Goals

The funding programme aims to support refugees and people seeking asylum to safe, legal and dignified routes to fulfilling and happy settlement, whether that be in the country of destination, transition country or country of origin.

The portfolio includes approaches to improve policy and practice through campaigning, advocacy, improved use of information flows and strategic litigation. Given the growing hostility and anti-migrant sentiment, several projects include a focus on shifting public attitudes and countering negative rhetoric using the arts, popular culture and the media to challenge the way the public perceive refugees and migrants, and supporting refugees to tell their stories in their own voices.

Although the portfolio is wide ranging, there is a golden thread running through the projects, underpinning this programme. This is achieved through two key elements:

• a strong emphasis on collaboration and partnership working within the sector itself but also recognising the need for cross sector collaboration.

• the aim to shift power to refugees themselves and/or grassroots organisations.

Partner voices

“The external environment with negative media coverage, government policy and increased action from the far right has been the biggest challenge for our work under this funding." IMIX

In the UK, many organisations have invested resources in opposing the Nationality and Borders Act and the Rwanda asylum plan. Resisting policies that create a hostile environment have taken up more resources. At the same time, as IMIX notes, 'It has also given opportunity to support organisations and the media to change the narrative as well as to develop and test situation-specific messaging. It has enabled us to push the voices of those with lived experience firmly into the spotlight.

In an effort to boost solidarity and support for displaced Afghans, Good Chance Theatre launched ‘Fly With Me’, an international kite-flying festival. Through 47 kite-flying events, led by local Afghan artists and producers, they reached 7,500 people in person and 300 million people digitally via 700+ positive news stories while employing 50 Afghan artists in the process.

Refugee Action, by increasing Experts by Experience (EbE) engagement on an organizational level, have been better able to identify and respond to EbE support needs through capacity building and skills development so that existing and new EbEs can actively engage in their Asylum Guides programme.

"The young people we support are generally in need of quick results in their education for work and integration purposes." Refugee Youth Service.

Many organisations are now offering more holistic support to their service users. European Lawyers in Lesvos have shifted to supporting clients with the administrative aspects of the legal process too. They note, ‘Our work had previously focused solely on supporting people with their substantive case, but we realized that assistance in navigating the legal procedure is also crucial.

Choose Love, as it works with its funded partners, is doing more to support with their sub-grantees' organisational development and advocacy efforts. As they report, "By helping our partners consider these [broader] aspects, we can broaden their audiences, diversify their funding sources and ultimately increase their reach. This, in turn, contributes to a more cohesive and coordinated response within the broader sector."

Medical Justice has influenced the Home Office to adopt policy changes on the way medical evidence is used in asylum claims, benefitting thousands of asylum seekers. Moreover, organising the All-Party Parliamentary Group’s inquiry in quasi-detention, they also managed to create parliamentary-level participation spaces for NGOs and individuals with lived experience.

Good Chance Theatre successfully completed The Walk, their major international project where the puppet, Little Amal, crossed 8 countries, reaching 150,000 people in person and 40 million digitally.

In June 2022, Across Borders released the Asylum Speakers podcast in collaboration with The Worldwide Tribe. This 6-part podcast series connected organisations from Egypt to England to debunk common misconceptions about seeking asylum.

IMIX also created Museum of Calais, an exhibition that allows individuals to anonymously frame their own experiences of crossing the channel in a way that is safe for them. Comic Relief worked with the cohort and the award-winning Hassan Akkad to produce Re-Rooted, an exhibition featuring the voices and images of 7 refugees building new lives in the UK. The exhibition also resulted in a blog with 5 top tips for refugee storytelling.