Women for Refugee Women works across a range of media to give voice to women’s experiences in the asylum process.
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press@refugeewomen.co.uk
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Recent media coverage
June 2026
‘Purpose’ of women-only detention site questioned
BBC News, North East and Cumbria, 12 June 2026.
April 2026
Women’s rights groups challenge far right with new resource
Morning Star, 14 April 2026.
Charities “more vulnerable than ever” as far right threats spiral
Ella Glover, The Lead, 4 April 2026.
March 2026
Cutting jury trials risks ‘undermining justice’ for abused women and girls, Lammy warned
Geraldine Mckelvie, The Guardian, 17 March 2026.
Migrant charities and refugees slam Labour for throwing ‘human rights under the bus’ with temporary refugee status
Olivia Barber, Left Foot Forward, 6 March 2026.
Labour Scraps Right to Permanent Asylum for Refugees
Sophia Sheera, Novara Media, 2 March 2026.
February 2026
Migrants in court bid to halt deportations under Starmer’s controversial one-in, one-out deal with France
Holly Bancroft, The Independent, 11 February 2026.
December 2025
Sofia Bettiza, BBC News, 6 December 2025.
April 2026
‘Purpose’ of women-only detention site questioned
BBC News, North East and Cumbria, 12 June 2026.
Women’s rights groups challenge far right with new resource
Morning Star, 14 April 2026.
Charities “more vulnerable than ever” as far right threats spiral
Ella Glover, The Lead, 4 April 2026.
March 2026
Cutting jury trials risks ‘undermining justice’ for abused women and girls, Lammy warned
Geraldine Mckelvie, The Guardian, 17 March 2026.
Migrant charities and refugees slam Labour for throwing ‘human rights under the bus’ with temporary refugee status
Olivia Barber, Left Foot Forward, 6 March 2026.
Labour Scraps Right to Permanent Asylum for Refugees
Sophia Sheera, Novara Media, 2 March 2026.
February 2026
Migrants in court bid to halt deportations under Starmer’s controversial one-in, one-out deal with France
Holly Bancroft, The Independent, 11 February 2026.
December 2025
Sofia Bettiza, BBC News, 6 December 2025.
November 2025
Government’s asylum proposals ‘cross a dangerous line’, warn campaigners and MPs
Olivia Barber, Left Foot Forward, 18 November 2025.
August 2025
One year on from the riots: The real-world cost of anti-women and anti-refugee politics
Carenza Arnold, The Big Issue, 1 August.
Refugees living in the UK are terrified. Please stand with us in solidarity
Memory, The Big Issue, 17 August.
Linking sex attacks to migration is a ‘dangerous racist diversion’ warn 100 women’s rights groups
Dave Burke, The Daily Mirror, 19 August.
Anti-migrant protesters ‘hijacking women’s safety to push racist agenda’, women’s groups warn
Lottie Elton, The Big Issue, 20 August 2025.
Warning far-right has ‘hijacked’ women’s safety for political gain
Athena Stavrou, The Independent, 21 August 2025.
Children to be deported under Reform’s plan to tackle migration, Nigel Farage says
Millie Cooke, The Independent, 26 August 2025.
Nigel Farage’s weaponisation of women’s safety to further his anti-immigration stance is harmful to us all
Carenza Arnold, Left Foot Forward, 29 August 2025.
July 2025
Nadia Whittome slams ‘cruel’ asylum system as she meets LGBTQ+ refugee
Sophie Perry, Pink News, 4 July.
Influential women urge Labour to include asylum seekers in plan to tackle violence
Diane Taylor, The Guardian, 20 July.
June 2025
I followed every rule as an asylum-seeker – I was still detained.
Agnes Tanoh, The Metro, 17 June 2025.
May 2025
Work ban forcing 10% of UK female asylum seekers into sex work
Diane Taylor, The Guardian, 7 May 2025.
March 2025
Women seeking asylum in UK allege sexual abuse in mixed-sex hotels
Shanti Das, The Observer, 23rd March 2025.
February 2025
‘It’s about dignity’: Birmingham asylum-seekers join skills display outside Parliament in call to end work ban.
Hannah Graham, Birmingham World, 28th February 2025.
January 2025
Elon Musk is Accidentally Helping to Raise Thousands for Progressive Causes in the UK
Josiah Mortimer, Byline Times, 27th January 2025.
December 2024
Home Office move-on period: Refugees and charities ‘relieved’, but extension must be permanent
Olivia Barber, Left Foot Forward, 13th December 2024.
November 2024
The ‘Hostile’ Deadline Forcing Refugees Into Destitution and Indignity on British Streets
Lauren Crosby Medlicott, Byline Times, 6th November 2024.
Recognising the tragic phenomena of ‘climate refugees’
North East Bylines, 16th November 2024.
Staying alive: Self-organising for survival
A Seeds for Change Podcast: ‘Community Organisers in Conversation’ with Loraine Mponela, Mariam Yusuf and Olivia Namutebi, 27th November 2024.
October 2024
Scabies, sexual harassment & racism: inside the UK’s asylum hotels
Sian Norris, Open Democracy, 14th October 2024.
September 2024
Diane Taylor, The Guardian, 3rd September 2024.
Unfit to Practice: Plus Making Billions
Corporate Watch, 5th September 2024.
‘I came here for safety and I’ve come into danger’: The grim reality of life in asylum hotels for women
Lauren Crosby Medlicott, Big Issue, 15th September 2024.
August 2024
How to help asylum seekers and refugees after riots across UK
Isabella Mcrae and Greg Barradale, The Big Issue, 5th August 2024.
How to support communities during the ongoing riots in the UK
Chiara Wilkinson, Time Out, 6th August 2024.
Lauren Crosby Medlicott, The Lead, 9th August 2024.
June 2024
Agnes Tanoh, Spokesperson Facilitator at Women for Refugee Women and photographer Oscar Mucyo speak about ‘Voices Unveiled’ an exhibition in Coventry
Trish Adudu, BBC Radio CWR (10:22 minutes to 10:31 minutes), 21st June 2024.
May 2024
Lauren Crosby Medlicott, The Lead, 31st May 2024.
April 2024
Eleftheria Kousta, Fair Planet, 16th April 2024.
Rwanda Act: ‘I’ve Spoken To Countless Female Refugees Who Are Terrified’
Georgia Aspinall in conversation with our director Alphonsine Kabagabo, Grazia, 26th April 2024.
March 2024
Amber O’Connor, Cosmopolitan, 8th March 2024.
International Women’s Day 2024: 10 change-making charities that support women today and every day
Amy Beecham, Stylist, 8th March 2024.
I faced the death penalty because I was gay, but I was unsafe in Britain too
Lauren Crosby Medlicott, on behalf of ‘Faith’, The Metro, 11th March 2024.
February 2024
Lauren Crosby Medlicott, on behalf of ‘Anu’, The Metro, 6th February 2024.
“The waiting is terrible, I wake up screaming”: thousands living in limbo amid UK asylum backlog
Sian Norris, The Observer, 11th February 2024.
December 2023
Global Refugee Forum takes stock of international response to the biggest human displacement in history
Alex Whiteman, Arab News, 14th December 2023.
November 2023
Braverman sacked: The Home Secretary’s controversial record
Samantha Dulieu, The Justice Gap, 13th November 2023.
October 2023
Prison Inspectorate raises concerns for worrying decline in safety at Yarl’s Wood
Ceren Sagir, The Morning Star, 4th October 2023.
After one year as Prime Minister, here’s everything Rishi Sunak has done for women
Kimberley Bond and Amber O’Connor, Cosmopolitan, 25th October 2023.
Flooded Portaloos and outbreaks of scabies: Activists want ‘appalling’ Manston asylum centre closed
Charlotte Elton, The Big Issue, 26th October 2023.
My parents ordered female genital mutilation to take the devil out of me
‘Anu’ (a Rainbow Sister), The Metro, 28th October 2023.
September 2023
‘Shameful, cruel and dangerous’ Braverman’s ‘absurd and outrageous’ plans to overhaul international refugee conventions condemned
Ceren Sagir, The Morning Star, 26th September 2023
Suella Braverman slammed for ‘appalling’ comments about LGBTQ+ asylum seekers
Alex Daniel, Indy100, 26th September 2023
EXCLUSIVE: 129 LGBTQI+ PEOPLE HELD IN UK ASYLUM CENTRES
Lauren Crosby Medlicott, The Lead, 27th September 2023
Suella Braverman sinks to new low saying asylum seekers pretend to be gay for ‘special treatment’
Charlotte Elton, The Big Issue, 28th September 2023
Suella Braverman undermines the UN Refugee Convention and shames Britain
North East Bylines, 28th September 2023
July 2023
UK: Campaign calls on Sainsbury’s, IKEA & Bravissimo to end contracts with Mitie following concerns over conditions in immigration detention centres it runs
Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, 10th July 2023
Our CEO Alphonsine Kabagabo on Channel 5 News speaking in response to the passage of the ‘Illegal’ Migration Bill
Andy Bell, Channel 5 News, 18th July 2023
June 2023
What sort of nation goes back to indefinitely detaining children, asks bishop
Ed Thornton, The Church Times, 12th June 2023
Migrants ask Sainsbury’s, IKEA, and Bravissimo to boycott Mitie
Jasmine Owens, Ethical Consumer, 16th June 2023
Horrific levels of violence and racism among immigration staff as suspensions double
Aaron Walawalkar and Nick Sommerlad, Daily Mirror, 25th June 2023
Investigation reveals catalogue of racism, excessive force and violence by immigration centre staff
Peter Lazenby, The Morning Star, 25th June 2023
Brighton hotel where 136 asylum-seeking children went missing to reopen
Katherine Hearst, Middle East Eye, 27th June 2023
May 2023
Times Letters: Joint letter on the Illegal Migration Bill
The Times, 11th May 2023
Indefinite detention: the implications of the Illegal Migration Bill for pregnant women
Kirsty Kitchen and Gemma Lousley, The British Medical Journal, 18th May 2023
The Illegal Migration Bill’s Proposed Treatment Of Pregnant Women Is An Absolute Disgrace
Nell Frizzell, British Vogue, 28th May 2023
April 2023
Shunned and Disbelieved: The threat of the new asylum laws to bi and lesbian women
Lauren Crosby-Medlicott, The Lead, 2 April 2023
Women for Refugee Women: All legal advice surgeries in immigration detention are now face-to-face following Home Office change
Electronic Immigration Network, 14 April 2023
Hackney brewery joins forces with refugee women to condemn government’s illegal migration bill
Olivia Barber, Hackney Citizen, 25 April 2023
The government is refusing to protect pregnant asylum seekers – here’s how to take a stand
Lauren Crosby-Medlicott, The Stylist, 28 April 2023
Braverman’s Illegal Migration Bill is an Attack on Pregnant Women
Carenza Arnold, The Lead, 28 April 2023
March 2023
International Women’s Day 2023: 9 change-making charities that support women today and every day
Amy Beecham, Stylist, 8 March 2023
Report by Women for Refugee Women looks at the experiences of lesbian and bisexual women seeking asylum in the UK
Electronic Immigration Network, 13 March 2023
Hundreds gather outside parliament to protest government’s Illegal Migration Bill
Oliver Browning, The Independent, 14 March 2023
UK government denied lesbian refugee ‘because she’d been married to a man’
Patrick Kelleher, Pink News, 15 March 2023




