Media guide - Scottish Refugee Council

A guide for media reporting on refugee and asylum issues

The crisis in Ukraine has led to more and more journalists writing about people fleeing war and the UK’s asylum system.

Every day, hundreds more stories about refugees are published, in magazines and newspapers across the country and the world. Many of these articles contain tired tropes, misleading information or misrepresentative images which cause real harm.

Inaccurate headlines or stories can lead to more dehumanisation towards already marginalised groups seeking protection.

The National Union of Journalism and UNHCR have created this helpful guide, for and by journalists, for reporting on refugees. It covers definitions and best practice for interviews.

As the UNHCR says, we are not looking to stifle debate. But when people’s lives are at stake, there is no room for inaccuracies and falsehoods.

We've provided answers to some frequently asked questions below.

How should I refer to people seeking safety in the UK? Refugees? Asylum seekers?

These terms are often interchanged. At Scottish Refugee Council, we use the word “refugee” to cover all groups seeking safety in Scotland. This includes:

people in the asylum system
people who have been refused asylum
people who hold refugee status in any form
people who have been resettled
people who have been brought to the UK through humanitarian evacuation

Instead of focusing on a person’s immigration status, we recommend focusing on the person themselves. For example, instead of using “asylum seekers”, use “people seeking asylum”, “people in need of safety”, “people fleeing war and persecution”, or even just “people/men/women/children”.

Is it relevant to mention their immigration status at all? If not, check with the individual how they would like to define themselves. For example, instead of “refugee artist”, they might prefer to just be known as “artist”.

Remember that refugee communities are culturally diverse and not homogenous. One person or group cannot represent everyone.

Are people fleeing the war in Ukraine classed as refugees?

The UK Government are deliberately avoiding referring to people fleeing Ukraine as refugees and trying to manage refugees coming to the UK through its visa/ immigration system. This is enabling them to treat Ukrainians differently from people fleeing other crises, and it creates a hierarchy between different groups of people fleeing war and persecution based on nationality.

But yes, people fleeing Ukraine have been forced to flee their homes as a result of war, will receive some form of status and access to public funds, and will be able to access support from Scottish Refugee Council.

Please note that the Ukrainian community, as with many communities, may not be comfortable with “refugee” terminology.

How many people are fleeing Ukraine?

Can you help me to arrange an interview with a refugee?

We are regularly approached by journalists looking to speak with people with lived experience of the asylum system.

We work within a network of support agencies and community groups and can help put you in touch with others in the sector where relevant, including spokespeople from refugee communities on a case by case basis.

Please give as much notice as possible when requesting to speak to people with lived experience, whether through us or one of our partner agencies/community groups. It takes a lot for people to share their story or image publicly and requires a bit of behind-the-scenes work.

We encourage interviewers to:

think about what the benefit is for the individual who would be sharing their story
share questions in advance so that prospective interviewees can prepare
be mindful that people should not be expected to recount traumatic journeys or experiences if they don’t want to
take time to get to know people who are willing to share their story
offer a voucher as a thank you

For more details please view our full Press Office FAQs.

Anonymity

While many people will feel comfortable sharing their name in the media, remember that people are in a precarious situation and their story could be read in the country they fled from, putting themselves or other members of their family at risk. Please think about whether your story can be anonymised for people’s safety.

Please respect that individuals can change their mind at any time, and can say no without giving a reason.

Interviewing children and young people

Our Scottish Guardianship Service and Communications team have put together a checklist for journalists looking to engage with young people.

Any interview with someone under 18 requires the permission of a parent or guardian. For unaccompanied-asylum-seeking children in Scotland this will be their social worker.

Can this be anonymous?
Are you happy to avoid asking the young person why they can’t be in their home country?
Do you need a photo? If so, can it be a silhouette?
Can the guardian/another person sit in on the interview?
Reminder that the interview can be terminated at any time – please be aware of that
Can you turn off comments on any online publication of the piece?
Can you send over the young person’s quotes prior to publication?

Press Office

Our press office can provide information and comments on refugee and asylum issues and arrange interviews with spokespeople from across the organisation.

Visit the press office