Refugee Action

Refugee Action
Name	Refugee Action
Formation	1981
Type	Non-profit organisation
Headquarters	London, England
Region served	United Kingdom
Leader title	Chief Executive
Leader name	Steve Smith

Refugee Action is a UK-based charity that provides direct support, campaigning and policy work for people seeking asylum and refugees. Operating from multiple centres across England and Wales, it combines frontline services with strategic advocacy to influence UK asylum and immigration practice. The organisation collaborates with a wide range of institutions and coalitions to support resettlement, legal rights, employment, and community integration.

Overview

Refugee Action offers casework, practical support and policy interventions to assist people affected by displacement such as those who fled conflict in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya or Ukraine. It works alongside organisations and institutions including British Red Cross, Refugee Council, Migrant Help, Asylum Aid, City of Sanctuary, and UNHCR partners to coordinate resettlement and integration services. The charity engages with national bodies such as Home Office (United Kingdom), local authorities including London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and civic networks like Shelter (charity), Citizens Advice and Oxfam to link clients to housing, legal aid, and welfare provision. Refugee Action also liaises with academic institutions such as University of Oxford, London School of Economics, King's College London, and research centres including Migration Observatory to inform evidence-based practice.

History

Founded in 1981, the charity emerged amid concerns about asylum reception and refugee welfare in the late 20th century, joining contemporary organisations responding to displacement from conflicts such as the Soviet–Afghan War and the Yugoslav Wars. During the 1990s and 2000s it expanded services in response to crises linked to the Gulf War and interventions in Iraq War (2003–2011). In the 2010s Refugee Action adapted to the refugee arrivals from the Syrian Civil War and coordinated with European NGOs during the European migrant crisis (2015–16). It has been involved in campaigns addressing policy shifts such as those following the passage of the Immigration Act 2014 and the Immigration Act 2016 in the United Kingdom, engaging legal networks including LawWorks and Public Law Project.

Services and Programs

Frontline provision includes advice and casework on asylum claims, access to benefits, housing navigation and destitution prevention, often delivered from drop-in centres and outreach locations in cities like Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, and Glasgow. The charity operates employment and skills programs that connect clients with employers such as British Airways, TESCO, and local social enterprises, and partners with training providers like City & Guilds and National Careers Service. Refugee Action runs resettlement and move-on services aligned with schemes such as the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme and collaborates with municipal schemes in places including Brighton and Hove, Newham, and Cardiff. Legal assistance is coordinated with solicitor firms, law centres and pro bono networks including Bar Pro Bono Unit and Refugee Legal Support to challenge removals, detention decisions and asylum refusals. Complementary programs address mental health via referrals to services such as Mind (charity), community cohesion through partnerships with Interfaith Network UK, and education access with institutions like The Open University and local further education colleges.

Advocacy and Policy Work

Refugee Action engages in public campaigns, research and strategic litigation to change policy affecting refugees and asylum seekers. It joins coalitions such as the Refugee Coalition, Ending Destitution Together, and cross-sector alliances with organisations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to highlight detention practices at sites like Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre and policies involving family reunion, dispersal and legal aid cuts. The charity produces reports and briefings drawing on data from sources such as Office for National Statistics and collaborates with parliamentary actors across groups including members of the House of Commons and peers in the House of Lords to influence debates on migration policy. It has campaigned on particular measures such as alternatives to detention, the expansion of community-based support models, and changes to asylum support rates under statutory instruments tied to welfare provision.

Funding and Governance

Funding derives from a mix of institutional grants, charitable trusts, individual giving and contracts with public bodies. Major funders and partners have included charitable foundations such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Big Lottery Fund and corporate social responsibility programmes from firms including PwC and regional banks. The charity is governed by a board drawn from the voluntary sector, legal professions and academic circles, and operates under regulatory frameworks involving Charity Commission for England and Wales. Senior leadership and trustees have professional links to organisations such as British Red Cross, Refugee Council, University of Cambridge research units and national networks like National Council for Voluntary Organisations.

Impact and Criticism

Refugee Action’s services have supported thousands of people through asylum processes, resettlement placements and employment pathways, with impact measured in case outcomes, move-on rates and advocacy wins on issues such as detention alternatives. Independent evaluations and academic studies by institutions like University of Warwick and Queen Mary University of London have examined the effectiveness of advice services and integration programs. Criticism has arisen from advocacy groups and parliamentary inquiries regarding capacity limits, the challenge of systemic policy constraints, and the charity’s reliance on short-term funding streams; commentators including think tanks such as Policy Exchange and Institute for Public Policy Research have debated cost-effectiveness and strategic priorities. Debates in media outlets and select committee proceedings in the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee have scrutinised the interaction between charities, statutory agencies and commercial contractors in asylum provision. Despite constraints, the organisation remains a prominent actor in the UK asylum sector through service delivery, coalition work and policy engagement.

Category:Charities based in the United Kingdom Category:Refugee aid organizations