The Sanctuary organisation is a national volunteer movement devoted to offering a welcome and safety for people fleeing violence and persecution. In Brighton, that is the very active Sanctuary on Sea, chaired by Richard Williams, where they: – Focus on creating welcoming environments in school – Find accommodation for refugees coming under the Syrian vulnerable persons scheme – Support other refugee-related organisations in Brighton – Organise meetings and cultural events, especially as part of Refugee Week from 18-24 June this year This is valuable work and another example of the many grass-roots solidarity in local communities across the UK. But the country could do more and small things can make a difference. We talk about that and some of the changes that Richard has seen over the 20 years he has been working with refugees, not least in the rise of the costly ‘refugee industry’. How about instead of spending all those billions keeping people out, we invest in these grass-roots initiatives to welcome people in?