As we come to the end of the year, many of us will be spending time with family at home. Some will be celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah, while others take a moment to rest and recover after a long year.

For people seeking safety, this is not an option. The festive period is no different from any other time of year. There is no pause, no sense of security, and no respite. Many remain trapped in uncertainty.

When people are forced to flee persecution and violence, they lose far more than a physical home. They lose their sense of belonging, their community, and the people they love. Starting again in a new country requires access to those same foundations — stability, connection, and support — in order to feel safe and rebuild a sense of home.

Instead, governments in the UK and Greece are denying people on the move access to stability and connection. Political decisions increasingly prioritise far-right support over humanity.

In the UK, new Home Office proposals will further isolate people and keep them living under constant uncertainty. It is impossible to feel safe or plan for the future when deportation remains a constant threat.

In Greece, new laws criminalise people whose asylum claims are refused and impose heavy fines on those without documentation. People seeking safety are left living in fear and confusion.

For years, people seeking protection have been told that they must integrate. But integration is impossible when policies and laws are deliberately designed to shut people out. During the festive season, when ideas of home and belonging are everywhere, these barriers feel especially cruel.

When the law is used to strip people of their rights and push them into further harm, legal support becomes essential. It is often the only way to fight back.

Legal support can open the door to the basics that make somewhere feel like home again — secure legal status, housing, healthcare, community, and the chance to reunite with family. Sometimes, even knowing that someone is on your side can make a profound difference.

At Refugee Legal Support, we provide vital legal assistance where it is most urgently needed, often in places where others do not go.

Our lawyers respond quickly to changes in policy and law, travelling to areas where people have little or no access to reliable information. When the “one in, one out” scheme was announced, we were the first organisation on the ground in northern France explaining what it meant for people at the border. In Greece, we visit refugee camps in rural areas where access to services and transport to Athens is limited or nonexistent. These visits are essential in preventing the spread of misinformation and ensuring people understand their rights when new laws are introduced.

We also work closely with communities to help people take back control over their own lives. We support communities to make their voices heard and to influence decision-makers. When the UK government dismissed the Afghan community’s fears following a data leak that put their families at risk, we carried out a survey to document the lived experiences of those affected. The findings contributed to a Parliamentary call for evidence on the issue.

Through partnerships with local organisations, we ensure that people living in under-served areas can access vital legal information. In Wethersfield asylum accommodation, our weekly workshops help residents understand the asylum process and prepare for interviews. For many people there, this is their only source of legal support.

Alongside outreach and information, we provide in-depth legal assistance at every stage of the asylum journey. This includes supporting people who have been imprisoned for arriving in the UK, helping families navigate reunion procedures, assisting Afghans abandoned by UK government schemes, and representing people in Greece who are trapped in a dysfunctional asylum system.

As governments continue to target people on the move, our work has never been more important. Without support, many people are left to navigate hostile systems alone, struggling to rebuild their lives and find a place they can call home.

As a grassroots organisation, our work is only possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters. We are seeking to raise £8,000 to continue providing this vital legal support into 2026.

A donation of £25 could help provide post-release support to someone imprisoned for seeking safety. £50 could support outreach visits to refugee camps where people urgently need legal information. £100 could help prepare someone for their asylum interview.

If you can, please consider supporting our campaign. Everyone deserves the chance to spend the festive period with their loved ones, in safety, and in a place they can truly call home.

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