Free mobile phones to help asylum seekers communicate with their families or support groups

The Mears Foundation, the charitable arm of Mears Group, teamed up with engineering company, AESSEAL to give out 800 handsets.

The “entry level” mobile phones will allow asylum seekers temporarily housed in Rotherham to communicate with their families or support groups.

Mears said at any one time, around 600 people are in temporary accommodation in Rotherham while their asylum claims are processed.

Heather Tyrer, general manager of the Mears Foundation, said: “We are proud to be partnering with AESSEAL to provide important support for asylum seekers to communicate and get online.

“When people arrive in the UK, often fleeing persecution, providing a link for them to be able to speak to relatives, find out about their new local area and to make new connections, is literally a lifeline.”

AESSEAL managing director Chris Rea said: “We as a company heard about the project and wanted to help.

“These are displaced people and families with the same needs for emotional support and connectivity that we all have.

“It’s a joined-up world and smartphones give them access to information and important family and social support.

“We also wanted to ensure that, whatever the outcome of their case to remain in the UK, that they retained positive memories of Rotherham and its people.”