ENGLISH lessons for refugees in Oxford are so patchy that a woman was forced to give birth in a bathroom after being unable to call 999, it has been claimed.

Oxford is an ‘amazingly welcoming and friendly city’ and new families feel safe here, a group has said, but it warned that too many planned English lessons are not delivered, or are too difficult to take up because people are not offered help or childcare to attend.

Nuha Abdo, of the Syrian Sisters Community Group, made her warning to Oxford City Council on Monday night, saying ‘the consequences of not receiving enough English language lessons are real and serious.’

The council reaffirmed its promise that Oxford is a ‘city of sanctuary’, after it accepted that title in 2015.

Read more: Syrian refugees thank city for giving them a home

Government guidelines state that refugees should receive eight hours of English lessons a week, but Mrs Abdo told councillors she knew no one who was getting that.

She said: "Most get four hours, a few get seven. Those with young children and babies get none, as nowhere offers language learning and childcare."

Oxford Mail:

File photo of two Asylum Welcome clients learning about their options.

She added: "Without enough English, our daily lives are difficult.

"We might be able to navigate the bus system after a bit of practice, but when a letter arrives from the council or we receive an email from the tax office, we are stuck."

Mrs Abdo continued: “Worse still, when we need medical help, have to go for hospital treatment or need to call an ambulance, we are really in trouble.

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"One lady in our community gave birth alone in her bathroom because she was unable to call an ambulance when she went into sudden labour last year."

More than 40 families have moved to Oxford as part of the Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement Programme over recent years.

About 20,000 people have been brought to the UK through that program after leaving refugee camps in countries including Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.

Oxford Mail:

File photo of refugees and asylum seekers supported by Asylum Welcome receiving English language certificates. Picture: Damian Halliwell

Paul Hook, Refugee Action’s head of campaigns, said: “Refugees want to learn English and contribute to their new communities, but they face huge barriers in accessing English lessons.

"There are long waits for classes, inadequate number of hours and lack of childcare provision means parents are often unable to take part at all.”

He added: “Politicians keep telling us about how vital integration is and how learning English is crucial, but funding for English language lessons has suffered cuts of almost 60 per cent.

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"We urge the Government to take swift action to ensure funding is made available so all refugees have fair access to quality English language classes.”

As part of the move at the city council, which was passed unanimously earlier this week, Labour councillor Hosnieh Djafari-Marbini asked for the authority to confirm that it remains a ‘city of sanctuary’.

Dr Djafari-Marbini, who has also been appointed the council’s migrant champion, will now look to build on the city’s ‘strong record of supporting people from migrant backgrounds’.

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Her father is a political refugee and her family moved to the UK when she was 13.

At the time, she spoke 'hardly any English’ and initially found life a ‘real challenge’.

Read more: Syrian refugees: Last family on scheme settle in Oxford

She is now a consultant anaesthetist at Oxford University Hospitals NHS trust which runs the John Radcliffe, and was elected to the city council as member for Northfield Brook in May 2018.

As migrant champion, Dr Djafari-Marbini will seek to work with migrants and refugees, put them in contact with local services and advice centres and make sure they are considered and heard in council policy.

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Kate Smart, director of Oxford-based charity Asylum Welcome, said: “English provision is one of those things that goes up and down and is very susceptible to budget cuts.”

Marie Tidball, the city council's cabinet member for supporting local communities, said: “As a city council we are committed to taking a lead on supporting and welcoming Syrian refugees and other migrant communities.

"We provide a range of support for refugees, through directly funded services and through partnerships with organisations such as Refugee Resource and Asylum Welcome. English lessons in Oxford are available to all, but we recognise that for individuals there may be circumstances that make it harder to take up their full entitlement."

She added: "We encourage those struggling with specific circumstances to contact us or our partners to discuss their particular issues, translation support is available if needed. We will continue to work with this community to support them accessing the full eight hours of language lessons and remove barriers that may prevent them from accessing them.”

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: “The Government recognises that learning English is essential to empowering refugees to rebuild their lives. We are working across government to develop a new strategy for English for speakers of other languages which will include addressing the needs of refugees.

“The Department for Education funds ESOL through the Adult Education Budget (AEB), which is allocated to providers on an annual basis. Colleges and adult learning providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their Adult Education Budget allocation to meet the needs of their communities and this includes planning, with local partners, the ESOL courses that they will deliver locally.

“The Home Office and Department for Education have provided £10m to enable refugees resettled through the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme to access additional classes.”