Refugee Access to Technology During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Reading Time: 3 minutes By Katy Cottrell, Sona Circle During the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us have felt grateful for the digital world which has helped us stay in touch with loved ones, informed with important information and constantly entertained. However, recent research from Breaking Barriers has highlighted the discrepancy in digital access between refugees living in […]
Business Grants to Support Companies Hiring Refugees
Reading Time: 2 minutes By Zoe Allen, Sona Circle Hiring Refugees: Funding for Your Business Having discovered the benefits of hiring refugees, you might be interested in exploring some avenues that could provide extra funding for a new hire. For training schemes, like apprenticeships, there is government funding available, and you may also be able to […]
7 Effects of COVID-19 on Refugee Employment
Reading Time: 4 minutes By Zoe Allen, Sona Circle Refugees already face an extensive range of barriers when looking for work in the UK, from low proficiency in English to lack of social connections and difficulty accessing services, to outright discrimination. This leads to the rate of unemployment being four times higher than the UK average for […]
The Culture and Heritage that Refugees Leave Behind
Reading Time: 2 minutes By Katy Cottrell, Sona Circle When refugees are forced to flee their countries for their safety, they are also forced to leave behind their homes, jobs and many of their personal possessions. But what is sometimes overlooked, is the loss of the unique culture and heritage of their home country. Sometimes this can […]
4 Ways to Support Refugees in your Community
Reading Time: 3 minutes By Aanya Bhandari, Sona Circle Migration isn’t easy. Accepting change isn’t easy. Starting a new life isn’t easy. Refugees face a wide range of challenges when it comes to integration and acceptance within their communities. It is no secret that xenophobia and racism are two of the most pertinent issues that plague societies […]
Transferring International Qualifications to the UK: A Guide for Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Reading Time: 5 minutes by Zoe Allen, Sona Circle Why Do I Need to Transfer my Qualifications? As a refugee, if you worked in a career you loved and enjoyed in your home country, you would probably love to continue practising it in the UK. However, you need to know whether your qualifications would be accepted as […]
5 Great Initiatives Supporting Refugee Integration in the UK
Reading Time: 3 minutes by Katie McAdam, Sona Circle Settling into a new country can be very daunting for many refugees. Language barriers, new cultures and lack of social connections make integration a difficult process. Integration is vital not only for improving local community relationships but also for reducing the problem of social isolation among refugees. Those […]
Germany’s Progressive Approach to Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Reading Time: 3 minutes by David Cregan, Sona Circle To understand Germany’s current policy on refugees and asylum seekers, you need to revisit the post Second World War period, 1945-1960. This 15 year period transformed a destroyed West Germany into its current economic powerhouse that we know today. There was a significant movement of refugees back to […]
Are Refugees and Asylum Seekers’ Allowed to Work in the UK?
Reading Time: 3 minutes by Katy Cottrell, Sona Circle The terms ‘refugee’ and ‘asylum seeker’ are often confused by many people and have incorrectly been used interchangeably. Though to many people, these terms may seem like they mean the same thing, there are important distinctions between refugees and asylum seekers which have implications for their legal right […]
Refugees in Entertainment
Reading Time: 3 minutes Katie McAdam, Sona Circle In 1969 Farrokh Bulsara fled Zanzibar, (modern-day Tanzania) due to the ensuing genocide of Arab and South Asian minorities. With a great songwriting talent and an impressive vocal range, he dreamed of stardom. After joining the band Queen, he changed his name and then changed the history of rock […]