Can you imagine a future where refugees and people seeking asylum are welcome in the UK – where they get justice, live free of poverty and can successfully rebuild their lives? This is what we at Refugee Action are working towards.
We are delighted to share highlights from our work over the past year. We are immensely proud of what we have been able to achieve by standing with people seeking asylum and refugees in the UK.
The people we work with have seen the very worst of humanity. During these difficult times, we have the chance to show them the best.
IN THEIR WORDS…
A special thank you from some of the people we’ve worked with.
HUMANITY CAN WIN
DARA
After nine years of waiting, I finally have refugee status – and a future.
I arrived in the UK in 2016, hoping to rebuild my life in safety. Instead, I found myself trapped in a harsh asylum system. My initial claim was refused, I lost my accommodation, and for months I had nowhere to stay, sleeping in mosques, churches, or on the street.
Refugee Action stepped in when I needed it most. Their caseworkers helped me submit a fresh claim, gather new evidence, and secure accommodation suited to my needs. They also connected me with RAS Voice, a group of people with lived experience who offered understanding, advice, and solidarity.
Last year, I received the letter confirming my refugee status. For the first time in years, I could breathe. Now, I’m rebuilding my life, working and helping to make the asylum system fairer for others.
WENDY
Finding community has given my family hope.
I arrived in the UK with my three children, hoping for safety. Instead, we spent over a year living in one small hotel room, with no privacy or space to make happy memories. On a small allowance and unable to work, it was hard to give my children a sense of belonging.
Refugee Action visited us, introduced us to others, and helped me find a local church. They also advocated for us to stay in the area when we faced being moved.
Thanks to their support, we now have a home and friends. We’re still waiting for an asylum decision, but we no longer feel alone.
BRICE
Refugee Action gave me the tools and confidence to rebuild my career in the UK.
I joined the Pathways to Work programme determined to start a new chapter and share my skills in a new country. I had experience in my field but needed guidance to navigate an unfamiliar job market.
Through the sessions and mentoring, I learned how to present my strengths, approach interviews with confidence, and see new possibilities for my future. With this support, I secured my first role in the UK – an important first step towards my long-term goals.
Now, I feel ready to grow, contribute and aim higher.
Challenging injustice to create a society where every refugee can not only survive but truly thrive, by:
THANKS TO YOU…
Thanks to the support of our donors, funders, partners, and campaigners:
OVER 4,000 PEOPLE
people seeking safety received support through our frontline services.
1,000 MENTIONS +
of our work in the media.
720+ ORGANISATIONS
accessed our Responding to Racist Violence resource pack.
848 PEOPLE
were trained through our Frontline Immigration Advice Project.
We spent nearly £7 million to change lives and create a fairer and more effective asylum
A link to our accounts will be available when they are published on the Charity Commission
TOWARDS AN ANTI-RACIST FUTURE
BY TIM NAOR HILTON
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Over the past year, amid hostility and uncertainty, we’ve seen a rising tide of resistance. People with lived experience of migration are stepping
into leadership, communities are organising; more and more people across the UK are calling for a fair, humane approach to asylum.
The context remains difficult. Anti-migrant rhetoric dominates politics, fuelling far-right activity, racism and isolation in the asylum system. People seeking safety are forced to live in fear, trapped in limbo and denied dignity.
In response, Refugee Action has focused on building collective power. From frontline services to campaigning and coalition-building, we’ve strengthened connections, shared power, and built momentum. This year, pressure from migrant-led groups and campaigners helped scrap the Rwanda deportation scheme and end use of the Bibby Stockholm barge. Our “Most Wanted” campaign exposed companies profiting from asylum accommodation, pushing housing up the political agenda.
We’ve brought together local authorities and grassroots organisations to shape new housing proposals, convened roundtables, and met with ministers. Lived experience leadership continues to grow, with groups like RAS Voice influencing policy and reframing migration as a racial justice issue. Projects like BRAVE and Share Connect Grow have built leadership, trust, and connection in communities.
Internally, we’re working to become a more equitable, anti-racist organisation, shifting power and resourcing this work meaningfully. We acknowledge the emotional burden carried by racialised colleagues and remain committed to lasting change.
Despite the challenges, we’ve also shared moments of joy and reflection, renewing our energy and purpose. Whatever lies ahead, we will keep working alongside people and communities most affected, pushing for a migration system that treats everyone as neighbours, workers, family, and friends.
THANK YOU
Our partners and supporters play a vital role. Together, we are changing the system and transforming the lives of those seeking safety in the UK. Thank you to our service partners, our good practice and partnership partners, and to all our funders, including those who wish to remain anonymous.
Our frontline casework teams tackle the hostile asylum and immigration system that undermines the rights of those seeking safety. Our trained caseworkers offer advice and guidance, helping individuals appeal unjust decisions and ensuring they receive everything they are entitled to. We focus on meeting immediate needs and defending rights so people in the asylum system and resettled refugees can live with dignity. With our support, people can navigate the challenges they face in the UK more effectively and build a better future.
OVER 4,700 PEOPLE
seeking asylum accessed advice, casework and support
OVER 1,000 REFUGEES
supported across our resettlement services, helping them integrate into their community and rebuild their lives in safety in the UK
OVER 290 REFUGEES AND PEOPLE SEEKING ASYLUM
have been supported through 1-2-1 and group work on our Pathways to Work programme
LAST YEAR’S HIGHLIGHTS
DIRECT SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE SEEKING ASYLUM
Refugee Action provided crucial support to people navigating the UK asylum system last year. Across our Asylum Crisis projects, we assisted 732 individuals with accommodation and financial support, helped 239 challenge the loss of their housing, and supported 648 households to escape or avoid homelessness. Meanwhile, our Early Help project in Bradford connected families to schools, healthcare, and community services, helping them integrate and rebuild their lives in challenging circumstances.
WORKING WITH RESETTLED REFUGEES
Refugee Action supported over 1,000 refugees through resettlement services, helping them integrate safely into UK communities. Through these programmes, our teams support new arrivals with housing, finance, and casework.
Despite shrinking national routes, initiatives such as the Share, Connect, Grow programme – which reached 290 participants in Liverpool this year – offer vital connection and confidence, proving the transformative impact of well-resourced resettlement.
BUILDING FUTURES, IMPROVING CONFIDENCE
292 participants accessed our employment and skills programmes this year, gaining tailored support to navigate barriers and secure meaningful work. From hands-on training to personalised guidance, Refugee Action helps people transform uncertainty into opportunity, build independence, and contribute to their communities. By opening doors to education, apprenticeships and careers, the programme enables participants to regain confidence, achieve stability and fully participate in life in the UK.
Together we have been fighting poverty and injustice, and have transformed many lives. We helped by:
In the past year, we campaigned alongside people with lived experience, grassroots groups, allies and supporters to increase public support for refugees and influence decision-makers. We sought new partnerships within social justice movements, hosted events engaging political candidates and MPs, and published articles and reports to shift the conversation from hostile policies to fair, rights-based, and workable asylum and immigration policies. Our efforts focused on ending the hostile environment and promoting an anti-racist asylum system.
Over 36,500 PEOPLE
signed our petition calling for a not-for-profit asylum system
2,000 media hits
covering our campaigns, policy and frontline work
More than 200,000 views
on our Most Wanted campaign launch video across Linkedin, Instagram and X
LAST YEAR’S HIGHLIGHTS
LIFT THE BAN CAMPAIGN RELAUNCH
In February 2025, 50 people with lived experience of the asylum system staged a powerful action in Parliament Square, wearing professional uniforms to expose the injustice of the work ban. The stunt reached over 56,000 people across social and traditional media and sparked 3,000+ engagements. It strengthened coalition momentum, highlighted the wasted potential of people seeking safety and demonstrated broad support for lifting the ban, pushing the issue back onto the political agenda.
ADVOCATING FOR HOUSING FOR ALL
We have been championing a fairer asylum housing system by promoting a decentralised, publicly owned model. We have continued to expose profiteering and call out unsafe conditions. Through collaboration with local authorities, co-authoring an open letter signed by 109 organisations, and submitting evidence to the Home Affairs Committee, we shaped public debate and government thinking.
Our work helped secure a commitment to end the use of hotels for asylum accommodation, demonstrating the power of coordinated advocacy in advancing dignified, stable housing for all.
ASYLUM JUSTICE IS RACIAL JUSTICE
In March 2025, Refugee Action launched “Asylum in the UK: A Frontline for Racial Justice”, a report exposing systemic and everyday discrimination faced by people seeking asylum. The launch included parliamentary briefings, a coalition event with 15 partner organisations, and widespread media coverage. Through this work, we strengthened advocacy networks, informed policymakers, and increased public awareness. This work demonstrated that achieving justice for asylum seekers is inseparable from addressing racial inequality across the UK.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
When fighting for change, it is crucial that we can gather evidence about how unjust the system is. In 2024-2025, we released key reports demonstrating the challenges refugees and people seeking asylum face in the UK.
ASYLUM JUSTICE IS RACIAL JUSTICE
Racism plays a powerful role in who receives safety and protection, how you apply for it and how the right to a dignified life is afforded to some and denied to others. Our briefing was coproduced by researchers with lived experience of seeking safety in the UK and tells the story of racism in the asylum system:
Together we have been fighting poverty and injustice, and have transformed many lives. We helped by:
Our Experts by Experience and Partnerships team works in collaboration with partners across the UK, understanding the needs of the sector and grassroots organisations. Our vision is a collaborative support system for refugees and people seeking asylum. Through research, data-led approaches, sharing insights and convening stakeholders, the team supports the sector’s journey towards a joined-up anti-racist approach, while conducting surveys to involve and include the voices and experiences of refugees and people seeking asylum to inform our strategies.
More than 720 organisations
have accessed the Responding to Racist Violence resource pack created by our Insight to Action team
848 individuals
were trained through our Frontline Immigration Advice Project
179 organisations
supported to take proactive steps to centre lived experience in all aspects of service design, delivery, advocacy, and community development
LAST YEAR’S HIGHLIGHTS
INSIGHT TO ACTION
In 2024, Insight to Action strengthened the UK refugee and migration sector by equipping organisations with insights, practical solutions, and data to respond effectively to crises. Highlights include a September session on Responding to Racist Violence with 65 organisations, and Survey 26 on government engagement and community safety, involving 65 participants. Our follow-up sessions amplified voices with lived experience, enabling sector-wide learning, collaboration, and action. Insight to Action ensures organisations are confident, informed, and centred on racial justice in every response.
FRONTLINE IMMIGRATION ADVICE PROJECT
FIAP empowers organisations and refugee-led groups to deliver accredited immigration advice, addressing the legal aid crisis and ‘deserts’ across the UK. In 2024-25, 848 individuals from 193 organisations completed specialist courses, leading to 129 exam passes and multiple organisational registrations with the Immigration Advice Authority.
The FIAP 2030 Strategy, underpinned by the research Rooting Lived Experience in FIAP, ensures training and strategy are shaped by the expertise of practitioners with lived experience, expanding access to timely, expert legal advice.
EXPLORE, ADAPT, RENEW PROGRAMME
The EAR programme, concluding in 2025, transformed the asylum sector through a national partnership with eight organisations. Between 2021–25, 19,915 people accessed adaptive frontline services, 179 organisations embedded lived experience across operations, and 439 EBEs engaged in partnership activities, with 241 securing roles locally. The EBE Leaders Programme supported 27 leaders in shaping service design and sector practice. EAR’s legacy demonstrates how collaboration, early action, and centring lived experience can drive lasting systemic change.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
When fighting for change, it is crucial that we can gather evidence about how unjust the system is. In 2024-2025, we released key reports demonstrating the challenges refugees and people seeking asylum face in the UK.
Insight Hub Reports
A source of insight and connection for refugee, asylum and migration focused organisations in the UK.
Together we have been fighting poverty and injustice, and have transformed many lives. We helped by:
Our work, shaped by the experiences of refugees and people seeking asylum, is dedicated to removing barriers to power. We stand alongside them, advocating for change. Ensuring equal access to power for those with lived experience, both within Refugee Action and the wider sector, is crucial. Refugee Action’s Expert by Experience and Partnerships Team lead this effort, focusing on volunteer support, enhancing the availability of legal advice for refugee-led organisations, and strengthening sector-wide operational frameworks.
50% of our Senior Leadership Team
are people with lived experience
60 people
attended RAS Voice’s panel launch event for the Asylum Justice is Racial Justice campaign
350 subscribers
to our Experts by Experience podcast
LAST YEAR’S HIGHLIGHTS
SUPPORTING REFUGEE LEADERSHIP
The Expert by Experience Steering Group, a volunteer-led advisory body, has played a key role in shaping Refugee Action’s 2030 strategy and holding us accountable. One important outcome from the group was the co-production of a revised expenses policy for volunteers, designed to ensure fairness while navigating complex legal considerations. Learnings from this process have been shared with other organisations to inform sector-wide practice.
RAS VOICE: ADVOCACY IN ACTION
RAS Voice, Refugee Action’s campaigning group of people with lived experience, has become a central space for advocacy and collective action. In 2024-25, members focused on racial justice in the asylum system, conducted research on racism in asylum processes, and co-produced the landmark report Asylum in the UK: A Front Line for Racial Justice.
They collaborated on campaigns, events, and professional development, while also contributing to broader sector initiatives such as the Lift the Ban campaign. RAS Voice continues to demonstrate the transformative power of lived experience in shaping policy, practice, and public understanding.
THE EXPERTS BY EXPERIENCE PODCAST
The Expert by Experience podcast continued to provide a platform for people seeking asylum and refugees to share their authentic perspectives. This year, Refugee Action supported episodes that amplified diverse voices, including an interview with journalist Aamna Mohdin, a takeover by partner organisation Kalayaan exploring the right to work for migrant domestic workers, and a RAS Voice takeover highlighting Black voices within the asylum system.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
In 2024-2025, the Experts by Experience Network podcast released powerful episodes, where people with lived experience of the asylum system shared their stories, shedding light on the critical issues and injustices they face in the UK.
Together we have been fighting poverty and injustice, and have transformed many lives. We helped by:
Whilst the rest of our objectives focus on how we can have the biggest impact on the lives of people seeking safety in the UK, this is only possible if our staff and volunteers feel able to do their jobs. Wellbeing is a focus for the organisation. Staff work in an increasingly hostile political and social environment, affecting those supporting traumatised clients. 36% of staff have personal experience of the UK’s hostile immigration system, and many have ties to regions affected by conflict or genocide, adding emotional strain. Refugee Action remains committed to embedding wellbeing, inclusion, and racial justice throughout its culture.
Looking ahead, Refugee Action remains committed to supporting people seeking safety, dismantling injustice, and building an inclusive society. With your support, we will continue vital services, strengthen legal advice, and drive campaigns that challenge unfair policies, all while embedding anti-racism and wellbeing across our work. Leadership and participation of people with lived experience will remain central, ensuring our impact is meaningful and lasting. Thank you to everyone – staff, supporters, and partners – who makes this work possible.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
For the last seven years, Refugee Action has been calling for a fair asylum system for people seeking safety, but this is no longer enough. Racism has shaped the asylum and immigration system in the UK and the dehumanising narratives used to justify it. It is this system, and the society it functions in, that has created the hostile environment people seeking protection in our country face. To end this, we need to see systemic change. Our new strategy sets out to do this, through collaboration and collective action, to bring about political and societal shifts.
Our new vision is that every refugee can thrive as part of a welcoming, anti-racist society. Our goal for 2030 is to end the hostile environment for refugees.
Together we have been fighting poverty and injustice, and have transformed many lives. We helped by: