Joint integration panel by HRS and King’s College London
HRS and King’s College London discussed refugee women’s integration challenges, highlighting Hizmet Movement volunteers’ more positive experiences from survey results. On the evening of February 25, Human Rights Solidarity (HRS) and King’s College London hosted a significant panel discussion addressing the integration processes and challenges faced by refugee women. The panel also evaluated the results of HRS’s “Integration Survey” conducted among female volunteers of the Hizmet Movement. The survey findings revealed that the integration experiences of Hizmet volunteers significantly differed from those of other refugee communities, demonstrating a more positive trend.
Moderated by Dr. Aqeel Abdulla from King’s College London, the panel featured 20-minute presentations by Dr. Nuni Jorgensen from the University of Oxford, Kerim Balcı from HRS, and Monique Garforth from the Refugee Employability Program. Asiye Betül Akyüz, a member of HRS’s Women’s Rights Committee, summarized the key findings of the women’s integration survey, while Sevgi Ünal introduced the simultaneous cartoon exhibition on migration and refugees held in the same venue. The panel was attended by more than 100 participants, including university and postgraduate students, as well as members of Turkish and various refugee communities.
At the beginning of the panel, moderator Dr. Aqeel Abdulla briefly shared his background, mentioning that he himself is a Syrian refugee who has now become a British citizen. Referring to the traumas caused by the 13-year civil war in his homeland, Abdulla emphasized the emotional burden of witnessing heartbreak and loss or listening to painful experiences. “This can be triggering for us because we must process this trauma in a productive and beneficial way. This is the pressure we put on ourselves and the reason why we advocate for asylum and refugee rights,” he stated.
Refugee policies must be free from gender bias
Dr. Nuni Jorgensen, a researcher at the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory, pointed out that for many years, refugee policies have considered men as the “norm” and women as the “exception,” making integration significantly more challenging for female refugees. According to Jorgensen, while women often struggle to prove they are victims of gender-based violence, men frequently face skepticism and are sometimes denied asylum due to being perceived as “economic migrants.”
The percentage of male asylum seekers in the UK increased from 63% in 2009 to 80% in 2022, sparking political debates. However, data shows that both men and women have had an equal acceptance rate of 76%. Jorgensen stressed the need to remove gender-based assumptions from refugee policies and to reconsider migration experiences by acknowledging the different challenges faced by men and women.
Hizmet volunteers show greater tendency for integration
Kerim Balcı, who provides refugee rights training at HRS, compared the integration experiences of Hizmet Movement volunteers with those of other communities. According to HRS’s survey results, Hizmet volunteers demonstrated a notably different and more positive integration trend.
Balcı highlighted a striking finding from the survey: while 91% of the respondents were married, none of them cited domestic violence as a concern in response to open-ended questions about desired improvements in their lives. This contrasts with the findings of studies conducted by UK refugee councils, where domestic violence was frequently reported as a widespread issue among other refugee communities.
Additionally, Balcı noted that while some refugee communities in the UK still show resistance to sending their daughters to school, this trend was not observed among Hizmet volunteers. He attributed this to their stronger inclination toward integration with British society compared to other groups.
He further elaborated on the survey findings: “Among the respondents, 42.9% stated that human rights and freedoms were their primary concern, while 27.7% prioritized the rule of law. In contrast, only 23.4% identified financial stability as their main concern. This is unusual for migrant communities, as financial security is typically the top priority due to the economic setbacks and loss of professional recognition that often accompany migration. However, for this group (Hizmet volunteers), freedom, law, and the protection of fundamental rights take precedence.”
The biggest challenges: Language barrier and homelessness
Monique Garforth, who has long worked at a foundation focused on refugee employment, highlighted that one of the biggest challenges faced by women is ‘language proficiency’. She explained that due to language barriers, even routine tasks such as ‘registering with a general practitioner’ can become an overwhelming struggle.
Another critical issue, according to Garforth, is ‘homelessness’, which makes adapting to life in the UK nearly impossible: “For homeless individuals, concerns about education, training, or employment become secondary. The immediate need is a home. That is why a significant portion of our program is dedicated to helping refugees cope with homelessness.”
She pointed out that many refugee women, despite being highly educated, remain trapped in low-paying jobs due to ‘qualification recognition barriers’ or ‘systemic exclusion’. “Female refugees face significantly higher unemployment rates compared to both male refugees and the general population,” she stated.
Emphasizing that most refugees do not wish to rely on social security benefits but instead strive to work, establish their lives, and ensure their children’s success, Garforth concluded:
“Our services aim to support their integration into society, facilitate access to education, and help them find employment opportunities. These efforts create a real impact.”
‘Humanity Cartoons’ exhibition attracted great interest
Following the panel, attendees explored the ‘Humanity Cartoons’ exhibition, organized by HRS. The exhibition showcased the winning works from an ‘international cartoon competition’ focused on migration and refugee issues. Visitors, deeply engaged with the artwork, expressed how the illustrations powerfully depicted the struggles of refugees and influenced their perspectives on the issue.
The competition was originally launched in 2015 by Kimse Yok Mu, a humanitarian aid organization operating in Turkey. However, the Turkish government ‘unlawfully shut down’ the organization in 2016, forcing many of its employees into refugee status.
Since 2019, HRS and Time to Help volunteers have continued exhibiting the competition’s award-winning cartoons in the UK, including in cities like London and Newcastle. Due to strong public interest, the two organizations decided to continue the competition, rebranding it as ‘Humanity Cartoons’. The second and third editions were held in 2023 and 2024, respectively, and the winning artworks continue to be exhibited across the UK.
