About refugees and asylum seekers

Refugees and people seeking asylum come to Britain because they are fleeing persecution from countries most at danger, affected by political turmoil and war. These include Syria, Iran, Eritrea, Afghanistan, and other countries around the world. In many cases individuals can feel quite isolated as they are separated from their family and friends and speak little or no English. There are differences between refugee status and people seeking asylum, and these are terms that refer to the legal status of an individual in the country.

Those seeking asylum are waiting for decisions to be made by the Home Office and are not permitted to work and are not eligible for state benefits. Many local organisations and our communities benefit, as people seeking asylum and refugees often volunteer and offer their time, skills, and experience to benefit others in the city.

Bradford welcomes Refugees and people seeking asylum as a City of Sanctuary and Local Authority of Sanctuary.

To find out more about our progress as a Local Authority of Sanctuary, and other work around cohesion, integration and equality, please visit the Bradford for Everyone website or follow Bradford for Everyone on social media.