Refugee Week 2026

• Saturday 13 June
• 2pm
• York Sport Village, YO10 5FG

Join us to support an exciting charity football tournament as teams of young people battle it out for the Sam Pegram Cup. All are welcome and no booking is required. A fantastic chance to come together and celebrate diversity and humanitarianism through sport!

Sam was a kind and compassionate student at the University of York, studying the LLM in International Human Rights Law. After graduating he secured a role as a research policy assistant for the Norwegian Refugee Council in Geneva. Sadly Sam died in the Ethiopian Airlines crash in 2019, en route to Nairobi. In his memory, his family set up the Sam Pegram Humanitarian scholarship, to support like-minded individuals, passionate about social justice and humanitarianism. 

Read more about Sam’s Legacy Foundation

• Monday 15 June
• 10am to 4.30pm

Courage, community and conversation is a public engagement event organised by York’s Migration Network (MigNet) as part of Refugee Week 2026.

This event brings together a range of refugee-support organisations, community groups, researchers, students and members of the public. The aim is to foster dialogue, strengthen networks and create new opportunities for collaboration between those working with and alongside refugees and people seeking asylum. The programme consists of two linked parts: a ‘Connect and Share’ fair, followed by a panel discussion.

We’re delighted to be joined by organisations and groups including: Refugee Council, RAY (Refugee Action York), City of Sanctuary UK (York), Anti-Racism Working Group York, Centre for Applied Human Rights, University of York, Cultural Connections (Shamim Eimaan), City of York Council and more.

Part 1: ‘Connect and Share’ Fair

Time: Approx. 10am to 2pm

An informal and open drop-in session bringing together local organisations, community groups, advocates and researchers working with refugees and people seeking asylum.

Activities include:

• information stalls hosted by participating organisations
• opportunities for networking and community engagement.

The session enables attendees to learn about local support, ongoing initiatives and opportunities for involvement.

Part 2: Panel discussion: “Courage and sanctuary: A York panel conversation”

Time: 3pm to 4.30pm

A panel discussion exploring themes emerging from Refugee Week, particularly courage in welcoming, supporting and advocating for people seeking sanctuary. The event bridges community engagement with wider academic and policy conversations.

Speakers:

• Stephen Pittam (York Human Rights City Network): reflecting on human rights in York and the findings of The State of the City report (published April 2026)
• York Anti-Raids Group: a grassroots community organisation that supports people affected by immigration enforcement and campaigns against immigration raids in York and across North Yorkshire.
• Representatives from City of Sanctuary: discussing support for people seeking sanctuary and the role of local communities in fostering inclusion.
• Jasmin Carrington-Wolf: Immigration and Asylum Legal Adviser, providing insights into the legal and practical challenges facing people seeking asylum.
• Dr Patricia Hamilton (Chair): Lecturer and Chair of the EDI Committee in the Department of Sociology at the University of York.

• Wednesday 17 June
• 11.30am to 2pm
• Greg’s Place

Yahala Mataam’s pop up street food stall will be returning to campus, serving their signature falafels, hummus, wraps and baklava.

Yahala Mataam CIC is a social enterprise based in York. Yahala Mataam’s mission is to give opportunity, build confidence and restore dignity in the lives of refugees and asylum seekers in York. It does so through a pop-up restaurant, street food stand, catering business and a cookery school.

• Wednesday 17 June
• 2pm to 5pm
• Online

In November 2025, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood set out what she claimed to be “the most sweeping asylum reforms in modern times”, following Labour’s pledge to bring down net migration, reduce small boat arrivals, clear the asylum backlog, replace the use of asylum hotels with army barracks and other ‘basic’ accommodation and accelerate deportations.

In this online Refugee Week panel event, with practitioners, activists and academics, we take stock of what Mahmood described as an “entirely new asylum model for this country”, including making refugee status temporary.

The first panel (2pm to 3pm) will discuss Labour’s policy changes and political agenda. It asks whether the reforms are as ‘new’ as claimed or reflect long-standing patterns in UK border policies, situates the reforms in an international context, including the much criticised 'Danish model', and assesses the political and legal implications.

Speakers: Martin Lemberg-Pedersen (University of Southern Denmark) and Zoe Bantleman (barrister, former Legal Director of the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA)).

The second panel (3.15pm to 4.45pm) will centre community, activist and front-line responses to Labour’s asylum reforms. It will reflect on how the policy reforms have been received by asylum and refugee communities, including instilling fear and insecurity, how they will affect support services and solidarity practices in a context of criminalisation, underfunding and activist burnout, and how communities can organise against the reforms.

Speakers: Fizza Qureshi (Migrants Rights Network), Melina Mo Martinez (Sheffield City of Sanctuary), Louise Calvey (Asylum Matters) and Eiri Ohtani (Right to Remain).

Sign up for the webinar

• Thursday 18 June
• 6pm to 7.45pm
• Online

Join the University of York Migration Network for a screening of three documentary films celebrating Refugee Week and the theme of Courage.

1. Escaping Libya's Detention Industry (May 2025)
2. No Release (September 2025)
3. Armed with Words: Interpreting the War in Afghanistan (2022).

Register for York Refugee Week Film Event

• Thursday 18 June
• 7pm
• Online

Create an authentic Syrian stew at our virtual cook-along event! 

With Yahala Mattam, a social enterprise supporting refugees and asylum seekers in York, you will create Abu Basti, a traditional dish originating from Damascus. Abu Basti means "the source of joy" or "eat and be happy," so you know it’s going to be delicious!

As part of the class we’ll provide you with an ingredients list, equipment list and method so you can prepare well in advance of the session.

You’ll also have the chance to hear about the University of York’s celebrated status as a University of Sanctuary via one of our Equal Access scholars and how we are committed to making a difference to our students and those in need.

Places for this event are limited so booking is essential. 

Book your place for the cook-along