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Things you didn’t know about our work with people seeking asylum
At almost every moment of every day, Red Cross and Red Crescent teams are working to protect and restore dignity to people, wherever they are on the migration journey.
People seeking asylum are #NotAlone
Across the globe, people who migrate or are displaced from their homes face unacceptable risks. But people on the move are not alone in their journeys.
Whether at land or sea, the work of the International Federation of the Red Cross network – including the British Red Cross – aims to save lives, reduce risks and provide access to essential services.
1. We are there for people when they need us most
We have a long tradition of helping refugees and people seeking asylum after they escape from conflict and persecution, and today we remain the largest single provider of support for refugees in the UK.
There were an estimated 231,597 refugees living by our side in 2022, and more today. We aim to give care and comfort to every person that needs it.
2. Our refugee centres help people living in poverty
When people seeking asylum in the UK arrive, they are not allowed to work and thousands can find access to government support difficult.
With no income and nowhere else to turn, many people rely on the 58 Red Cross refugee centres across the UK. Here, they can find a warm welcome, essential supplies and guidance.
3. We help refugee families find their feet
Arriving in the UK can be an overwhelming and scary experience for families, so we help with the basics like food and clothes.
In 2019, we delivered over 17,000 food parcels and over 1,000 packs of baby supplies to families who may have been lost without them. We also help families get to grips with their new surroundings, and take on admin tasks like helping register children in schools and at the doctors.
4. We bring families back together
Some refugees who escape crises end up being separated from their families. We help people reunite with their loved ones in the UK by helping with visa applications and arranging flights where appropriate.
5. We were still helping during the pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic plunged the world into crisis, but refugees and people seeking asylum still needed our help. The pandemic created extra challenges, but our hardworking teams were able to overcome them and continue to support those who needed our help.
6. Our translators help people settle in
When refugees and people seeking asylum arrive in the UK, many do not speak English. We provide a translator to reassure them and make sure their needs are met. What’s more, our new project employs some refugees to teach others. And our website is accessible in different languages.
7. We speak up for a fairer asylum system
When people arrive in the UK asking for help, we want to see a fair, effective and efficient asylum system that treats people with respect and dignity. As one of the UK’s leading charities, we use our voice to call on UK decision-makers to provide sanctuary, financial support and legal advice.
8. Our research spotlights how people suffer in detention centres
The UK is the only European country which has no time limit on how long someone can be detained for, and it can take years for the Home Office to decide if people will be allowed to stay in the UK.
Our report Never Truly Free offers a first-hand perspective on the harm caused by detention. We use it as evidence to support our call for asylum reform.
9. All of our services rely on the kindness of volunteers
All around the UK, our volunteers advise refugees and people seeking asylum on how to get access to healthcare, justice, integration and education.
Whoever you are, whatever your skills, you can share your kindness by volunteering with our refugee services and restoring family links team. We have roles based all over the UK if you want to get involved, search our volunteer database.
Help us support refugees
News
Jeff Crisp s’interroge sur la représentation des migrants à la Conférence de Vienne sur les migrations
L’ancien responsable de la politique et de l’évaluation au HCR, Jeff Crisp, s’est interrogé sur la représentation des migrants à la prochaine Conférence de Vienne sur les migrations 2026, demandant combien de migrants y participeront par rapport aux responsables chargés des affaires intérieures, de la sécurité et du contrôle des frontières.
Crisp a soulevé cette question en réaction à une publication du Centre international pour le développement des politiques migratoires (ICMPD), annonçant l’ouverture des inscriptions pour suivre en ligne sa conférence annuelle phare.
« Combien de migrants seront présents à cette conférence ? Et combien de responsables des affaires intérieures, de la sécurité et du contrôle des frontières ? », a écrit Crisp.
L’ICMPD a indiqué que la 11e édition de la Conférence de Vienne sur les migrations se tiendra les 16 et 17 novembre et réunira des décideurs de haut niveau, des praticiens et des experts d’Europe et d’ailleurs pour un échange de haut niveau sur les politiques migratoires.
Dans sa publication, l’organisation n’a pas précisé combien de migrants ou de représentants d’organisations dirigées par des migrants participeraient à la conférence.
L’intervention de Crisp attire l’attention sur la composition des forums consacrés aux politiques migratoires, notamment sur la mesure dans laquelle les personnes ayant une expérience directe de la migration y sont représentées aux côtés des responsables gouvernementaux et des professionnels des politiques migratoires.
La Conférence de Vienne sur les migrations est organisée chaque année par l’ICMPD, une organisation internationale qui travaille avec les gouvernements et d’autres parties prenantes sur les politiques migratoires et de mobilité.
La conférence de 2026 doit se tenir à Vienne, avec un accès en ligne disponible pour les participants inscrits.
Former UNHCR policy chief Jeff Crisp has questioned the representation of migrants at the forthcoming Vienna Migration Conference 2026, asking how many migrants will participate compared with officials responsible for interior affairs, security and border control.
Crisp raised the question in response to a post by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) announcing that registration had opened for the livestream of its annual flagship conference.
“How many migrants will be at this conference? And how many officials from the interior, security and border control establishment?” Crisp wrote.
ICMPD said the 11th edition of the Vienna Migration Conference will be held on November 16 and 17, bringing together senior decision-makers, practitioners and experts from Europe and beyond for a high-level exchange on migration policy.
The organisation did not indicate in the post how many migrants or representatives of migrant-led organisations would participate in the conference.
Crisp’s intervention draws attention to the composition of migration-policy forums, particularly the extent to which people with direct experience of migration are represented alongside government officials and policy practitioners.
The Vienna Migration Conference is organised annually by ICMPD, an international organisation that works with governments and other stakeholders on migration and mobility policy.
The 2026 conference is scheduled to take place in Vienna, with livestream access available to registered participants.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has expressed concerns over Malaysia’s recent return of 1,476 people to Myanmar amid the country’s continuing conflict and dire human rights and humanitarian situation.
The UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Edem Wosorn., in a statement said: “We are concerned by these returns at a time when people sent back to Myanmar may face serious risks, and some within the group may be in need of international protection.
“While authorities say the returns are voluntary, those returned had been held in immigration detention. This raises serious questions about whether decisions to return were genuinely free and informed. UNHCR did not have access to the individuals to assess this.”
UNHCR said it fully recognizes Malaysia’s sovereign responsibility to manage asylum and migration. However, it urged Malaysia to ensure that all returns are subject to robust safeguards, including individual assessments and access to protection procedures. Decisions to return must be voluntary and assessed outside detention settings.
Under the principle of non-refoulement, no one should be returned to a country where they may face persecution, torture or other serious threats to their life or freedom.
Until conditions in Myanmar allow for safe, dignified and sustainable returns, States must continue to provide access to asylum and uphold international protection obligations.
UNHCR added that it remains ready to work with Malaysia to strengthen national asylum and protection arrangements.
“Greater regional and international support is needed to advance a political solution to the crisis and end the hostilities in Myanmar. UNHCR calls on the international community to maintain support for countries in the region hosting refugees from Myanmar.”
Jeff Crisp s’interroge sur la représentation des migrants à la Conférence de Vienne sur les migrations
Jeff Crisp questions migrant representation at Vienna Migration Conference
Le HCR dénonce le renvoi par la Malaisie de 1 476 personnes au Myanmar
UNHCR decries Malaysia’s return of 1,476 people to Myanmar
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