Refugee Council

The Refugee Council is the United Kingdom's largest 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 Scottish Refugee Council and the Welsh Refugee Council.

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 Nations 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.

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 European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE).

upport and Advice

The Refugee Council's head office is in London. 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:

*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 Service (NASS) application.

These services are available either in the Refugee Council offices or on the phone. The charity also has an office at the Oakington Detention Centre.

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.

The Refugee Council also runs "The Cedars", a supported housing project for unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees aged 16-18.

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. The campaign seeks to do this by contacting newspapers, taking part in any television phone-ins and publicising the cause (under the slogan "Asylum is a human right").

Key people

Chief Executives

*Maeve Sherlock, August 2003-October 2006
*Anna Reisenberger (acting Chief Executive) October 2006-May 2007
*Donna Covey, 29 May 2007-

Patrons

*Emma Thompson
*Hari Kunzru
*Sir Bill Morris

ee also

*Scottish Refugee Council
*Refugee Radio
*European Council on Refugees and Exiles
*Refugee Action

External links

* [http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/ Refugee Council]
* [http://www.dontbelievethetype.org.uk/index.html "Don't Believe the Type" campaign]