Since 2017, Amnesty International has been part of a global movement to open up new pathways to safety through community sponsorship.
Community sponsorship programmes bring together governments, civil society, and organizations like the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to empower local people and communities – known as “sponsors” – to welcome refugees and support them as they rebuild their lives. Sponsors provide emotional support and assist with practical tasks like finding housing, enrolling children in school, and learning the local language.
Thanks to this collective effort, more than one million refugees have been welcomed by millions of sponsors worldwide. We have spoken to people in Argentina, Australia, Ireland and the UK whose stories reveal the transformative impact sponsorship can have.
Below, Khairun and Belén, members of the Welcome Committee, a group set up by Amnesty International colleagues in 2017, catch up with Hatem, his son Anes and the rest of their family, from Iraq, who now live in London, and reflect on the power of community.
Khairun’s story
Two colleagues and I from the Refugee team at Amnesty International set up the Welcome Committee in 2017 – the first workplace sponsorship group of its kind – at a time when Europe was responding to people fleeing conflict in the Middle East. We wanted to do something practical to support refugees and it coincided with the establishment of a community sponsorship programme in the UK.
We held a talk about community sponsorship and the Welcome Committee at work and asked people to sign up. It was heart-warming to see how many people were keen to join in and extend a warm welcome. Even though I’d been at Amnesty for a while, I didn’t know many people outside the programme I was in, so it was a great experience to connect with others from across the organization.
When Hatem and his family first arrived, I was in organizing mode, so I didn’t pause and take in everything that was happening. Some parts were challenging but once you have a solid group, you can figure out how to overcome most challenges. We organized a party for one of Hatem’s children in a local hall. Members of the group and their families were there.
My mum who was visiting remarked ‘All these people have come to help?!’ She was blown away by it. This was the spirit of the group.
Over time, I was able to take a step back and appreciate what we’d done and form a friendship with the family, who I find incredibly inspiring. They have been through a lot yet always see the positive in living and making the most of life in London. It’s not been easy by any means, but their positivity and ability to live and enjoy life is something I admire.
Being based in a workplace, colleagues were supportive and contributed to what we did. Members of the group from Amnesty were given the flexibility to support the family during working hours so we could attend appointments without taking time off. We all worked in different areas of human rights, but to see how we could all work together was really incredible.
Hatem’s story
I was forced out of Iraq after suffering attacks. I tried to survive, but it got to the point where my family and I had to leave the country, so we went to live in Türkiye. I was working as a carpenter, from 7am to 11pm and my employers would withhold my pay. I had no rights, I had nothing. We faced lots of problems in Türkiye. My kids could not go outside because they were rejected in the local area. I wasn’t even allowed to register them in school because of the language barrier.
We survived like this for several years. Three members of my family had health problems, so they had to go to the hospital regularly. The hospitals were unable to provide the necessary care – my infant son had excess water in his brain and they didn’t have the equipment to carry out the surgery.
I went to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to tell them my son would die if they didn’t help me. Soon after, someone contacted me and offered my family and I the opportunity to live in London. I received an introductory letter from the Welcome Committee, I just felt like ‘WOW’! I felt as though I was swimming in a big sea and someone had offered me a hand.
When I heard I would be met by a group of people [the Welcome Committee] at the airport, I was nervous. When I arrived, seven people were waiting for me with flowers. It felt good, especially for my son. We were starting from zero again. I knew it was going to be a challenge, but I’d done it before, and I knew I could do it again.
What the Welcome Committee did for my family when we arrived was like magic. They helped us settle into life and had everything in order – from healthcare to education. If I talk to you from now until tomorrow, I wouldn’t be able to cover everything they did for us as a family. For example, when I had an appointment with my son, they would pick me up from home, take me to the hospital together with an Arabic speaker who helped to translate for me, and then take me home.
Now, we all have a passion for our future. I am in my second year of my engineering degree – I am really proud to be at university. I have learnt to speak English. I did online courses and I speak to people as much as possible to improve my skills.
Being sponsored has been the best experience. They inspired me to work with other refugee groups too – where possible, I now try and help with translations. Our sponsors became our friends – friends who guided us, helped us with documents and to appointments – and changed our lives. I’ve tried to stay in touch with as many members of the group of possible. I care about them all and I will always be there for them too.
Belén’s story
The day after Hatem and his family arrived, I went to the flat to start providing support, guiding them through the neighbourhood. They were so open to the group and welcoming us into their new home. There was an instant connection.
We had Arabic speaking befrienders –volunteers around the area who worked with us. We used to go to Hatem’s flat in pairs for that extra language support. When people are presented with a way of helping, they just jump into it. For example, I didn’t have a car and we needed to take stuff to the flat. One of my friends who was following everything we were doing helped us drive donated things to the flat, and my partner helped me collect a couch from the other side of London with a van we rented. It really went beyond the group and we had so many cheerleaders.
Love goes further than we think. I remember walking the kids to school and taking their daughter to the community centre – I was blown away by their trust. All of a sudden you welcome people as if they are family – and they become family. It’s been an emotional revelation.
Anes (L) and Welcome Committee members Belén (C) and Khairun (R), at a local market in South London
Anes’ story
I was 13 years old when I arrived in the UK to see a group of seven people welcoming us with flowers. It was nice to come here – I had been out of school for three years. I started school on the second day I arrived. It was crazy – I experienced so much change so quickly. I started in Year 8 – and it was challenging for me. I didn’t have time to study the language, but I picked it up and passed my exams. For me, my proudest moment is being able to redo my whole life again and being able to return to education after three and a half years.
I’ve been able to start from scratch and build a new life – and future – hopefully.
I think it’s a good idea to support people in need. I used to live in Türkiye and I managed to leave. But there are still millions of people in the same situation, as well as tens of thousands in Türkiye, so you can see if you support these people how life can change.