Wales has a long history of welcoming those fleeing persecution. It is estimated that there are 10,000 refugees in Wales, which is about 0.3% of the population.

Barriers to accessing healthcare can arise from immigration status. It is important to understand the rights of asylum seekers and refugees. As defined by Amnesty International, ‘an asylum seeker is a person who has left their country and is seeking protection from persecution and serious human rights violations in another country, but who hasn't yet been legally recognized as a refugee and is waiting to receive a decision on their asylum claim’.

In this podcast episode, Dr Ashra Khanom talks about her work which aims to address the needs of people seeking sanctuary, including how they access healthcare services.