AVID (Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees)
In Solidarity: AVID's Advent Calendar appeal
Many thousands of people will spend Christmas behind bars, locked up indefinitely for immigration reasons. Volunteer visiting is a lifeline. Help us raise vital funds so that we can continue to ensure people in detention don't face this situation alone #Insolidarity25
Donations open 12:00 AM, 26 November 2019 to 12:00 AM, 25 December 2019
Registered Charity in England and Wales (1063784)
Amount raised
£882
Donations
21
When you come into the visits hall, I come out of detention. You give me escape, in this place.
— Solomon, expert by experience, in detention last year
Visiting has brought me into contact with the whole world
— Catherine, Volunteer visitor for 20 years
A visit from a volunteer could be the only light at the end of the tunnel
— Edgar, expert by experience, in detention
Situation
Last year, 1780 people spent Christmas locked away from loved ones in immigration detention. The UK's immigration detention system is indefinite, and causes lasting harm. It is now well known that detention without time limit causes mental health issues. Many are struggling with anxiety & stress, self harm rates are high. Often volunteers meet people who have suffered trauma, survived torture, or were trafficked. Often, volunteers are the first to believe them. Their role is vital.
Solution
AVID works to address this be ensuring volunteer visitors have access to places of detention. Since 1994, over 25 years, we've worked to ensure volunteer visitors are trained, supported, informed, and that we have a collective voice on detention. Volunteer visitors are a lifeline, providing support & practical advice. But they do much more than that. Visitors are human rights monitors, ensuring voices from inside the walls reach those on the outside. AVID helps make that happen.
