How it all began

Refugee Week is a UK-wide festival of arts, cultural and educational events that takes place each June and celebrates the contribution of refugees to the UK, and encourages a better understanding between communities.

In Scotland, the programme is co-ordinated by Scottish Refugee Council and includes a vibrant mix of theatre, dance, exhibitions, film screenings, sports, seminars and community celebrations, which are held all over the country.

Refugee Week was first held in 1998, and was created in response to the increasingly negative perceptions of refugees and asylum seekers held by the general public in Britain. It remains the only UK-wide event that promotes the importance of sanctuary and the benefits it can bring to both refugees and host communities.