Refugee Week 2022
June 20-26 is Refugee Week and to celebrate this we will be holding a number of events while raising awareness of issues affecting refugees and asylum seekers and the support that’s available at the University and within the city.
The theme of Refugee Week 2022 is Healing and we would like to invite all members of our University community to join us in celebrating this week and learning more about the issues affecting refugees and asylum seekers along with the University's involvement in this area.
A University of Sanctuary
The University of York is a welcoming and safe place for refugees, asylum seekers and other people who have been forced to migrate. The University is now home to students from over 150 countries. We are always working to build on this inclusive environment and we became a University of Sanctuary in September 2020.
We help sanctuary seekers access a university education by offering a range of financial support. This includes three Equal Access scholarships offered annually to asylum seekers who wish to undertake both undergraduate and postgraduate study. We also offer an enhanced bursary to students who are refugees.
Find out more about our University of Sanctuary status
Events and activities
University of York events
Breaking the Chains Celebration and Launch with Shpresa Programme and MiCLU
Monday 20 June, 14.00-18.00, University of York, PBL Suite, LMB Building
University of York East Campus, York, YO10 5GD.
Breaking the Chains is a partnership project dedicated to improving outcomes for Albanian children and young people seeking asylum in the UK.
Come join us for a celebration and launch of our Year 3 evaluation of the Breaking the Chains project as well as materials created by young Immigration Champions to support and reach out to professionals and other young asylum seekers in their asylum journey
In addition to the presentation of findings and launch of materials, the event will feature Albanian dancing and a shared meal.
Find out more about Breaking the Chains and book your place
Map of Hope and Sorrow: stories of refugees trapped in Greece
Friday 17 June, 8pm to 9pm (online)
Award-winning author Helen Benedict and Syrian writer and refugee Eyad Awwadawnan provide us with a rare insight into the lives of refugees as they share powerful stories of resilience, suffering and hope. A York Festival of Ideas event.
Book your place for Map of Hope and Sorrow
Afghan pop-up restaurant and photo exhibition
Friday 24 June, 6.30pm
In partnership with the Yahala Restaurant, a student-led group of Afghan nationals invites you to join them for a traditional Afghan meal, providing an opportunity to taste a different cuisine, hear stories from another culture and make a difference for those stuck in conflict in another land. The evening will begin with an exhibition by Sara de Jong and Andy Barnham, entitled 'We Are Here, Because You Were There: Afghan Interpreters in UK'. There will be a number of short talks throughout the evening considering the situation in Afghanistan and the experiences of Afghan refugees settling in the UK. Food will be served at 7.15pm and the meal will act as a fundraiser, with all profits going to help Afghan nationals.
Find out more and book your table
Untold Stories: The original and unexpected stories of Afghan women writers
Monday 20 June, 1pm to 2pm (online)
Join a panel of remarkable women discussing the Untold: Write Afghanistan project that provides a platform for extraordinary voices telling their original, vital and unexpected stories. A York Festival of Ideas event.
Book your place for Untold Stories
The LGBT+ Refugee Crisis: what is happening and how you can help
Tuesday 28 June, 2-3pm
It's easy to feel depressed reading in the newspapers about the latest refugee "crisis" and what the government is doing about it. But what does this mean in real world terms, especially for LGBT+ refugees and asylum seekers, arguably some of the most vulnerable? Luckily, there are many organisations and individuals making a tangible difference to those who need it most, including Time to be Out (York) and BIASAN (Bradford).
City-wide events
There is a vibrant programme of events taking place within the city of York and local area for Refugee Week.
Related events
We Are Here, Because You Were There
Sunday 26 June
Ways to support
You can choose to support an asylum seeking student by making a gift to the Equal Access Scholarship today. Each scholarship is entirely funded by the generosity of donors and includes a full tuition fee waiver from the University.
These scholarships make a life-changing difference to a student seeking sanctuary by enabling them to access a York education. All donations are welcome, whether you want to make a one-off gift or set up a regular donation.
Resources and related links
- Divided in Leaving Together (PDF
, 2,290kb) - paper from Interdisciplinary Global Development Centre (IGDC) on the resettlement of Afghan locally employed staff - University of York support for refugees
- Refugee Week webpage
- Migration and Refugees - reading list from the University Library. The list is available to anyone to view, but please note that linked e-resources are only available to students and staff at the University of York.
Useful links
- Refugee Action York
- Refugee Education UK
- Refugee Council
- RefuAid
- Refugee Study
- York City of Sanctuary
- Student Action for Refugees (STAR)
Watch again
You can rewatch some relevant online events on the Equality Office and the Centre for Applied Human Rights YouTube channels: