Refugees

Refugees are those who have been granted protection or refugee status in the UK. Amongst others, they face the following significant challenges:

• Trauma-related conditions: such as anxiety, depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to persecution, conflict, and dangerous journeys;
• Skills and qualifications: for example,  non-recognition of foreign qualifications and a lack of professional networks further hinder employment prospects;
• Cultural and language barriers: this presents significant hurdles to social integration in the UK communities.
• Homelessness and conditions: there are challenges with accessing healthcare and other relevant services;
• Economic Inequality: refugees are often concentrated in low-wage, low-skill sectors, increasing their risk of exploitation and preventing them from securing stable employment and housing.

At Wiltshire Refugee Network, we support refugees in unlocking their potential through education, employment, and integration. For example, we help with access to education and GP registration. We also support mainstream benefits application and refer our clients to appropriate immigration advice services, including family reunion, Travel Documents, and eVisas. We remove their employment barriers through coaching, interview preparation, CV writing, and cover letter writing. We also negotiate support packages with external agencies as appropriate, according to our service users’ needs. We carry out a holistic risk and needs assessment and prepare a Personal Integration Plan to facilitate community integration with our clients; and also provide information on - and liaise with relevant organisations, services and agencies that can offer additional support, such as social services, language classes and others; to asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants.