For many refugees, fleeing their homelands is merely the first hurdle they have to overcome. Having uprooted their lives, they now face the challenge of assimilating into their new communities. This includes finding housing, being employed or continuing education, registering for various services and learning the language of the host country. In addition, many refugees need help recovering from the trauma they have suffered. 

Refugee Council calls on the government to let Afghans rejoin family in the UK, Rwanda policy internal documents redacted for 'risk of harming international relations', and lack of support for refugees in France sees rise in rough sleeping...

One year since the Taliban took over, Afghanistan has become the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile in the UK, thousands of Afghan sanctuary seekers are still waiting in bridging hotels for their asylum claim outcomes and to be allocated accommodation, as charities continue to point to the disparity between the treatment of Ukrainian and Afghan refugees.

Aimed at professionals working with Afghan sanctuary seekers, a new guide has just been published in response to the barriers to culturally sensitive and trauma-informed care.

 
 An obstacle course of barriers and obstructions litter the path to healthcare services for one of the most vulnerable groups in society. Equitable access to healthcare for asylum seekers and refugees (ASR) in the UK is a fundamental right. Regulations maintain that refugees, asylum seekers and even refused asylum seekers are eligible to receive free-of-charge primary care. However, the reality of this is more dismal.  

UK government's Rwanda policy found to have 'encouraged traffickers' to cincrease pace of moving people across the Channel; WHO presents evidence of worse health outcomes for refugees and migrants; and Amnesty International reports on the dismal situation of women's rights in Afghanistan. More news from July and start of August below ⬇️

New report reveals abysmal living conditions in the Napier Barracks, Channel crossings continue to grow despite the Rwanda 'deterrent' policy, while a potentially 'life changing' bill passes a second reading in the House of Lords.

Last Thursday at Harrow Arts Centre, Prof Louise Ryan and Dr María López from London Metropolitan University and the Global Diversities and Inequalities Research Centre presented findings from their research project ‘Afghan Migrants in London: Accessing Support in Hostile Times’.

This World Refugee Day, organisations are calling for the protection of fundamental human rights in light of planned deportations to Rwanda. Read more in the news recap below.

First deportation flight to Rwanda cancelled at the last minute, a rising number of refugees crossing the channel from Afghanistan, and more - read Asad's news summary for the first half of June!

Mental health is just as important as physical health, and thus it deserves as much attention as all other aspects of our lives. But we often become so preoccupied in the chaos of living that we forget to take a breather and look after ourselves. 

Back in Afghanistan, Bashir Ahmad Fatehi was an influential civil service figure. His career spanning over 15 years saw him promoting peace, anti-corruption, human rights, and gender equality by working with many institutions – such as the Supreme Court, Attorney General’s Office, countless ministries, and the President of Afghanistan. Last year, all of this was taken away and replaced by refugee status. Now living in London, Fatehi works night and day providing advice to fellow Afghans who had to escape their country.

The first group of asylum seekers to be flown to Rwanda in two weeks' time; lone child refugees waiting twice as long now to be reunited with families; and the number of displaced people across the world reaching an all time high. This and more from May's news landscape in Asad's recap.

The UK government to send 50 refugees to Rwanda despite human rights concerns; child protection crisis feared in the UK; safeguarding issues with the Homes for Ukraine scheme - and more. Catch up on the latest news in the first part of May's recap by our volunteer Asad.

Hunger crises are an inevitable consequence of conflict. Countries like Afghanistan have been subject to war for so many years now; people’s access to food and supplies has recently decreased even more as a result of the war in Ukraine. Right now, 95% of people in Afghanistan are not getting enough to eat; rates of severe malnutrition are skyrocketing and children are starving to death.  

The Nationality and Borders Act passed in Parliament, while reports emerged of child refugees facing hunger and neglect in UK accommodation. Catch up on current events in Asad's news recap.

The war in Afghanistan has transcended almost 20 years now.

Nowruz would have certainly looked very different in Afghanistan, where people usually celebrate in an intimate setting, with their families. But this first celebration in the UK remained a moment of communal closeness and homage to a shared culture and self-understanding. The refugees summoned an incredible sense of resilience and managed to enjoy the festivities despite the traumatism of being separated from their homes and families.

In the final workshop of our partner charity HeadsUp Harrow Parent and Carer series, Paiwand’s mental health counsellor Ramzia Akbari opened up a discussion around the important topic of culture in children’s lives.

What Afghan refugees are forced to endure, the violence they have witnessed and live amongst, and the hardships they tackle each day, is reflective of their strength. 

Stay on top of current events with conscise recaps put together by our volunteer, Asad Jamil.

Paiwand advocates and volunteers work in the hotels provided by the Government and Councils to support newly arrived persons in the UK. We are direct witnesses to the refugees’ new daily life in these temporary accommodations. This series of small articles depicts some of the refugees’ typical daily routine at a bridging hotel in central London. It recounts some of the different stories unfolding in this particular living environment.  

Climate change is now a widespread emergency, but people living in "climate hotspots" or conflict zones are disproportionately affected. As the report of 2020 made by ActionAid, an international non-governmental organization, points out: 1,198,000 Afghans were internally displaced in 2019 because of climate disasters (Spink, 2020).