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Gateway refugees celebrate 1st decade

Refugees and friends from across the world crammed into Highfield Trinity Church Hall to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the first โ€˜Gatewayโ€™ group resettling in Sheffield. These are refugees selected by the United Nations from refugee camps to start a new life in participating countries. Sheffield was the first city in the UK to take some of the 90 refugees the British Government agrees to take each year. Since 2004 the city has hosted families and individuals from Liberia, the Karen community in Burma, Bhutan, Sudan and elsewhere, under the scheme administered by the Refugee Council. Its Chief Executive Maurice Wren told more than 200 people assembled for anniversary celebration: โ€œEveryone wins with Gateway. Refugees get an opportunity to put down roots as equal citizens, and host community benefit from the enormous potential and culture they bring.โ€