This funding will contribute towards the vital advice, advocacy, and practical support we provide to refugees, asylum seekers and migrants facing hardship and uncertainty, while helping people build safer, more connected lives in our community.

We’re incredibly grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund and to National Lottery players for making this support possible.

Together, we’re helping to create a community where everyone feels welcome.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Voices in Exile along the way.

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Seventy-five years later, that promise still matters.

What is the Refugee Convention?

The 1951 Refugee Convention, together with its 1967 Protocol, is the main international agreement protecting refugees. It explains who can be recognised as a refugee, sets out their rights and describes the responsibilities of countries that have signed it.

At its heart is a simple but vital rule: nobody should be sent back to a country where their life or freedom would be in danger. This is sometimes called the principle of “non-refoulement”. The Convention also sets out basic standards for how refugees should be treated, including access to housing, education and work. It is more than a legal document. It is a practical, lifesaving tool that has helped protect millions of people.

A shared responsibility

The Convention recognises that no country can respond to people being forced from their homes alone. Countries need to work together, share responsibility and support the communities welcoming refugees. Fair asylum systems, safe routes and international cooperation all have an important part to play. The UK was one of the original countries to sign the Convention and helped to shape it. This is an important part of our history, but it is also an ongoing responsibility.

Why is it still important today?

The need for refugee protection has not gone away. At the end of 2025, an estimated 117.8 million people around the world had been forced to leave their homes. This included 41.6 million refugees and other people in need of international protection, as well as almost nine million people waiting for a decision on their asylum claim.

Behind every number is a person, a family and a story. People do not choose to become refugees. They leave because staying at home is no longer safe.

The Convention gives countries a clear framework for deciding who needs protection and making sure that people are not returned to danger. It also helps asylum systems work in a more organised, fair and predictable way. Protecting refugees and managing borders are not competing goals. Both can be achieved through fair decisions, effective systems and cooperation between countries.

The Convention needs to be respected

Some people argue that the Refugee Convention is out of date or should be rewritten. UNHCR’s message is clear: the Convention remains flexible, relevant and essential.

The problems facing asylum systems today are not caused by the Convention. The focus should be on putting it into practice properly, through fair and timely decisions, safe routes, support for countries hosting large numbers of refugees and better opportunities for people to rebuild their lives. As UNHCR puts it, the Convention does not need rewriting. It needs respecting.

Facts and empathy matter

Public discussion about refugees and migration is often shaped by misinformation, fear and hostile language. We believe this must change.

People seeking safety should be spoken about with dignity, respect and humanity. We need honest conversations based on facts and practical solutions, rather than language that divides communities or blames people who have already been forced to leave their homes. Refugee protection is not a threat to stability. It helps create safety, fairness and order.

Our commitment at Voices in Exile

At Voices in Exile, we see every day why the Refugee Convention matters. We support refugees, people seeking asylum and migrants at risk who are navigating complex legal systems, insecure housing, destitution and long periods of uncertainty. We help people understand and exercise their rights, access legal and practical support, and begin rebuilding their lives with dignity.

Our work is grounded in justice, solidarity and the belief that everyone deserves safety and fair treatment. We will continue to challenge policies and practices that weaken refugee protection, and to stand alongside people who have been forced to flee.

The Refugee Convention is not only a framework for protecting other people but a safeguard for all of us, because any one of us could one day need the protection it offers.

Read more about the Refugee Convention and access UNHCR’s anniversary resources.

The post The Refugee Convention at 75: a promise we must continue to uphold appeared first on Voices In Exile.

Over the past year, we supported more than 1,000 refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants at risk across Brighton and Sussex through specialist immigration advice, homelessness prevention, food provision, ESOL classes, employability support, wellbeing groups, and wraparound resettlement services. 

At a time when refugees and migrants continue to face increasingly hostile policies, rising homelessness, and barriers to safety and stability, this report reflects both the growing need within our communities and the importance of compassionate, community-led support. 

A year of impact 

In 2025, Voices in Exiles: 

• Supported 1,009 clients across our services 

• Provided immigration advice and support to 364 people 

• Supported 770 clients through our generalist advice and casework service 

• Delivered 70 outreach sessions in asylum hotels and homelessness settings 

• Supported around 45 people each term through our weekly wellbeing, ESOL, and orientation groups 

• Provided practical support to around 115 households through our food bank 

• Distributed over £50,000 in hardship funding to people facing crisis situations 

Alongside these figures are the personal stories that sit at the heart of our work. Throughout the report, service users, volunteers, and staff share their experiences of rebuilding their lives, finding community, and supporting others in turn. 

One service user reflected: 

“Voices in Exile helped us build the confidence to start a new life here.” 

Another shared: 

“The most important thing for me was simple. Someone cared about me. I felt it.” 

Supporting people beyond crisis 

As well as meeting urgent needs, the report highlights our growing focus on long-term wellbeing, inclusion, and systems change. 

This year, we strengthened our campaigning and influencing work locally and nationally, advocating for: 

• The right to work for people seeking asylum 

• Safe and legal routes 

• Improved housing and move-on support 

• Better mental health provision 

• A more compassionate and fair asylum system 

We also launched new initiatives focused on lived experience leadership, participation, anti-racism, and community engagement, ensuring the voices of the people we support continue to shape our work and future direction. 

The people behind the work 

The impact highlighted in this report is made possible through the commitment and expertise of our staff team, alongside the contribution of volunteers, partners, funders, and supporters across Sussex and beyond. 

This year alone, around 50 volunteers contributed more than 5,500 hours of support across our food bank, ESOL classes, casework teams, administration, communications, and resettlement services — complementing the day-to-day work of staff delivering specialist advice, advocacy, outreach, and frontline support. 

We are deeply grateful to everyone who makes this work possible and who continues to stand alongside refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants in our community. 

Read the full report 

Our 2025 Impact Report shares more about the realities facing refugees and migrants today, the impact of our services, and the stories of the people who make Voices in Exile what it is. 

Read the full report here: Impact Report 2025

The post Stories, impact and community: Launching our 2025 Impact Report appeared first on Voices In Exile.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am a retired Social Worker Team Manager and have been working voluntarily with refugees for the last ten years, working in camps and organisations in Greece and in Calais. Now I work with Voices and with British Red Cross in supporting asylum seekers and refugees.

What made you join Voices in Exile as a volunteer?

I moved to Brighton in 2023 and wanted to continue working with refugees here, as I rotate between London and Brighton. I work with refugees because of their vulnerability and their great potential, that demands reviving after their challenging journeys.

What does a session in your role at Voices look like?

At the morning ViE Group sessions, the people may have workshops on relaxation, and English through games and conversation, but there may also be an information session on anything from welfare benefits to using a camera. In the warmer months, we may go out to local parks for the sessions or to community allotments or farms nearby to relax and enjoy being outside. We try to encourage the members to speak as much English as they can.

The volunteer role is to participate, but also to remain aware of any concerns or questions raised or indicated by people during the session. This can be very simple, such as leading someone through an application for an educational or training course, to advising on more complex issues, such as housing, if we have the knowledge. Longer and complex questions, however, may need to be passed on to case workers.

The volunteer also supports the ‘leader’ of the Group in preparing the session and in clearing up, as well as being another pair of eyes in seeing any needs during the session.

I also work as a volunteer case worker in the afternoon. This usually involves making calls to people the full-time case workers have enquiries from or need follow-up with. This, again, can be simple to complex. I may also see individuals in face-to-face appointments at the office.

The post Meet Garry: Supporting refugees through two essential volunteer roles appeared first on Voices In Exile.

What attracted you to join Voices as a trustee?

I’ve been a volunteer with Voices in Exile since the summer of 2024 as an assistant on the ESOL classes. I really enjoy the experience but have also been struck by the extraordinary commitment, skill and talent of the team at Voices, so when the opportunity arose to become involved as a trustee, I was keen to explore how I could help more.

What experience or skills do you bring that are particularly relevant to Voices in Exile?

Before my retirement in 2024, I was a director of communications in the University sector, leading large communications and engagement teams at a time of change and challenge for higher education. So I have a lot of experience of delivering communications that help enhance reputation, highlight impact, engage people, protect organisations, and convey an engaging and compelling narrative. Having worked at Executive Board level at my last two universities, I also understand some of the pressures and challenges that organisations face and I wanted to bring some of this understanding to my work as a trustee.

What inspired you to join the board?

I worked in the field of migration and refugees at my last two universities. At De Montfort University Leicester, I was involved in work we did with the United Nations to deliver annual conferences on migration in New York, work which culminated in the university being appointed a Global Hub for SDG 16 for peace, justice and strong institutions.

At the University of Kent, I led our successful application to become a University of Sanctuary bringing together and enhancing the work of the university to support refugees through scholarships, outreach, research, fundraising, volunteering and much more. I wanted to continue this work in my retirement as part of the personal legacy of all this work and because these are causes I feel passionately about.

Are there any specific areas where you hope to add value?

I hope I can add value in these areas – communications, building a compelling and engaging narrative around the extraordinary work that Voices does, and around partnership building, and advocacy.

Why do you think our work is important right now?

The political climate is so challenging for the work of Voices and other organisations in this space right now, that the work becomes even more vital. There are so many reasons why we should do everything we can to ensure that refugees are able to play a full part in our national life – moral, legal, economic and cultural – but we also need to ensure that our country is a tolerant, inclusive and welcoming one for our own sakes and for those who come after us and not let ourselves and our true values become threatened and dominated by division and intolerance. Voices and other organisations in this space remind us vividly of our common humanity and of who we truly are.

Outside of your trustee role, what do you enjoy doing?

I enjoy music, theatre, cinema and reading. I sing in a choir and I’ve started learning tango. I keep fit by running, going to the gym and walking my gorgeous 10-year-old cockapoo called Betty.

The post Introducing Philip: A passionate new voice on our Board appeared first on Voices In Exile.

The story was published this morning by the BBC – have a read: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce9r5m74de8o

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During this challenging time of increased division and tension, Voices in Exile stands in full solidarity with communities of all faiths, and of none, in Brighton & Hove, Sussex and throughout the UK.

We will always be committed to the values of equality, dignity, and respect for all.

The post A statement of solidarity and support with Peacehaven Mosque appeared first on Voices In Exile.

The post Letter to the Home Secretary: Unite our communities appeared first on Voices In Exile.

About the survey

• The survey has 16 questions and should take 15–20 minutes to complete.
• It has been developed by Refugee Legal Support in consultation with Professors Sara de Jong and Victoria Canning.
• It is open to anyone over 18 affected by the Afghan Data Breach, especially those whose data incident self-checker showed red.
• Participation is voluntary.
• Your responses will remain anonymous and securely stored. No personal identifying information is collected.

Please click on the following Survey button to open and complete the survey in English, or scan the QR code. This survey closes on the 5th of October at 6pm (London Time). 

The survey is also available in Dari and Pashto in the following section.

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