The Experts By Experience Podcast

In this special collaboration for Refugee Week, Refugee Action is joined by Roula Kheder (Routes to Employment Project Manager) and Wieke Vink (Head of Programmes) of the London-based social enterprise Routes.

The duo from Routes talk about community as a superpower and routes to employment for women from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds.
Have a listen to hear Wieke and Roula in conversation about the meaning of work, barriers and opportunities for accessing employment and what different actors can do to support employability and refugee rights in London and across the UK. 

Important update: in the Government Guidance for Apprenticeship Funding Rules for August 2025 to July 2026, it has been outlined that asylum-seekers cannot access apprenticeship funding. This makes campaigns like the Lift the Ban campaign by refugee leadership (organised by Refugee Action and Asylum Matters, and supported by Routes) all the more relevant - for those who are able to work, to have the right to work.

Despite common misconceptions and misinformation, many people seeking asylum in the UK would like to be able to access the labour market and contribute, but they are prevented from doing so. This is counterproductive to everyone involved - and leaves a whole talent pool of people unable to be part of workplaces.

Please note: the Routes to Employment Research Report, that is mentioned in this podcast, was written before the latest update to the Government Guidance. Any recent policy changes regarding apprenticeship funding structures - or wider changes within the UK asylum system - are not reflected in the Routes report or in this podcast. Please be aware that rules and rights are subject to constant change. Because of this, it is always important to get advice on how any of the rules might apply to your individual case.

Routes and Refugee Action stand in solidarity for refugee rights, and access to employment for all.

For more information, please visit https://routescollective.com/routes-to-employment

The rich and often overlooked aspects of Black history have deeply impacted today’s generation. In this final takeover by the RAS Voice, the panel explores the vital need to reclaim the narrative, challenging dominant histories and amplifying Black voices, challenging the Eurocentric lens through which history has been traditionally told, and amplifying the voices that have long been silenced.

The conversation highlights the significance of colours and symbolism in Black culture, the powerful role of Black women in leadership, and their enduring influence in shaping history. With an examination of colonialism’s lasting effects, the panel unpacks how historical injustices continue to shape societal structures today. Through candid discussions, the podcast fosters a space for education, empowerment, and a reimagining of Black history that centres truth, resilience, and progress.

⁠Jason Thomas-Fournillier ⁠ hosts this episode alongside ⁠Nico Ndlovu⁠, Catherine Lebadou⁠ and Jonathan Kazembe.

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The UK’s asylum system is in crisis—but those with lived experience are stepping up to push for real change. Lived experience groups are vital because they bring the voices of those directly impacted by the asylum system into the conversation. They challenge policies, advocate for fairer treatment, and push for meaningful change.

⁠Catherine Lebadou⁠ hosts this episode alongside Jonathan Kazembe, the EbE manager at Refugee Action, Patrick Masebo, the EBE coordinator at MRSN and Sarbaz, a member of RAS Voice and the EbE Steering group at Refugee Action.

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Cultural differences enrich our communities, offering fresh perspectives and fostering creativity. By learning from each other's traditions and stories, we build more profound understanding, break down barriers, and create a more inclusive, vibrant Britain where diversity becomes our greatest strength.

In this episode, RAS Voice takes over the EbE Podcast and explores the tapestry of cultural differences and festivities through the lens of their experiences. RAS Voice is a campaign group represented by refugees and people seeking asylum supported by Refugee Action.

Catherine Lebadou hosts this episode alongside Nico Ndlovu, the creator of the Siyakhuluma podcast, Anusha and Jason Thomas-Fournillier .

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In this episode, the EbE podcast, in collaboration with Kalayaan, dives into the ongoing campaign advocating for the Right to Work (RTW) for all survivors in the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), with a focus on migrant domestic workers (MDWs). The conversation begins by unpacking the NRM, highlighting the unequal RTW provisions for MDW survivors, and exploring the background of most domestic workers in the UK, who often face immense financial pressure to support families overseas.

The panel discusses the profound human and welfare costs of denying the RTW to survivors, the Kalyaan campaign, and its connection to Refugee Action’s Lift the Ban campaign, which similarly advocates for the RTW for asylum seekers and draws attention to broader labour rights issues for vulnerable populations.

Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn.⁠⁠

Aamna Mohdin, a celebrated journalist and author, serves as the Guardian’s Community Affairs Correspondent, where she delves into issues of race and inequality.

In this episode, the host, Azadeh Hosseini, talks with Aamna about her compelling new book, Scattered: The Making and Unmaking of a Refugee.

In 2015, Aamna travelled to Calais to report from the heart of the refugee crisis. Upon returning to London, a casual conversation with her parents reminded her that Aamna had once been a refugee.

Scattered is a breathtaking and genuine narrative of displacement and its profound costs and far-reaching consequences. With Aamna’s unique perspective, this powerful story transforms into an epic tale of resilience and hope.

Refugees and people seeking asylum regularly face multiple layered barriers while settling in the U.K., often preventing them from flourishing in their potential and fully regaining their confidence in our society.

The barriers manifest themselves on personal, social, cultural, financial and political levels.

We often hear about asylum seekers and refugees 'unwillingness' to integrate and contribute to society but less about the barriers they face from the moment they arrive in the U.K., which renders the integration relatively complex.

These barriers are the product of racism embedded within the U.K. immigration system that demonises migrants, particularly vulnerable people, seeking safety in this country. People are banned from seeking employment and have limited access to essential services because of their immigration status and, on top of all, harmful and toxic rhetoric politicians, media and policymakers perpetuate.

In this episode, the panellists delve into Removing Barriers to Power and dismantle existing barriers' main roots.

Azadeh Hosseini hosts this episode with the Refugee Action CEO, Tim Naor Hilton, alongside Mo Omar, the Refugee Action Head of EbE and Partnership, Mery, an EbE and a member of the Pathway to Work program and Halyma Begum, Global Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, Equity and Culture Membership Manager at DIAL Global and one of the Refugee Action's trustees.

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2023 is almost over as the second season of the Experts by Experience Podcast season.

The past year was challenging for our sector, and the next year won't be easier. Regardless, our crowd is resilient and defiant and won't stop until justice prevails.

For the Christmas Special episode, we invited some of our wonderful supporters to join the panel and, share their Christmas traditions and experiences with our audience, and talk about their work and relationship with Refugee Action.

Azadeh Hosseini hosts this episode with guests Louisa Jones, one of our supporters who's supporting us through the Home Made project alongside Dr Charlotte Wilson and Sairah Rehman from the Co-Op Foundation, and Sam Harris and David Boyd from Legal firm Clifford Chance.

The Christmas music used in this episode is:

We Wish You a Merry Christmas by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/

Noel by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://audionautix.com/

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We are back after almost two months of summer break.

In the UK, 105,522 people are living in what is called ‘asylum accommodation’. Of these, 56,029 are in what’s referred to as dispersal accommodation, and 49,493 are in temporary or ‘contingency’ accommodation in hotels. The legislation governs this are sections 98, 95, and 4 of the 1999 Immigration Act, which states that people who claim asylum in the UK should be provided with accommodation to prevent them from becoming homeless. Instead of providing housing through local authorities or housing associations, the Home Office has outsourced accommodation provision to private providers who operate on a profit-based model. Since 2019, three companies have held these contracts – Mears, Serco and Clearsprings Ready Homes. Although they carry out immigration functions and have statutory responsibilities, private providers aim to generate profit. The largest of these providers is Serco, a company specialising in prisons and detention, operating six adult prisons in the UK.

Tara Povey hosts this episode with panellists ⁠Dr Jonathan Darling⁠ , Elika Ansari, Raman and Daisy (not her real name), and they dismantle the UK dispersal policy and share their insights and personal experiences of dispersal accommodation.

Books mentioned in this episode are:

1- Systems of Suffering: Dispersal and the Denial of Asylum by Dr Jonathan Darling

2- The Five Stages of Moria: The Worst Refugee Camp on Earth by Elika Ansari

Azadeh Hosseini, the Communication and engagement officer at Refugee Action, produced and edited this episode.

If you like to take action, fight the hostile environment and support asylum seekers, please visit ⁠⁠Refugee Action.⁠⁠

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The Experts by Experience podcast celebrates National Poetry Day with the theme of Refuge in collaboration with Forward Arts Foundation.

Forward Arts Foundation is responsible for National Poetry Day, an annual mass celebration of poetry encouraging all to enjoy, discover and share poetry. As the art form’s most visible moment, it showcases how poetry adds value to society.

Poems penetrate our souls and touch the deepest parts of our hearts the way perhaps thousands of articles or news pieces cannot do so. Poets can communicate emotions directly to many and are an excellent tool for people with lived experiences in the asylum system to express their pains, trauma, and frustration.

Nicola Davies, an author and poet alongside Jason Thomas-Fournillier , an EbE, an LGBTQ+ campaigner and an active member of RAS voice with Sarah Croft, the Head of Drama at Litchfield Cathedral school, explores the admirable utility of a poem that lends itself to expressing such diverse emotions.

Books mentioned in this podcast are:

Azadeh Hosseini, the Communication and engagement officer at Refugee Action, produced and edited this episode.

If you like to take action, fight the hostile environment and support asylum seekers, please visit ⁠⁠Refugee Action.⁠⁠

Follow us on ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and ⁠⁠LinkedIn.