Asylum seekers and refugees - agencies and communities
Agencies and communities provide a rich source of information and insight into the lives and welfare of vulnerable groups.
The next Refugee Week will be on 18 - 24 June 2012.
Agencies and communities
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is a campaigning organisation whose purpose is "to protect individuals wherever justice, fairness, freedom and truth are denied". The organisation carries out a wide range of educational activities about human rights, promoting the values contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international agreed human rights standards.
Asylum Seeking and Refugee Children and Young People: Good Practice Project website (ARC)
ARC is hosted on the National Children's Bureau (NCB) website and is aimed at practitioners and managers working in health and social care. The website provides materials such as briefings and training materials developed for the ARC project, which looked at how assessment and planning for asylum seeking children could be improved. The website also links to other practice materials, research and information on other organisations and projects across the UK.
Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID)
BID is an independent charity that exists to challenge immigration detention in the UK, working with asylum seekers and migrants in removal centres and prisons, to secure their release from detention. BID's resources include research papers and policy briefings.
Citizen's for Sanctuary
CITIZENS for Sanctuary is a CITIZEN Organising Foundation which campaigns to secure justice for people fleeing persecution and rebuild public support for sanctuary. The organisation is campaigning to make the recommendations of the report of the Independent Asylum Commission, published in March 2008, a reality.
Freedom from Torture: the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture
The Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture (MF), a registered charity established in 1985, is the only organisation in the UK dedicated solely to the treatment of torture survivors. It "exists to enable survivors of torture and organised violence to engage in a healing process to assert their own human dignity and worth".
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is a leading independent organisation dedicated to defending and protecting human rights worldwide.
Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees (ICAR)
The Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees in the UK (ICAR) is an independent information and research organisation based in the School of Social Sciences at City University in London. "ICAR encourages understanding, public debate and policy-making about asylum and refugees in the UK, grounded in accurate and academically-sourced information".
Institute of Race Relations: Asylum seekers and refugees
The IRR carries out research, publishes and collects resources on race relation throughout the world. A section of the IRR website is dedicated to asylum seekers and refugees.
Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI)
JCWI is an independent national voluntary organisation, campaigning for justice and combating racism in immigration and asylum law and policy, and providing advice and training courses. The organisation produces a number of publications for purchase on immigration, nationality and refugee law and rights.
Medact Refugee Health Network
Medact is a global health charity which undertakes education, research and advocacy on the health implications of conflict, development and environmental change, with a special focus on the developing world. It hosts a network of health professionals working with refugees and asylum seekers which aims to share information and best practice amongst those working to facilitate improving the health of refugees and asylum seekers.
Migrant help
Partly funded by the Home Office, this is one of five agencies providing assistance and support for asylum seekers and refugees entering and living in the UK. Migrant Help runs accommodation services in Kent and Croydon for newly arrived asylum seekers and is involved with facilitating the integration of asylum seekers and refugees into the community and promoting awareness of the complex issues faced by asylum seekers and refugees.
Migration Observatory
Based at the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) at the University of Oxford, the Migration Observatory "provides independent, authoritative, evidence-based analysis of data on migration and migrants in the UK, to inform media, public and policy debates, and to generate high quality research on international migration and public policy issues".
Northern Ireland Community of Refugees and Asylum Seekers (NICRAS)
NICRAS is a refugee led organisation and aims to support the integration process of refugees and asylum seekers into local communities throughout Northern Ireland and raise awareness of the issues, problems and difficulties faced by refugees and asylum seekers in Northern Ireland.
Praxis
This is the website for Praxis a centre in East London which provides an open access advice centre and support services to migrants and refugees from all over the world. The support services include a mentoring scheme, action learning for leaders of refugee and migrant communities, vocational training, prison support and partnership work with the London Probation Service.
RAGU (Refugee Assessment and Guidance Unit)
RAGU is part of the Department of Applied Social Sciences at London Metropolitan University and supports refugees with high level education or professional qualifications into employment and education through specialised guidance and support for job search, professional re-qualification and entry/re-entry into education and training, work placement schemes and specialist training programmes.
Refugee Action
Refugee Action is involved in the reception, resettlement, development and integration of asylum seekers and refugees providing independent advice and advocacy services and projects, some of which are aimed at particularly vulnerable groups. The organisation produces a range of publications, leaflets and community development resources.
Refugee Council
The Refugee Council is the largest organisation in the UK working with asylum seekers and refugees offering direct help and support and a wide range of resources including guidance for advisers and service providers. There is also a Welsh Refugee Council and a Scottish Refugee Council.
Refugee Voice Wales
Refugee Voice Wales (RVW) is an umbrella organisation that represents Refugee Community Organisations in Wales. It provides a forum for collectively raising issues with key policy makers. RVW is involved in the All Wales Inclusion Policy.
Refugee Week
Refugee Week is a UK-wide programme of events celebrating the contribution of refugees to the UK, which has been held annually for the past few years. Its purpose is "to deliver positive educational messages that counter fear, ignorance and negative stereotypes of refugees, through arts, cultural and educational events that celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK, and promote understanding about the reasons why people seek sanctuary".
Refugee Welcome Trust
The Refugee Welcome Trust provides assistance for refugees to allow them to establish their life in the UK, and provides support with aspects of family reunion “to speed up the process and make it less stressful for the families involved”.
Still Human Still Here
Still Human Still Here is a coalition of more than 40 organisations that are campaigning to end the destitution of thousands of refused asylum seekers in the UK. The campaign is around policy changes including free access to healthcare for all asylum seekers while they are in the UK.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was established in 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. It publishes materials for different audiences on all aspects of 'the refugee experience.'