For Refugee Week it’s time to reflect on the theme of ‘Our Home’. Home is more than just a physical place; it’s a feeling, a state of mind, and a sense of belonging. For refugees who have been forced to leave their countries and rebuild their lives, finding home can be a challenging journey.
This week we have an opportunity to extend our warmth and hospitality beyond our own homes and make entire neighbourhoods more welcoming. However, recent revelations about the UK’s border policies and the tragic loss of life at the UK’s borders have raised serious concerns about the country’s commitment to providing a true sense of belonging to those seeking sanctuary.
The meaning of home
Home can be found in the smells, tastes, and sounds of our cultures and landscapes. It’s in the food we eat, the music we listen to, and the arts we create. Sometimes, home can be found in a single person or a whole community. It’s often in the simple gestures of care and welcome that we extend to others.
However, for many refugees, finding a new home is a difficult process, especially when faced with systemic racism, discrimination, and life-threatening obstacles in the UK’s asylum system. The recent investigation by openDemocracy and Les Jours has revealed that nearly 400 migrants have died trying to cross the English Channel between 1999 and 2024, despite the UK government’s focus on reducing the number of small boat crossings.
The power of simple acts
Simple acts like having a chat, walking together, or sending a message of welcome can help everyone feel like they belong. By working in solidarity, we can ensure that all our neighbours, both new and familiar, have safe and welcoming homes. These small acts of connection and care, multiplied across communities, can lead to a profound shift in how we perceive and treat one another.
We must also acknowledge that the UK’s asylum system is failing to provide this sense of belonging to racialised minorities seeking sanctuary. The deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants in a lorry in 2019 and the tragic suicides of asylum seekers like Fawz, who took his life after facing deportation from the Netherlands, are stark reminders of the human cost of the UK’s hostile border policies.
Our global home
Our home is not just the places we live, but also the planet we share. We are interconnected, and we share the Earth’s resources, climate, and challenges. As millions of people are displaced from their homes due to conflict, persecution, and the climate crisis, exchanging knowledge and building hope for the future becomes more crucial than ever.
It’s important to recognise that over the past 500 years, Western migration, colonisation, enslavement, imperialism, violence (including war), human-induced climate change and wealth extraction have shaped the world we live in, creating massive inequalities and exposing people in many regions to greater risks. The UK’s border policies, which prioritise deterrence and securitisation over safe routes and humane treatment, are a continuation of this legacy of harm.
Building a society of belonging
In a world that feels increasingly fragmented and polarised, it’s essential to actively seek out our shared humanity. When we focus on what connects us rather than what divides us, it opens the door to understanding, empathy, and compassion. By approaching one another with radical love and a genuine desire to understand each other’s stories, we can create a society of true belonging for all.
This requires addressing the structural racism present in the UK’s asylum system, which treats people differently based on where they come from and perpetuates inequality, poverty, and hardship for racialised minorities seeking sanctuary. The stories of Zagros, a refugee who lost his life trying to reach safety, and Fawz, a friend who took his own life after facing deportation from the Netherlands, are powerful reminders of the urgent need for change.
Zagros, born in Iraq to a Christian Iranian mother, spent his teens in Germany but was deported to Iran at the age of 18. He made it his mission to return to Germany, but upon arriving, he felt an intolerable emptiness and decided to continue his journey to the UK, hoping to find a place that would have more heart for him. Tragically, Zagros lost his life in the process, becoming one of the many victims of Europe’s brutal border policies.
The power of compassion
Compassion has the power to break down barriers and heal divides. When we choose to lead with love, compassion, and a commitment to upholding each other’s dignity, everyone benefits. A world where all people, regardless of background, are valued, supported, and given the opportunity to thrive is a better world for all of us. This is why it’s crucial for racial justice and refugee rights advocates to join forces in calling for an overhaul of the UK’s asylum system, the introduction of safe routes, and the end of the hostile environment that is causing so much suffering and death.
This Refugee Week, let us practice our solidarity and make ‘Our Home’ a more welcoming, safe, and sustainable place for all. By extending our warmth and hospitality beyond our own homes, building a society of belonging, and addressing the systemic racism and violence in the UK’s asylum system, we can create a world where everyone has the chance to live a life of purpose and joy.
It’s not about ‘us vs. them’, but rather about the kind of ‘us’ we want to be – an ‘us’ that is inclusive, compassionate, and fiercely committed to ensuring everyone has a place to call home, regardless of their background or the colour of their skin. The lives of Zagros, Fawz, and the hundreds of others who have died on the UK’s borders demand nothing less than a fundamental rethinking of our approach to asylum and migration. Only by embracing our shared humanity and working towards a world of true belonging can we hope to end the silent serial killer that is the militarised border.
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