STAR (Student Action for Refugees) is the national network of students building a more understanding and just society where refugees are welcomed and can thrive in the UK. The need People who arrive in the UK after fleeing war and persecution face many challenges in both claiming their right to asylum and in building new lives - a hostile policy environment, negative public attitudes, unhelpful media narrative and a lack of access to services. Likely to experience isolation, poverty, unemployment and poor mental health, they receive little support to settle in the UK and face barriers to integration. The asylum system is complex and restrictive: people are prohibited from working and only get £39 a week to live on, many others are forced into homelessness and destitution, they are separated from support networks and dispersed where cheap housing is available. Asylum seekers are excluded from university. Treated as international students, they cannot access student finance and are not allowed to work. Many refugees find the university system hard to navigate and struggle to get the help they need.  Our work Our student groups based in colleges and universities and a central team of experts, work together at a number of levels to bring about lasting change. We:

Volunteer locally working directly with refugees, building understanding and connections Campaign nationally for policy change and equal access to higher education for refugees Learn about refugee protection and the asylum journey in the UK with experts and peers

Our impact In 2020-21, our network had 44 STAR groups with over 2000 members which were run by 291 student leaders and supported by a small central staff team. Together, we:

Supported nearly 1000 refugees across 54 community projects, delivered in partnership with 42 local charities. 33 of these projects were student-led. The projects:

provided social connections helped people learn English tutored children with their school work 

STAR groups also organised 24 one-off volunteering events for 346 refugees including sharing welcome packs and hosting online film nights.  

Campaigned for:

the right to work for asylum seekers the right to family reunion for refugees the closure of the military barracks being used to house asylum seekers an end to immigration detention support from mobile companies to tackle the digital divide a fairer asylum system by responding to the consultation on the New Plan for Immigration (now the Nationality and Borders Bill)  

Improved access to university for refugees by supporting 11 universities with scholarship development. 12 STAR groups campaigned for Equal Access to higher education at their universities. We delivered six training events for 192 university staff and 25 information events for 431 prospective refugee students. Organised 489 online events and activities to train the network and provide a platform for experts by experience, academics, activists and organisations to inform people about the asylum journey and the experiences of refugees.