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Five practical ways you can help refugees trying to find safety in Europe 5 practical ways you can help refugees trying to find safety in Europe
(4 months later)
More than 350,000 of you have signed our petition for Britain to take its fair share of Europe's refugees, and it looks like David Cameron has listened. A new report from the United Nations refugee agency says that more than 2,500 migrants and refugees have died or gone missing this year while crossing the Mediterranean Sea.
But there is still a huge amount of work to be done before desperate people fleeing war and persecution will really feel there is a safe place for them in the UK. As European leaders increasingly try to prevent refugees and migrants from settling in the continent, more and more refugees are dying in their desperation to flee persecution and reach safety.
As European leaders continue to disagree over the best way to deal with the growing humanitarian crisis, here is what you can do next to help at home. Here are some of the ways you can help at home.
● The Independent's petition for Britain to accept its fair share of refugees Make a financial donation to a non-governmental organization (NGO) that is doing related humanitarian work overseas. These could include:
● Accept more asylum seekers and increase support for refugee migrants in the UK ● Save the Children: distributing essential items such as diapers, hygiene kits and food
● 80 Syrian war refugees are waiting in Calais for their rightful and legal asylum in the UK
● Create a compassionate Euro-wide policy to deal with refugee migrants
● End the Calais crisis
● We are willing to house Syrian refugees
● Refugees Welcome (split by postcode into local petitions)
● Resettle Syrian refugees in the US
● International Rescue Committee: US-based charity with opportunities to volunteer around the world including mentoring refugee families and helping them find jobs
● Refugee council: looking for Therapeutic Casework Volunteers in to support their assessments, casework and referrals to asylum seekers and refugees presenting mental wellbeing needs
● Citizens UK: a scheme where people can volunteer as much of their time or resources as they want, but especially to lobby local councils on behalf of refugees
● Calais Migrant Solidarity: organising aid from the UK to those stranded in Calais. Includes details to find local groups for clothes collections and donations here and a UK-based Facebook group
● Doctors of the World: providing care to vulnerable people, advocating for rights to health
● Music Against Borders: appealing for people to donate musical instruments to Calais
● The Jungle Library: makeshift library set up at the camp at Calais. They need more books
● 'Childhood bags': fundraising to take books, toys and warm clothes to children
● Folkestone United: organising protests, taking donated goods to Calais in September
● Avaaz.org: lobbying local councils, providing language support, housing refugees
● Migrant Offshore Aid Station: dedicated to preventing loss of life at sea
● Sawa for development and aid: working with Syrian refugees in Lebanon
Make a financial donation to a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that is doing related humanitarian work overseas. These could include:
● Save the Children: distributing essential items such as nappies, hygiene kits and food
● Red Cross Europe: providing emergency health services at central train stations● Red Cross Europe: providing emergency health services at central train stations
● Migrant Offshore Aid Station: dedicated to preventing migrant deaths at sea● Migrant Offshore Aid Station: dedicated to preventing migrant deaths at sea
● International Rescue Committee:  improving living conditions by setting up camps● International Rescue Committee:  improving living conditions by setting up camps
● The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR): providing water, mosquito nets, tents, healthcare● The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR): providing water, mosquito nets, tents, healthcare
● Refugee Action: advice about claiming asylum, the asylum process, asylum support● Refugee Action: advice about claiming asylum, the asylum process, asylum support
● World Vision: providing food, water, shelter, education and psychosocial care A displaced Syrian child is viewed in a makeshift camp for Syrian refugees only miles from the border with Syria in the Bekaa Valley
● Médecins Sans Frontières: humanitarian agency which has three rescue ships in the Mediterranean
● Aylan Kurdi Fund: named in honour of the drowned child and set up within 24 hours of the horrific pictures circulating around the world. All proceeds are going to charity Hand In Hand For Syria
● Asylum Aid: provides free legal advice and representation to refugees and asylum-seekers seeking safety in the UK from persecution. They also campaign for the fair treatment of refugees in the UK
● The Aire Centre: provides information and advice throughout Europe on international human rights law, including the rights of individuals under the provisions of European Community Law
JustGiving has received more than 2,500 donations from 32 countries for Calais migrant fundraising efforts. Here are just a few of them:JustGiving has received more than 2,500 donations from 32 countries for Calais migrant fundraising efforts. Here are just a few of them:
● The Worldwide Tribe in Calais: Travel blog documenting the story of the people in the Calais 'jungle' is also connected to a crowdfunding site● The Worldwide Tribe in Calais: Travel blog documenting the story of the people in the Calais 'jungle' is also connected to a crowdfunding site
● Glasgow Solidarity with Calais Migrants: Diane and Bob are driving to Calais with supplies● Glasgow Solidarity with Calais Migrants: Diane and Bob are driving to Calais with supplies
● North East Solidarity with Calais Refugees: Buying food, bedding and warm clothing● North East Solidarity with Calais Refugees: Buying food, bedding and warm clothing
● Side by Side: A family in Thurrock helping with basic humanitarian aid ● Side by Side: A family in Thurrock joining to help with basic humanitarian aid
● Association Salam: 19-year-old Tom McElholm is driving to Calais with supplies● Association Salam: 19-year-old Tom McElholm is driving to Calais with supplies
● Hummingbird Project: Driving regularly to Calais with nurses, aid, food kitchens 4 million Syrians have fled their country since the war began
● Coach and Horses Soho: raising £5,000 to give the Calais migrants a decent meal ● Calais Migrant Solidarity: organising aid from the UK to those stranded in Calais. Includes details to find local groups for clothes collections and donations here
● An Amazon wish list has been set up for people to buy specific items such as shoes and sleeping bags to be delivered to Calais as part of the appeal #KentforCalais and #HelpCalais. The truck leaves on 17 September. ● Doctors of the World: providing care to vulnerable people, advocating for rights to health
● Music Against Borders: appealing for people to donate musical instruments to Calais
● The Jungle Library: makeshift library set up at the camp at Calais. They need more books
● Folkestone United: organising protests, taking donated goods to Calais in September
● Avaaz.org: lobbying local councils, providing language support, housing refugees
A girl holds a balloon and a teddy bear in a holding area at Munich Hauptbahnhof main railway station on 1 September 
 
● An Amazon wish list has been set up for people to buy specific items such as shoes and sleeping bags to be delivered to Calais as part of the appeal #KentforCalais and #HelpCalais. The truck leaves on 17 September
Germany has been more welcoming to refugees
● Accept more asylum seekers and increase support for refugee migrants in the UK
● 80 Syrian war refugees are waiting in Calais for their rightful and legal asylum in the UK
● Create a compassionate Euro-wide policy to deal with refugee migrants
In pictures: Hundreds of migrants stranded in Budapest 10 show all In pictures: Hundreds of migrants stranded in Budapest 1/10 Hungary Budapest's main international railway station ordered an evacuation as hundreds of migrants tried to board trains to Austria and Germany 2/10 Hungary Migrants protest in front of the Keleti Railway Station after police closed the station in Budapest 3/10 Hungary Migrants wait behind a fence guarded by police as the Keleti train terminal in Budapest 4/10 Hungary Syrian migrants show their train tickets to Germany and demand being let on the train but Keleti train terminal in Budapest 5/10 Hungary Migrants protest in front of the Keleti Railway Station after police closed the station in Budapest 6/10 Hungary Riot police stand on the train track as they monitor migrants and refugees at the Keleti (eastern) railway station in Budapest 7/10 Hungary Refugee children sleep in the surrounding green area of the Keleti railway station in Budapest 8/10 Hungary Migrants wave their train tickets and lift up children outside the main Eastern Railway station in Budapest 9/10 Hungary Migrants protest at the Eastern (Keleti) railway station of Budapest 10/10 Hungary Migrants gesture as they stand in the main Eastern Railway station in Budapest
Budapest's main international railway station ordered an evacuation as hundreds of migrants tried to board trains to Austria and Germany
Migrants protest in front of the Keleti Railway Station after police closed the station in Budapest
Migrants wait behind a fence guarded by police as the Keleti train terminal in Budapest
Syrian migrants show their train tickets to Germany and demand being let on the train but Keleti train terminal in Budapest
Migrants protest in front of the Keleti Railway Station after police closed the station in Budapest
Riot police stand on the train track as they monitor migrants and refugees at the Keleti (eastern) railway station in Budapest
Refugee children sleep in the surrounding green area of the Keleti railway station in Budapest
Migrants wave their train tickets and lift up children outside the main Eastern Railway station in Budapest
Migrants protest at the Eastern (Keleti) railway station of Budapest
Migrants gesture as they stand in the main Eastern Railway station in Budapest