The ICN staff convene at 9 and have a few minutes of prayer to commit the day to the Lord and seek His wisdom for all we will face. Then it is look at the diary to see who is expected, get out the relevant files, deal with any immediate messages or emails. 

Appointments include: 

• A Syrian refugee, newly arrived, who wants to talk about getting a visa for his wife and children to join him. He comes with a friend to interpret. 
• An older white South African couple who want to settle in the UK with their adult children who all have British Citizenship. Will it be possible?  
• An Asian woman who is being hit by her British husband. He is using her visa status (here as a spouse) as a weapon against her – threatening that she will be deported if she tells anyone or tries to leave home. 
• A friend of many years, a Kurdish refugee, who has now qualified for British Citizenship, coming to complete the application form. 
• A West Indian, in the UK since childhood in the early 1960s, who has never sought British Citizenship. His employer is now asking for evidence that he is allowed to work. 

In the middle of the morning the post arrives. Rejoicing around the office that a Tibetan that we have been standing with for seven years has won an appeal and is likely to be able to stay. Sadness that an Iranian has been refused a travel document – I put the papers on one side to look at in detail later to see if the decision can be challenged. A letter from the Home Office asking for extra information for someone to support his application made a couple of months ago. 

All the while there are phone calls from other local organisations, or prospective clients with complex questions asking for “just two minutes of time – it’ll be very quick”; the buzz from the English class upstairs, and from the child whose parents are seeking help in the next room; grabbing and being grabbed by colleagues with questions – as none of us know everything, but between us we know a lot. 

I nip out mid-afternoon to see a friend, with whom I spend a regular hour each week studying Mark’s gospel.

Back to catch up with some paperwork – never finished. Some of the most productive time is after other staff have left and I can work through things in quietness. 

Then it’s the ferry. Supper. Catch up with my wife’s day. Walk the dog on the Downs. Bit of television. Bath & bed. 

James Davies – Senior Immigration Advisor (now retired)

14 May 2020

Yesterday I planted some purple sunflower seeds in my garden which I had been given in the Autumn. I looked up how to plant them and followed the instructions, choosing a sunny spot in my garden, and watering them in. Now I wait, in the hope and expectation that they will grow tall and strong in the weeks to come, and eventually bear nourishing seed. Although I love flowers and gardens in general, I am rather a fair weather gardener, and often find that in the busyness of daily life our small patch of Eden gets neglected. How wonderful now to have the time and space to slow down and reflect on all the natural beauty which God has blessed us with, especially in these prolonged days of glorious sunshine. 

Across the world nations and peoples have an unprecedented opportunity to re-evaluate the true meaning and purpose of life, to rediscover who and what is most important, to fully appreciate all those who work so hard with minimal recognition to provide the services we so often take for granted. 

So with the families we support at ICN, many fathers who work long hours on low wages in order to support their families and establish a settled life in their adopted country, now have an opportunity to rest and recuperate and to engage with their children in a new way. Mothers who carry the responsibility for running the home are fully occupied in providing nourishing meals for their families, and doing their best to support their children’s school learning and to keep boredom at bay.  

As the month of Ramadan progresses, we pray for our Muslim friends and ask God to bless them especially in these days of physical separation from loved ones, to bring them comfort and peace, that God would draw near to them in a new way as they seek to honour and please Him. 

May we follow their example, and use this time to draw closer to God ourselves, to make space in our lives to hear His voice, as the clamour and demands of 21st century British life are temporarily on hold, and we can hear the birds singing again and have time to smell the flowers in the garden. Let us wait expectantly to see the seeds that have been sown begin to grow and bear fruit in our lives and in the lives of those we care about. 

Rosalie Buchanan – Women and Families’ Support Worker 

07 May 2020