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FACTS
| Facts from the Refugee Council:
Refugees are men, women and children escaping from crises all over the world.
All people fleeing their country of birth are refugees but they are described as asylum seekers while they are awaiting official recognition.
In Coventry the biggest number are Kurdish people, mainly from Iraq.
There are also people from Iran, Afghanistan and the Balkans as well as many African countries.
It is estimated that there are about 5000 asylum seekers and refugees in Coventry - about 1.7% of the population of the city.
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 |  | Report by Faye Claridge, web producer
Spurred on by recent controversial reports about the rising number of refugees in the area, I鈥檝e been finding out whether Coventry鈥檚 past affects its attitude to immigrants.
| 听 |  | Image from the local South Asian festival
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I wanted to know whether its history of forgiveness and of being a home to immigrants had made the city more welcoming.
I spoke to a number of first generation South Asians about their experiences of arriving in Coventry and how this has affected how they feel about refugees today.
Click on the audio links on the left to hear their thoughts on the issue. Read on to find out how you can have your say on this as well.
听| 听 |  | A local Coventry doctor, one of the discussion group at the Herbert
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A large number of the people I spoke to said Coventry has a special atmosphere because of its historical attitude of forgiveness.
This is something they all believe in because of the personal grievances they had to suffer whilst the city adjusted to its new citizens from other countries arriving in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
The group also spoke about the experiences they had heard about from the Irish community, who also suffered 鈥 in some cases years before South Asians arrived here.
Many were helped and befriended by Irish families, who understood some of the difficulties suffered by the new arrivals, such as prejudice and unemployment.
Now, just decades later, these same people are talking about having the opportunity to offer a similar welcoming attitude to refugees in Coventry.
听鈥淚t鈥檚 not new to this country鈥
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| 听 |  | One of the posters in the South Asian cinema show at the Herbert
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Dr Sneh Paul talked about when she came to England in 1972. She was originally from India but travelled a little before coming to the UK for education.
She describes her experiences here as comfortable but has seen a number of less fortunate people having to struggle to integrate.
She has an international perspective, though, and cites examples of incidents in India and Thailand to show that this problem happens all over the world. As she says; 鈥淚t happens everywhere, it鈥檚 not new to this country.鈥
Hear her comments in full by clicking on the audio link on the top left.
听鈥淭heir problems might be the same as our problems鈥
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| 听 |  | South Asian family in current day Coventry
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Raj Malhotra from the Indian Workers Association said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 nothing new. These people will have to go through what we went through and what the Irish went through and what the Jewish went through鈥
"But Coventry鈥檚 a thousand times better than a lot of other places and cities in the UK to welcome these people and to help them to settle.鈥
鈥淐oventry is the city of immigrants鈥 Coventry is exceptional.鈥
Harbaajan Singh Naai, also from the Indian Workers Association, added that there has been a lot of negative press, but that: 鈥淭heir problems might be the same as our problems [35 years ago]鈥.
He also talked about the Irish community and the racism and antagonism they faced also.
Listen to Raj and Harbaajans' conversations by using the audio links on the left.
听They are here for a reason
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| 听 |  | Sikh wedding of the next generation
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Mrs Jamila Qureshi added: 鈥淧eople don鈥檛 leave their home and country happily鈥 people shut the doors on us鈥 but it takes time. We had to prove ourselves.
鈥淢igrants really have to go through a very trying period, they鈥檝e got to learn the language, they鈥檝e got to get used to the climate, but then they can contribute a lot of their skills鈥
鈥淧eople don鈥檛 like to see foreigners here but again when people are contributing, when people are doing good things for the richness of the country and the city then people realise they鈥檙e not too bad.
"I don鈥檛 mind seeing these refugees because they are here for a reason.鈥
Hear her passionate words by clicking on the audio link on the top left.
听What do you think about the thoughts and issues raised here?
Do you think Coventry is welcoming to refugees?
What are your thoughts on the city as a multicultural centre?
Email us using this email link.
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