Refugee Council
Encyclopedia
The Refugee Council is the United Kingdom
's leading organisation working with refugees and asylum seekers. The organisation provides support and advice to refugees and asylum seekers, as well as support for other refugee and asylum seeker organisations. The Refugee Council also produces a large number of reports and educational material relating to refugee issues, and lobbies politicians and the media on these issues. The Council works in partnership with many other refugee organisations, including the British Red Cross
, Scottish Refugee Council
and the Welsh Refugee Council
.
Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees
. In 1981 these two organisations merged to form the British Refugee Council which was later renamed the Refugee Council due to the establishment of various other regional refugee councils.
.
. There are regional offices for London, the East of England
, the West Midlands
, and Yorkshire & Humberside areas which provide services to asylum seekers and refugees such as:
These services are available either in the Refugee Council offices or on the phone.
In addition, the Refugee Council offers special advice to unaccompanied children, including children who are under 18 when they arrive in the UK and young people aged 18–21 who are caring for younger siblings. This specialist support includes
A drop in service at the Brixton office provides hot meals, clothes and relative tracing services, as well as advice and support.
In 2008 Refugee Council formed the Still Human Still Here coalition with Amnesty International UK
, Medical Foundation and over 40 other organisations, which is dedicated to highlighting the plight of tens of thousands of refused asylum seekers in UK and campaigning to end destitution of asylum seekers.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's leading organisation working with refugees and asylum seekers. The organisation provides support and advice to refugees and asylum seekers, as well as support for other refugee and asylum seeker organisations. The Refugee Council also produces a large number of reports and educational material relating to refugee issues, and lobbies politicians and the media on these issues. The Council works in partnership with many other refugee organisations, including the British Red Cross
British Red Cross
The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom branch of the worldwide impartial humanitarian organisation the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with over 31,000 volunteers and 2,600 staff. At the heart of their work...
, Scottish Refugee Council
Scottish Refugee Council
Scottish Refugee Council was formed in 1985 to provide advice and assistance to refugees and asylum seekers seeking protection in Scotland. The charity has grown considerably since then, and has its headquarters in Glasgow, and outreach work in Edinburgh....
and the Welsh Refugee Council
Welsh Refugee Council
The Welsh Refugee Council is a sister organisation to the Refugee Council and Scottish Refugee Council, and works to help asylum seekers and refugees in Wales.- Funding cuts :...
.
History
The Refugee Council originates from two independent organisations, British Council for Aid to Refugees (BCAR) and the Standing Conference on Refugees (SCOR), which were both founded in 1951 following the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees
Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees
The United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees is an international convention that defines who is a refugee, and sets out the rights of individuals who are granted asylum and the responsibilities of nations that grant asylum. The Convention also sets out which people do not...
. In 1981 these two organisations merged to form the British Refugee Council which was later renamed the Refugee Council due to the establishment of various other regional refugee councils.
Work
The Refugee Council's main activities are providing support and advice to asylum seekers and refugees themselves as well as to other organisations, and campaigning on behalf of refugees and asylum seekers. The Refugee Council is also a member organisation of the Asylum Support Partnership and European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)European Council on Refugees and Exiles
The European Council on Refugees and Exiles is a pan-European network of refugee-assisting non-governmental organisations that promotes a humane and generous European asylum policy...
.
Support and Advice
The Refugee Council's head office is in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. There are regional offices for London, the East of England
East of England
The East of England is one of the nine official regions of England. It was created in 1994 and was adopted for statistics from 1999. It includes the ceremonial counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Essex has the highest population in the region.Its...
, the West Midlands
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
, and Yorkshire & Humberside areas which provide services to asylum seekers and refugees such as:
- Advice about where to apply for support, and help with applying;
- Information about other services which can assist;
- Information about the UK's 'dispersal policy';
- Help with problems with accommodation; and
- Help with appealing against rejection of a National Asylum Support ServiceNational Asylum Support ServiceThe National Asylum Support Service is a section of the UK Border Agency , which is itself a part of the Home Office. It is responsible for supporting and accommodating people seeking asylum while their cases are being dealt with....
(NASS) application.
These services are available either in the Refugee Council offices or on the phone.
In addition, the Refugee Council offers special advice to unaccompanied children, including children who are under 18 when they arrive in the UK and young people aged 18–21 who are caring for younger siblings. This specialist support includes
- Help obtaining legal representation, and guiding the child through the process;
- Accompanying the child to asylum interviews, hearings, tribunals etc.;
- Supporting the child during doctor's or social service appointments; and
A drop in service at the Brixton office provides hot meals, clothes and relative tracing services, as well as advice and support.
Campaigning
In 2005, the Refugee Council launched a campaign called Don't Believe the Type aimed at combating what they see as hostility and prejudice towards asylum seekers and refugees.In 2008 Refugee Council formed the Still Human Still Here coalition with Amnesty International UK
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, Medical Foundation and over 40 other organisations, which is dedicated to highlighting the plight of tens of thousands of refused asylum seekers in UK and campaigning to end destitution of asylum seekers.
Chief Executives
- Martin Barber, 1982–1988
- Alf DubsAlf DubsAlfred Dubs, Baron Dubs is a Czech-born British Labour Party politician and former Member of Parliament.- Youth and education :...
, 1988–1995 - Nick Hardwick, June 1995-January 2003
- Margaret Lally, (acting) June 2003-August 2003
- Maeve SherlockMaeve SherlockMaeve Christina Mary Sherlock, Baroness Sherlock OBE is a Labour Party life peer who was the chief executive of the Refugee Council, a charity supporting refugees and asylum seekers in the UK, between August 2003 and October 2006. Prior to joining the charity, she worked as a special advisor to the...
, August 2003-October 2006 - Anna Reisenberger (acting) October 2006-May 2007
- Donna Covey, 29 May 2007-
See also
- United Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesUnited Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesThe Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...
- European Council on Refugees and ExilesEuropean Council on Refugees and ExilesThe European Council on Refugees and Exiles is a pan-European network of refugee-assisting non-governmental organisations that promotes a humane and generous European asylum policy...
- Refugee ActionRefugee ActionRefugee Action is an independent national charity founded in 1981 that provides advice and support to refugees and Asylum seekers who wish to live in the UK...
- Refugee RadioRefugee radioRefugee Radio is a charity registered in England.The organisation broadcasts a radio programme in partnership with Radio Reverb, a local radio station in the South East. The programme is syndicated on various internet radio stations and is based on the long-running BBC Radio 4 programme, Desert...
- Refugee weekRefugee weekRefugee Week takes place in June each year. It is regularly used as a platform for holding hundreds of arts, cultural and educational events....