Refugee Week in the Media

Through national and local media, Refugee Week takes a different story about refugees to millions across the UK every year.

Here are some highlights:

Refugee Week 2020

“I Started A Food Bank For Refugees Like Me Going Hungry In This Pandemic” – Huffington Post. Md Mominul Hamid, Refugee Week 2020 Leader, writes for the Huffington Post about the foodbank he set up during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Refugee Week: We celebrate those who have gone above and beyond during the pandemic” – The Mirror.

“Seeking Asylum In Britain Finally Let Me Live As The Gay Man I Am” – Huffington Post.

“Refugee Week: Bafta winner Waad Al-Kateab recalls surviving siege in Syria to film confronting documentary For Sama.” – Metro.

From the archives:

REFUGEE WEEK 2019

The HuffPost

The HuffPost supported Refugee Week with an incredible series of blog posts from our Refugee Week Ambassadors. You can read and share them here:

Maya Ghazal shares her incredible story of overcoming discrimination as a refugee to pursue her dream of becoming the first female Syrian pilot

Actor, writer and activist Syed Haleem Najibi from the Phosphorus Theatre Company writes about why it’s vital refugees share their stories

Jihyun Park on finally experiencing happiness for the first time after surviving famine in North Korea and slavery in China.

Amina Kodogo on her experience of being without the right to work for 3 years as an asylum seeker and why it’s vital this changes

Guardian

Prominent refugees and their contribution to the UK a piece featuring Jillian Edelstein’s portrait series commission in the guardian

Refugee tales and migration: four books that help us understand a crisis

Perfect mix: using cooking to link refugees and neighbours

Refugee Journalism Project: this is an initiative based at London College of Communication that supports refugee and migrant media professionals to build their careers in the UK, delivered in collaboration with The Guardian Foundation, Refugee Council and University of Derby.

UK accused of profiteering on Syrians’ child citizenship fees: research shows government could make more than £5m by charging vulnerable children.

The Big Issue

Every week The Big Issue runs their famous Letter To My Younger Self where a famous face looks back on their life and career. For Refugee Week 2019, Hamid, aged 26, has written his own letter, reflecting on his experiences of coming to the UK from Afghanistan

Vogue

Melissa Hemsley highlights the Refugee Food Festival as a must-see in her Eat, Think, Grow: 10 Fun Food Things to do this Summer

The Londonist

Featured in 10 things to try for Refugee Week

Metro

Actor Syed Haleem Najibi from the Phospherous Theatre Company tells his story in this First Person piece

Time Out

Featured Eight great ways to get involved with Refugee Week

Nat Geo Kids

A double page feature on refugees finding a home in the UK, including an interview with 9 year-old Marwa and her father, who are originally from Syria

REFUGEE WEEK 2018

Is the UK doing enough to support refugees? The Wright Stuff, Channel 5, feat. Refugee Week Ambassador Maya Ghazal

I escaped North Korea twice, BBC World Service, feat. Refugee Week Ambassador Jihyun Park

Refugee Week 2018, This Morning, 20 June 2018

Refugee Stories, CBeebies Radio

Jason Isaacs Urges Critics To Meet And Spend Time With Refugees, LBC

What it’s like to be a refugee in Britain today, Elle

5 refugees reveal what they want you to know about life in the UK, Stylist

Northern theatres put refugee’s work centre stage, Guardian

London is open: where to show your support for Refugee Week, Evening Standard

Refugees Welcome, triple page spread in National Geographic Kids magazine

A warm welcome, double page spread in The Teacher magazine

In Immigration Detention I Couldn’t Contribute To Society – Now I’m Out I Try To Remember Those Still Locked Up, by Refugee Week Ambassador Usman Khalid, Huffington Post

Theatre Is A Powerful Platform For Telling Stories – As A Refugee, I Never Thought I Would Use It To Tell Mine, by Refugee Week Ambassador Baraa Halabieh, Huffington Post

I Fled Violence In Kenya, Beat Cancer And Survived Modern Slavery – But I Refuse To See Myself As A Victim, by Julia Karuiki, Huffington Post

What I’ve Learned From Hosting A Refugee, by Conservative MP for Stourbridge Margot James, Huffington Post

REFUGEE WEEK 2017

Welcome to the UK, National Geographic Kids

Refugee Week 2017: How many refugees are there in the UK and worldwide?, Metro

This florist offers a blooming lovely way to support refugees, Metro

Threads: A refugee’s story in words and pictures – extract, The Guardian

Borderline: the play finding the funny side of the Calais migrant camp, The Guardian

The refugees are like our brothers’: Uganda’s example to the world – in pictures, The Guardian

Summer reading: children’s books, The Times

The best things to do in London this weekend, The Telegraph

I lost everything – then Britain gave me a life’: Refugees who risked it all to flee war-torn homelands tell their stories, Mirror

Young girl smuggled out of war-torn Syria in a suitcase for £45 starts new life in UK, Mirror

A look at the history behind Refugee Week which runs from June 19-25, with stories from UK refugees and volunteers, MSN

Bringing my family out of death is the greatest thing I will ever achieve, Morning Star

REFUGEE WEEK 2016

Warm welcome for Syrian refugees in a country town shows divided Britain can heal, The Mirror

Refugee Week 2016 blog series, Huffington Post

UK must do more for refugees, says former archbishop Rowan Williams, Daily Mail online

Marios Schwab and Studio Moross create cool t-shirts for Refugee Week, i-D Magazine

Five ways to get involved with Refugee Week in London, Timeout online

Refugee Week Special report, ITV News Granada

Feature on the Lampedusa Cross at St Paul’s Cathedral, BBC World Service

Get refugee week updates