Our Story

Born in the aftermath of World War II, we have more than seven decades of experience of helping refugees to rebuild their lives here in Britain.

Since 1951, we have helped thousands of refugees get to know their neighbours, learn English, and contribute to their new communities.

Two people examining a collection of historical photographs laid out on a table. One person is using a cane, while the other is pointing at the images. The photographs depict various scenes, including people and objects, arranged in a casual display.

1945-1951

After World War II, millions of people were displaced across Europe and the rest of the world. Countries all over the globe decided that they had to agree on how to treat refugees. In the UK, two organisations that would later become the Refugee Council are founded: the British Council for Aid to Refugees (BCAR) and the Standing Conference on Refugees (SCOR).

Two young boys sit together on a chair, both wearing matching red sweaters and ties. The boy on the left holds a box, while the boy on the right has his arm around him. They are dressed in shorts and knee-high socks, with white shoes. The background featu

The 1950s

BCAR provided support for 2,000 east and central European refugees from World War II, and 17,000 Hungarian refugees to Britain, following the Hungarian Uprising. Agnew House, a residential home, was set up in 1957 for older refugees, many of whom were Holocaust survivors.

Black and white photograph of four women gathered around a table with a cake. One woman, wearing a headscarf, sits in the center, listening intently as another woman reads a letter. The other two women stand nearby, looking on with interest. The table is

The 1960s

In 1968 and 1969 BCAR assisted over 900 Czech refugees who had come to the UK following the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia The BCAR also assisted over 2,000 refugees from 48 countries.

A group of seven people poses in front of a sign that reads "Reception Centre" and "TRUNG TÂM TIẾP NHẬN SOPLEY." The individuals, dressed in a mix of traditional and modern clothing, are standing and sitting on the grass, with some smiling at the camera.

The 1970s

BCAR helped Ugandan Asian refugees after their expulsion from Uganda in 1972, providing housing, welfare and family reunion support. Following the Chilean coup d'état in 1973, the BCAR helped resettle over 3,000 Latin American refugees in the UK. Starting in 1979, around 15,000 Vietnamese refugees were resettled in the UK under the Vietnamese programme.

The 1980s

Lord Alf Dubbs becomes Director of the Refugee Council. He was one of 669 children who escaped the Holocaust, thanks to the tireless work of British stockbroker, Sir Nicholas Winton. He led the Refugee Council until 1995 and is still one of our patrons and biggest supporters. In 1989, there were difficulties around admission policies, detention and removal of Tamil and Kurdish people seeking asylum in the UK. During this turmoil, we made the decision to strengthen our advocacy work and increase our support of refugee communities.

A family of five stands together in a grassy field. The group includes two adults and three children. The man, wearing a fitted shirt, stands in the back, while the woman, dressed in a red blouse, stands beside him. The children, two girls and a boy, are

The 1990s

The Refugee Council together with the British Red Cross set up a programme to receive and settle Bosnian refugees. The UK government, along with the Refugee Council and other organisations set up a reception programme for Kosovan evacuees. In 1994 we started supporting children who arrive in the UK alone, without a parent or guardian. We were the first organisation to offer this service nationally. We opened three new One Stop Services in Ipswich, Birmingham and Leeds, becoming a national organisation with offices in several regions across the UK.

The 2000s

The first group of refugees who came to be resettled in the UK under the Gateway Protection Programme were from West and Central Africa. Later, Gateway welcomed Burmese refugees and refugees from the conflict in Iraq. In 2005 Home Secretary David Blunkett announced the scrapping of the voucher system for people seeking asylum after a vigorous campaign run by the Refugee Council and other supporters. We start to provide specialist support to help people to integrate.

A group of five people stands outside a brick building with a wooden fence in front. They are smiling and posing for the photo. The group includes two children, one wearing a pink hat and the other in a black coat, along with three adults dressed in styli

2010-2014

In 2011, The Refugee Council launched its “Proud to Protect Refugees” campaign and secures over 10,000 signatories. In 2014, The UK Government announced the introduction of a life-changing resettlement programme for Syrian refugees, following the Refugee Council’s campaign. In 2015, the Syrian Resettlement Programme was expanded to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees in the UK by 2020. The Refugee Council resettled refugees from Syria across Yorkshire & Humber and Hertfordshire.

2015-2019

The Home Office had a policy of judging the age of children based on their appearance. In 2016, The Refugee Council worked with a law firm to challenge this policy, and the High Court ruled that it was unlawful. In 2017 we campaigned to expand refugee family reunion. In March 2018, 131 MPs voted in favour of a new law to help reunite families.

Three girls are standing with bicycles in a park. The girl on the left is wearing a denim overall and a white shirt with colorful embroidery. The girl in the middle is dressed in a similar embroidered shirt and has short hair. The girl on the right is wea

The 2020s

Over the last five years, the Refugee Council has responded to support refugees arriving in the UK following three significant global crisis. In 2021, over 15,000 refugees were evacuated from Afghanistan and brought to the UK following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban. And over 150,000 people from Hong Kong arrived on the BN(O) visa. Shortly afterwards in February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine leading to over 250,000 Ukrainian refugees arriving in Britain.

To help improve attitudes towards refugees across the country, in 2024, Refugee Council launched its football movement – Fair Shot, which aims to unite a movement of fans across the country towards a goal of fairness and compassion for everyone, no matter where they come from. This was followed by a new brand launch in 2025.