Crossing Borders

About us:

Crossing Borders is a national network of students interested in refugee healthcare issues. We work to improve the health of refugees and asylum seekers through practical action, education, awareness raising and campaigning.

Campaigns

We are working with GhAP on the defend primary healthcare campaign, which aims to ensure free healthcare for refused asylum seekers. See the defend primary healthcare webpage for more details on how to get involved in this exciting and important campaign.

Projects

We have a variety of voluntary projects across the country; from helping refugee doctors retrain to practice in the UK to running introductory sessions on the NHS for refugee groups.

Education

We work to get refugee and asylum seeker health issues into medical school curricula across the country. If you want your med school to teach you more about these issues then get in touch, we have resources and advice that can help you.

Interested?

For more resources, details or information contact Kushalinii.

Or visit crossingborders.org.uk for more information.

Who are Refugees?

A refugee is defined by the United Nations Convention relating to Refugees as 'any person who, owing to a well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of their nationality and is unable, or owing to such fear, is unwiliing to avail themselves of the protection of that country.'

There is estimated to be over 40 million refugees and displaced persons worldwide. People leave the world's trouble spots for many reasons. The experience of becoming a refugee is not a pleasant one, with long-term physical and psychological problems a well-documented feature.

What is the "Refugee Experience"?

Each person has individual and differing physical, psychological and social experiences of having to flee their homeland. This depends upon the circumstances of their departure, reason for leaving and many other complex factors. 40% of refugees are estimated to have suffered severe trauma, such as witnessing killings - often of their own family members. Many have survived detention, physical violence, rape and perilous journeys. Two-thirds of refugees worldwide are women and girls, whose husbands, brothers and other male relatives may be caught in conflict, already dead or have simply disappeared; however the majority seeking asylum in the Western world are male.

Two important definitions:

Asylum seeker: a person that has applied for asylum whose application is currently being reviewed. Such people do not have an indefinite right to stay and may have their application accepted or rejected as decided by the Home Office.
Refugee: an asylum seeker who has successfully been granted asylum by the Home Office according to criteria laid down by the UN. Exceptional leave to remain can be granted by the Home Office if it considers it dangerous for the applicant to return to their country at this moment in time - but this is not asylum.