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Refugee Action is an independent national charity founded in 1981 that provides advice and support to refugees and asylum seekers in the UK and campaigns for a fairer asylum system. It is governed by a Board of Trustees, chaired by Penny Lawrence. Its chief executive is Stephen Hale OBE who joined the charity in February 2014. Each year Refugee Action provides advice and practical support to over 10,000 vulnerable asylum seekers and refugees from dozens of countries and offers a range of specialist services. Until the end of 2015 it used to run the UKs assisted voluntary return (AVR) programme. Refugee Action has its head office in London and offices in Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol.
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Refugee resettlement
In the past work has included the resettlement of refugees from Vietnam, Bosnia and Kosovo, as well as evacuees from Montserrat after the Soufrière Hills volcano eruption in 1995.
Gateway Resettlement Programme
It operates the largest part of the UNHCR Gateway Resettlement Programme in the UK, which resettles 750 refugees every year. The main countries of origin of current service users include Somalia, Sudan, Iraq, Ethiopia and Congo.
Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement Scheme
The Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement Scheme is also delivered by Refugee Action in some areas of the UK. The scheme intends to resettle up to 20,000 Syrians in the UK.
Support for asylum seekers
Refugee Action helps asylum seekers making claims for asylum and offers support throughout the asylum process. Prevention of asylum homelessness is part of that work.
Campaigning
The campaigns Refugee Action is currently doing include Let refugees learn, which wants more ESOL provision for refugees, Family Reunion, which wants less restrictions on which family members can be reunited in the UK. Past campaigns included Right to Volunteer and Bring back Dignity.
Co-operation
Refugee Action works in association with other refugee and human rights organisations, such as the Refugee Council and Amnesty International. It was among the groups that campaigned against section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, later overturned in the courts, which denied financial and housing support to asylum seekers who failed to claim asylum within three days of arrival.
Refugee Action is a member of The Dentention Forum, a network of organisations working together to challenge the UK's use of detention, and has published research on the adverse effects of detention on the mental and physical health of detained asylum seekers.
Refugee Action is also a member organisation of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) and the Asylum Support Partnership along with the Refugee Council, Scottish Refugee Council, Welsh Refugee Council, North of England Refugee Service and Northern Refugee Centre.