World Refugee Day

Today is World Refugee Day when the world honours the strength and courage of people who have sought sanctuary away from their home country.

This is an opportunity to reflect on the history of Richmond upon Thames as a Borough of Sanctuary and acknowledge strength of sanctuary seekers who find welcome here.

We are proudly flying the Borough of Sanctuary flag to acknowledge World Refugee Day and our status as an accredited of Borough of Sanctuary.

Celebration events

To mark Refugee Week there were many events including the Richmond Refugee Week celebration last night at York House where over 100 people came together in support of sanctuary seekers in the borough.

The evening was a celebration of culture, connection and community as a superpower. There were cultural performances, delicious food from around the world and local organisations chatting to sanctuary seekers. Information on housing, healthcare, community activities, and local services around the borough was provided.

Councillor Gareth Roberts spoke at the event about the importance of community connection and marked the first anniversary of Borough of Sanctuary accreditation: “Tonight’s event is a space for connection, celebration, and information. As we honour the rich cultural contribution that sanctuary seekers make to our community, we are also looking ahead, aiming to become an even stronger sanctuary partnership.

"To achieve that, it’s vital that we all work together and collaborate to deliver the best results for our community.”

This week has already seen nine community-run events, several of which were supported by the Refugee Week fund, established to encourage local community groups and organizations to host activities throughout the week.

Rounding out the week are more activities over the weekend including the Ukrainian Kupala Party and summer garden party for the launch of the Voices of Richmond upon Thames archive project where people who moved to the UK have contributed photos of their daily lives. 

History of sanctuary 

Richmond has a proud history of welcoming refugees and sanctuary seekers into its community, from the arrival of the Huguenots in the 17th century and Belgians during World War I, to more recent populations of displaced people from Afghanistan, Syria, Hong Kong and Ukraine.

On Saturday 21 June there will be special viewing of a video made detailing the long history of sanctuary seekers finding welcome in Richmond at the summer garden party.