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Leading Questions column, Society Guardian: Stories of hope and courage

Sandy Buchan, chief executive, Refugee Action

Interview by Ella Marshall

Why is the charity needed?

Someone has to stand up for refugees and asylum seekers' rights in the UK.

In what ways are we failing?

There is an absence of respect for some of the world's bravest people.

Where has Refugee Action succeeded in the past?

It took a leading role in enabling Vietnamese, Kosovan and Bosnian refugees to develop their own communities in the UK following major humanitarian disasters.

In what way does Refugee Action work with other agencies to achieve goals?

We work closely with the Refugee Council and Amnesty International, as well as scores of local agencies around the country.

Describe your involvement in the charity.

I have worked with refugees since 1979 and have been chief executive of Refugee Action since 1993. There is no other job I would rather do because asylum seekers bring together all of the most important issues in our world today.

What is the refugee awareness project?

It offers people from local communities the chance to meet refugees, hear their personal stories and find out the facts rather than relying on myths. It seeks to engage with people's fears rather than to preach at them.

What myths do you seek to dispel?

That asylum seekers get to jump the queue for nice flats and free mobile phones - or that they are criminals and terrorists. In surveys, people think we host 23% of the world's refugees; in fact, we host 3%.

What lessons has your job taught you?

To listen to what service users and staff tell you. They are the people who know what the burning issues are, and who often have the solutions to them.

How do you maintain your team's morale?

Staff have a tremendous commitment to the cause, and a large proportion are themselves refugees. I help staff channel their enthusiasm into finding solutions to the problems our clients face. For every story of loss and inhumanity, there is a story of hope and courage.

What has been your most successful campaign?

Alongside others, we campaigned against section 55, which was making asylum seekers destitute before they could even get a decision on their claim. It was defeated in the courts.

What's the most testing part of the job?

The incessant twists and turns of government policy around asylum seekers and refugees and the way they impact on our clients, the staff and the organisation.

Your proudest achievement?

Leading Refugee Action through some of the most difficult times that refugees have encountered in the UK since the second world war.

About this article

This article appeared in the Guardian on Wednesday January 30 2008 on p10 of the Society news & features section. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jan/30/5