City of Sanctuary and STAR (Student Action for Refugees) are calling on Higher Education Institutions in the UK to sign a pledge stating their commitment to the UNHCR goal of 15% of refugees worldwide having access to higher education by 2050. The pledge (which should be signed by senior leadership at HEIs in the UK) can be found here.

In December last year the UN General Assembly completed the signing of the Global Compact on Refugees. The compact is seen as a vision of shared responsibility in which governments, international organisations and wider civil society can all play a role. Every four years a global refugee forum will be convened to monitor its progress with the first to be held in Geneva in December 2019. Stakeholders from all areas of society are encouraged to pledge contributions to the Global Compact for Refugees.

There are now 13 universities in the UK that have been recognised as Universities of Sanctuary with many others working on applications. We are encouraging all members of this growing network to use their shared influence to create a more hospitable environment for sanctuary seekers in the UK, and around the world.