Care in a refugee camp: A case study of a humanitarian volunteer in Calais

In this presentation Prof. Sarah Crafter introduces the chapter, 'Care in a refugee camp: A case study of a humanitarian volunteer in Calais, written by Prof. Crafter and Dr. Rosen for the recently published Refuge in a Moving World Open Access volume edited by Refugee Hosts PI Prof. Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh. The chapter (pp. 228 -…

Religion and Social Justice for Refugees: Executive Summary

The Refugee Hosts project recently launched a new co-authored report titled “Religion and Social Justice for Refugees: Insights from Cameroon, Greece, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia and Mexico”. This report identifies and examines the roles that faith plays in supporting social justice for refugees, situating the Refugee Hosts research in Lebanon and Jordan into conversation with research…

Refugee-led Local Responses in the Time of COVID-19: Preliminary reflections from North Lebanon

Refugee-led Local Responses in the Time of COVID-19: Preliminary reflections from North Lebanon by Prof. Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh, PI of Refugee Hosts, UCL How can we, and why should we, write about a deadly pandemic which is further compounding the vulnerabilities of millions of people whose lives and wellbeing have long been shattered by protracted conflict…

‘A Refugee Pastor in a Refugee Church’: Refugee-Refugee Hosting in a Faith-Based Context

This presentation was given by Karen Lauterbach at the Refugee Hosts International Conference. The paper is about refugee-refugee hosting in a faith-based context and examined how refugee churches hosting refugees invoke ideas of compassion and sacrifice in these hybrid forms of hosting. 'A Refugee Pastor in a Refugee Church': Refugee-Refugee Hosting in a Faith-Based Context by…

‘Random Acts of Kindness’: Reflections on Everyday Responses to Displacement in Hamra

In this photo essay depicting areas of shared support in Hamra, Refugee Hosts’ researcher, Leonie Harsch, reflects on informal acts of charity or giving. These ‘random acts of kindness’, which enable a fluid transition between categories of refugee and host, migrant and local also explored by the Refugee Hosts project here and here, operate without…

Dr Anna Rowlands: New report launched in collaboration with Jesuit Refugee Service

On 27th June 2019 a new report, 'For our welfare and not for our harm',  written by Refugee Hosts' Co-Investigator Dr Anna Rowlands in collaboration with the Jesuit Refugee Service, was launched. The report was the culmination of almost two years of collaboration and 'meaning-making' with refugees and the people who work with refugees, and highlights how the current asylum system is…

Home-making and home-taking: living spaces for women refugees in Grande Synthe

'The 'politics of exhaustion', the continual denial of living space, serves to deny refugees’ physical and psychological wellbeing. In this piece, Frances Timberlake compares three recent temporary living spaces for refugees in Grande Synthe, Northern France. It analyses these temporary spaces based on the experiences of women who live(d) in them and reflects on ownership and…

Drawing the Camp: Graphic Essay of Community Organising, Local Aid and ‘Refugee Humanitarianism’ in Irbid Refugee Camp

Displaced communities - whether long-time residents of camps and urban areas, or newly arrived refugees - are also often hosts, offering support to fellow refugees through community-led initiatives, or simple acts of everyday hospitality. This 'refugee-refugee humanitarianism' disrupts mainstream humanitarian narratives, which typically frame displaced peoples as passive recipients of aid. In order to challenge…

تضامن اللاجئين مع اللاجئين في الموت والممات

تضامن اللاجئين مع اللاجئين في الموت والموتى من قبل إيلينا فيديان-قاسمية، جامعة كلية لندن (UCL) ، يوسف م. قاسمية، جامعة أكسفورد (University of Oxford) البدّاوي مخيمٌ للاجئين الفلسطينيين في منطقة حضرية على ضواحي طرابلس شمال لبنان. منذ نشوء المخیم في الخمسینات من القرن الماضي، كان مسكناً للفلسطينيين المقيمين وأحفادهم منذ ذلك الحین، وللاجئين الآخرین النازحین…

World Refugee Day – DIY Humanitarianism in Paris

World Refugee Week provides an opportunity to reflect on and highlight the diverse challenges facing displaced peoples. In this piece, Tatiana Thieme (UCL-Geography) draws on her project's research with refugees and asylum seekers living in the city of Paris. The everyday (and every-night) challenges faced by marginalised refugees and asylum seekers - stemming from the…