Jesuit Refugee Service UK

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Jesuit Refugee Service UK

Jesuit Refugee Service UK accompanies, serves and advocates on behalf of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons.

We have a particular concern for asylum seekers who are detained under the immigration rules or who are left destitute in the UK. JRS UK accompanies refugees and forced migrants, our brothers and sisters, serving them as companions and advocating their cause in an uncaring world. We have a particular concern for those who are detained under the immigration rules or who are left destitute in the UK

. This work is carried out in the spirit of mutual respect, dignity and solidarity with the refugees and forced migrants, and in collaboration with other organisations. Our aims are to support refugees and forced migrants in the UK by:

- Providing a warm welcome and practical support at our weekly Day Centre for destitute asylum seekers;
- Offering pastoral care and service such as legal liaison for those held in detention centres;
- Facilitating creative self-expression, peer support and personal wellbeing;
- Engaging in a dialogue with policy and decision makers to promote values of justice and dignity. Volunteers are integral to the work of JRS UK and we are enormously grateful for the time and energy they contribute to our work.

12/06/2026

"Today, by the sea, the word of God becomes concrete: here so many wounded lives arrive, stripped of almost everything, but never of their dignity. Here the Gospel pulls us out of our comfortable position as spectators and places before us a brother or a sister who has arrived. It asks us if we have recognized Christ in those who disembark, marked by fear, hunger and violence, after enduring the desert, the night and the sea."

In Gran Canaria, Pope Leo met migrants and those who accompany them on one of the world’s deadliest routes — calling for compassion, responsibility and safe pathways.

At JRS UK, we see this dignity every day in the people we walk alongside.

We echo this call: to move beyond indifference, and to build a society where everyone is recognised as our brother or sister.

Read more: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-06/pope-leo-gran-canaria-meetin-migrants-organizations-human-dignit.html

11/06/2026

Have your say!📣

Whether you've been supporting us for a while, or have recently found out about our work, we'd love to hear your thoughts on how we can communicate with you better.

Visit https://www.jrsuk.net/supporter-survey/

10/06/2026

On Tuesday, JRS UK took on the London Legal Walk and here are the photos to prove it! 🌟

We walked 10km to raise funds for our work providing free legal advice and support to destitute asylum seekers.

With your support, we can continue standing alongside people navigating a complex and often hostile asylum system.

08/06/2026

We’re grateful to Bishop Paul McAleenan for welcoming our new campaign to defend the right to asylum.

Together with CSAN and St Vicent de Paul Society we're calling for a system rooted in dignity and protection

Echoing the calls of Bishop McAleenan, if you would like to get involved with the Christian Campaign to Defend Asylum you can access more information at:

www.jrsuk.net/defend-asylum

06/06/2026

A great privilege of working with the Jesuit Refugee Service UK is meeting supporters determined to build a better future for people seeking sanctuary. Everyone’s starting point is different.

For Jonathan, it began with friendship:
“In the 1990s we befriended a family of Catholic Iraqi refugees fleeing persecution under Saddam Hussein. They had a very difficult journey to the UK, which deeply affected their younger daughters. Life was hard, but we were struck by their resilience and determination to integrate. We shared many celebrations with the Chaldean Catholic community and later became godparents to their fourth daughter.”

That relationship shaped the choices Jonathan and his wife made over decades: “Having been educated by the Jesuits, I was particularly attracted to JRS UK’s ethos of accompaniment," he reflected, "We didn’t have time to give hands‑on assistance, but we supported refugee agencies financially and in their campaigns."

Later, when they moved to Warwickshire and saw their parish welcome families from Syria and beyond, it felt natural to continue that commitment. “So when we made our wills,” Jonathan explained, “we chose to include JRS UK among the charities we’d supported.”

Gifts like these help ensure people seeking sanctuary continue to find friendship, dignity and hope.

Find out how to leave a legacy donation at:
www.jrsuk.net/leave-a-legacy

Read more in our summer newsletter: www.jrsuk.net/summer2026

05/06/2026

Our supporter survey is live and we'd love to hear what you think!💙

Whether you've been supporting us for a while, or have recently found out about our work, we'd love to hear your thoughts on how we can communicate with you better.

The survey only takes a few minutes complete but helps us to make sure we're sharing the stories you're interested in.

Visit the link at: https://www.jrsuk.net/supporter-survey/

04/06/2026

Proposed changes would weaponise destitution against families with children as a means of immigration control. They would hugely increase destitution among people refused asylum in general, and they would have an egregious impact on stateless people. This is cruel and destructive. These changes should be abandoned.

The proposals also include using force against children. This would expose children to huge trauma and risk of physical injury. They must not proceed.

Read more in our Joint Statement at: https://www.jrsuk.net/news/joint-statement-statelessness/

03/06/2026

To celebrate Refugee Week, the JRS Theatre Group is premiering their new play, Faith and Hope, to the public on Monday 22nd June.

Faith and Hope follows the struggles of a young woman without status and explores the question ‘Is humanity always a victim in times of crisis?’

The performance was created by refugee friends through a series of improvisational workshops, inspired by Odon von Horvath’s play Faith, Hope and Charity.

Join us for what is sure to be a wonderful evening of thought-provoking characters, suspense, and reflections on our current political climate.

22nd June 7pm
St George in the East, Shadwell

Find out more: www.jrsuk.net/refugee-week

01/06/2026

Amid a push to increase removals at any cost, the government is pursuing more forced removals to specific countries where there is a real risk that people will be in danger. This includes the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola. At JRS UK, we support many people who fled dangerous situations in DRC and are terrified of having to return there.

JRS UK works with people from these and other countries who are refused asylum and told they have no further chance to appeal, only to eventually be recognised as refugees after submitting fresh claims. And we also know, when governments make more forced removals an end in itself, justice, due process, and safeguards so often go out the window.

Please write to your MP calling for a halt to this dangerous policy change.

Read more at: https://www.jrsuk.net/news/forced-removals/

29/05/2026

📢Have your say!

Our 2026 Supporter Survey is out now, and we'd love to hear from you. Whether you're involved through volunteering, praying, donating, campaigning, or follow us on our socials, make your voice heard today!✉️

Complete the Survey at: www.jrsuk.net/supporter-survey

Address

Hurtado Jesuit Centre, 2 Chandler Street
London
E1W2QT

Telephone

+442074887310

Website

http://www.jrsuk.net/

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