Refugee Community Support

LASSN supports and enables the development of Leeds Refugee Forum to provide a collective voice of refugee community organisations in Leeds. LASSN is working to strengthen the forum to assist with refugee integration and community cohesion in Leeds

Refugee community organisations enable refugees and asylum seekers to keep their sense of identity and culture and to offer support with integrating into the UK way of life.

Leeds Refugee Forum operates from One Community Centre in Lincoln Green. As well as an office base for the forum, refugee community organisations use the community centre for meetings, cultural activities, English conversation classes and information and support. The forum also works on activities that enhance community cohesion activities in the Lincoln Green area.

Every year in June Leeds Refugee Forum organises refugee week events across the city to celebrate the contribution of refugees to Leeds and the UK. The forum works in partnership with many other agencies to put on a range of activities inlcuding workshops and cultural events.

Refugee Community Organisations use the community centre for meetings, socal activities, English classes and as a centre for advice and support.

Research into the development needs of refugee communities in Leeds, Bradford & South Yorkshire demonstrates that Refugee Community Organisations offer a wide range of services and a huge amount of support to individuals going through the asylum system.
The research that included 11 RCOs in Leeds, found four issues to be the most significant to refugee communities:
1. Destitution among refused asylum seekers. RCOs are filling the void left by the withdrawal of state support for refused asylum seekers. RCOs state that supporting members of the community who are destitute is an extremely important responsibility, but also very taxing both emotionally and in terms of community resources.
2. Inadequate legal representation. Since the reduction in legal aid, most lawyers have ceased to provide immigration and asylum services, which leaves many asylum seekers without legal representation.
3. Education for both children and adults. Overcoming differences in language and understanding of how the UK education and employment systems work are critical to
facilitating employment and social integration.
4. Addressing cultural differences between refugee and host communities, and among refugee communities themselves, emerged as the fourth most pressing concern.