Nicola Sturgeon joins Safe Passage as Chair
We are excited to announce the appointment of Nicola Sturgeon as chair of our board.
Nicola said of taking on this voluntary leadership role at Safe Passage International: “I am delighted to be joining Safe Passage International as chair of the board of trustees.
“We live in an uncertain and increasingly unstable world. This means that population displacement – fellow human beings forced by war, famine, or climate breakdown to leave their own homes to find safety and sanctuary elsewhere – will continue to be a fact of life. For so many around the world, seeking protection is not a choice - it is a necessity, a basic act of survival.
“The decision many governments are making now to pull up the drawbridge and make life ever harder for refugees will not change this reality. It will simply force increasing numbers of people to use routes to asylum that are unsafe and exploitative – such as small boats crossings in the UK context. This separates families and risks lives.
“The far better alternative is for governments – working collectively as well as individually – to offer safe routes for those seeking asylum and then support families to rebuild their lives. Not only does this respect the humanity of those seeking protection, but it will also in the longer term offer greater assurance to local communities.
“It may feel that we are a long way from this approach, but in providing advice and representation to asylum seekers, bringing court challenges to unjust and unlawful government decisions and campaigning to change the public understanding of and attitudes to seeking safety, the work of Safe Passage International is offering hope that a better future is possible.
“I look forward to using my decades-long experience as a campaigner, parliamentarian and leader to help support and shape the vital work that the organisation does.”
As the longest serving former first minister of Scotland, and with 27 years as a member of Scottish parliament, Nicola has been a strong advocate for providing protection and support for people fleeing war and persecution. Under her leadership, Scotland welcomed thousands of refugees from Syria, Ukraine and other crises.
Nicola has been a keen supporter of refugee family reunion, arguing for widening the definition of family and her government initiated a crisis grant fund for reuniting refugee families.
Nicola has consistently argued against hostile policies from successive UK governments, voicing the need to provide safe routes and protect unaccompanied child refugees. She publicly opposed the UK government’s closure of the Dubs Amendment, which Safe Passage previously used to reunite hundreds of unaccompanied children with family in the UK.
Taking action, her government implemented a framework to improve Scottish local authorities coordinated care, education and support for unaccompanied children, including the Scottish Guardianship Service to support unaccompanied children with navigating the legal and care systems.
Safe Passage’s board of trustees said: “We’re really pleased to welcome Nicola as our Chair, bringing her strong skills in leadership and campaigning to our mission. Nicola has a long track-record of championing the rights of people fleeing war and persecution and implementing compassionate policies in Scotland.
“We’re looking forward to working with Nicola to support the work of the expert teams at Safe Passage, in the UK, France and Greece, reuniting refugee families and campaigning for safe routes.”