The Catholic Media Association has awarded a film produced in Poland by Jesuit Refugee Service USA, which tells the story of Ukrainian refugees in that country. The production received first prize in the category of social justice issues. The film offers a poignant portrayal of the challenges faced by Ukrainian refugees and the solidarity extended by the Polish community. The documentary features firsthand accounts from refugees, volunteers, and JRS Poland staff, led by director Dariusz Michalski, providing an intimate look into their experiences and the humanitarian response Catholic Media Awards Recognition The Catholic Media Association's annual awards celebrate excellence in Catholic media across various categories. The "Best Video – Social Justice Issues" category acknowledges productions that effectively raise awareness and inspire action on social justice topics. This year's award underscores the film's powerful storytelling and its contribution to fostering understanding and compassion for refugees. Impact of the Film The documentary has been instrumental in shedding light on the plight of Ukrainian refugees and the efforts of JRS in providing essential services such as shelter, education, and psychosocial support. By capturing the human stories behind the crisis, the film has mobilized support and advocacy for displaced individuals, aligning with JRS's mission to accompany, serve, and advocate for refugees worldwide.

JRS UK has recently published its last report entitled “Accessing legal advice in detention: becoming an impossibility”. The report draws on research from Heathrow Immigration Removal Centre, Accessing legal advice in detention: becoming an impossibility exposes severe dysfunction in the Detained Duty Advice Scheme (DDAS), with only 38% of those surveyed receiving any legal representation. Key findings include: Many detained people never receive the legal consultation they’re entitled to under the Detained Duty Advice Scheme (DDAS). Legal advisors often lack capacity, leaving even strong cases without representation. Automatic legal representation under the Detained Asylum Casework (DAC) system frequently fails. Remote provision of legal advice, leaving vulnerable people confused and vulnerabilities going unnoticed. Legal advisors declining to take on cases requiring Exceptional Case Funding. Poor quality and incomplete legal representation This lack of timely and effective legal support leaves detainees at greater risk of wrongful deportation, prolonged detention, and separation from their families. David Ryall, Director of JRS UK, said: “This report confirms what JRS UK encounters time and again: people in immigration detention are being denied access to justice. Without legal advice, people face separation from their families and return to countries where they are at risk of persecution or even death. This is a profound moral failure. It is the result of deep-rooted systemic issues with the functioning of legal aid for asylum and immigration cases, combined with structural problems in immigration detention itself. Urgent action is needed.” The report calls for urgent reform to legal aid provision and a reconsideration of the use of detention as a tool of immigration control. Recommendations from JRS UK include automatic legal appointments with clear communication and interpreter access; a Legal Aid Agency review of DDAS providers to improve quality and capacity; and in-person legal support at detention centres. Download the full report here: Accessing legal advice in detention July 2025 The Jesuit Refugee Service UK (JRS UK) is the refugee agency of the Jesuits in Britain, accompanying, serving and advocating for the rights of refugees and people seeking asylum. To find out more about the work please visit the website here.

Brussels, 24 June 2025 — On this day, JRS Europe had the privilege of joining civil society actors, faith-based organizations, and frontline workers at the Voices of Hope event – a powerful gathering that amplified the lived experiences and aspirations of migrants and refugees in Europe. Hosted in Brussels, the event spotlighted inspiring initiatives supporting the integration and empowerment of displaced people, especially women and children. The event opened with a deeply personal reflection from Raymond A. Parcon, representing JRS Europe. He spoke not only as a member of JRS but also as someone who has lived the journey of migration firsthand. His words underscored the shared humanity that binds us all and the vital role of accompaniment in JRS’s mission. The Mariama Project: Empowering Young Women on the Margins Sr. Marie Vaillant, FMA, from the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco Ganshoren, presented the Mariama Project – a shining example of compassionate and targeted support for young migrant women. Aimed at girls aged 17 to 21, the project responds to the alarming vulnerabilities faced by migrant minors, particularly those at risk of modern-day slavery, exploitation, and social exclusion. Through six dedicated places in the Ganshoren boarding school, young women are provided not just shelter, but holistic care – including psychosocial support from the Umoya collective, educational guidance, and pathways toward work or further study. Sr. Vaillant highlighted the strength and courage of the girls in the program and called for greater attention to gender-specific migration challenges. The School of Peace: Building Bridges Through Education Mr. Natan Phuati Nzita, from the Community of Sant’Egidio, shared the impact of their School of Peace Project, which offers free, non-formal education to children, many of whom come from migrant or disadvantaged backgrounds. With warmth and conviction, Nzita described how the initiative fosters a culture of peace, where friendship, respect, and intercultural exchange flourish. In a time when children are often the most affected by forced migration, the School of Peace becomes a vital sanctuary. Language support, cultural engagement, and after-school tutoring help migrant children find a sense of belonging while improving their academic and social skills. The Livelihood Project: Restoring Dignity and Confidence Mr. Vincenzo Chiaiese, also from JRS Europe, closed the presentations with insights from JRS’s Livelihood Project, which supports socio-economic inclusion for refugees and migrants across Europe. Drawing from the latest regional report, Chiaiese highlighted best practices and shared stories of resilience and innovation from diverse local contexts. By centering the voices of those directly affected and promoting community-driven solutions, the Livelihood Project reinforces the importance of empowerment through meaningful work and education.  

In a world still marked by displacement, uncertainty, and deep inequality, the mission of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Europe remains clear and urgent: to accompany, serve, and advocate for refugees and forcibly displaced people. As crises evolve and new challenges emerge, our presence—across borders, languages, and cultures—remains rooted in compassion, commitment, and concrete action. Throughout 2024, our teams across Europe walked alongside more than 198.000 individuals seeking protection, stability, and dignity. This accompaniment took many forms: legal support, pastoral care, mental health services, education in emergencies, peacebuilding, and the simple but radical act of listening. Behind these actions is a vibrant network of nearly 800 professional staff and over 6,900 volunteers, active in 241 locations across 23 European countries. With the help of partners, donors, and communities, our country offices invested over €29 million to respond to needs and uphold the rights of those who are too often left on the margins. For full details on numbers and project highlights: Download THE 2024 ANNUAL REPORT.

JRS Europe brought together regional and country directors and staff for the Regional Coordination Meeting (RCM) and Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Sarajevo last week. Hosted by JRS Bosnia and Herzegovina, the meetings offered a vital space for reflection, learning, and strategic alignment as the network continues to respond to the evolving realities of people on the move in Europe. RCM: Continuing walking towards the next strategic framework. The RCM opened with a thoughtful overview of the Jesuit context in Europe by Dalibor Renic, SJ. Stanko Perica, SJ, then led a compelling session on migration trends in the Balkans and broader European context, prompting participants to reflect on their national realities and how these should shape a shared European strategic framework. Throughout the two-day meeting, participants exchanged best practices and lessons learned from recent years, highlighting both the challenges faced and the innovations developed by country offices. A dedicated session on the One Proposal allowed the network to assess its impact three years after the war in Ukraine began and to explore how to further strengthen coordinated responses. The final day of the RCM was focused on advancing in the drafting of the next strategic framework, which will come into effect in 2026. Sessions aimed at reflecting on the work done internally to develop it through a participatory process and discussing the key findings from the network’s feedback on topics like mission, identity, programme development priorities and capacity building. AGM: exploring diversity and hospitality in the Balkans The AGM, held immediately after the RCM, offered an opportunity to deepen the focus on local realities, starting with a warm welcome from the JRS teams in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. Afterwards, Sarajevo Mufti Nedžad Grabus highlighted the spiritual and humanitarian importance of accompanying people on the move in the region, emphasizing not only the rich religious diversity in the region but the importance of interfaith dialogue and action. The rest of the AGM featured participatory workshops tackling the unique challenges of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s role as a transit country, interfaith collaboration for social cohesion, and strengthening partnerships with state institutions. These sessions, led by colleagues from across the region, sparked dynamic conversations on how to better serve displaced communities while reinforcing JRS’s mission of hospitality and accompaniment. Participants also visited key field sites, including the Temporary Reception Centre Ušivak and the JRS Reception Centre for unaccompanied minors, witnessing first-hand the work being done on the ground. Accompaniment as a Collective Journey The Sarajevo meetings concluded with personal and group reflections, drawing together the threads of faith, service, and strategic planning woven throughout the week. From strategic frameworks to interfaith dialogue, the gatherings reaffirmed the importance of walking together across countries, faiths, and disciplines in our mission to accompany, serve, and advocate for forcibly displaced people.

The implications of US funding cuts for humanitarian assistance and development support are severe and far-reaching, including in large displacement crises and for major refugee-hosting countries. It is projected that USAID programmes in Ethiopia, the DRC, Colombia, South Africa, Palestine, Bangladesh, Kenya, Afghanistan, and Tanzania have each been cut by over 200 million USD. The largest absolute cut is in Ukraine with 1.4 billion USD removed. In the cases of Afghanistan, Palestine and Somalia it is estimated US funding cuts represent a loss of over 1 percent of their gross national income (GNI). Compounding the impact, less dramatic but still significant reductions in aid budgets have taken place at major European donors, including the UK, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland, and will likely also occur in Germany. The repercussions will be felt around the world: life-saving assistance will not be provided to millions of people in need and very difficult decisions about resource allocation need to be taken. People who are forcibly displaced within their home country or across borders will feel the impact imminently. While the majority will be stuck in protracted displacement internally or in neighbouring countries, others will be forced to embark on dangerous journeys to access humanitarian assistance, including towards Europe. The impact of the funding cuts will be significant, also on asylum systems in Europe. First, cuts to support for displaced people in countries such as Ukraine or Türkiye will likely lead to more people arriving in EU Member States in search of protection. Second, the European asylum sector, which in many countries is heavily dependent on funding from institutional or private donors, is directly affected. Many civil society organisations supporting asylum seekers and refugees through services, legal aid, and support to inclusion have been hit by the end of US funding either through direct cuts or because intermediary donors or partners, such as UNHCR, have ended or reduced their support. The significant reduction in UNHCR’s budget will mean that the majority of civil society organisations working on asylum in Europe will be affected. This aggravates the already adverse funding environment for organisations work on refugee rights, many of which face national governments that refuse or severely limit funding to this sector. At the time of writing, significant funding cuts have been reported in Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Malta, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden and Türkiye. As a result, at a time of increased need due to rising displacement, civil society working on asylum and migration is under huge financial strain, facing significant reductions in staffing and activities. This will leave many people seeking protection in Europe unsupported, undermine the functioning of asylum systems, and jeopardise the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum in which civil society has an important role to play. Given this new reality, it is imperative that all relevant actors – the European Commission, Member States and private funders – reassess their priorities and address the shortfalls to prevent a crisis of asylum, reception and inclusion in Europe. For this purpose, the undersigned organisations are calling on: The European Commission to: use its mid-term review of Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the European Social Fund+ (ESF+) to ensure that funding channelled via Member States adequately supports civil society organisations working on asylum and migration. consider how to fund civil society directly, e.g. through resources from the AMIF thematic facility, in order to respond to the emerging needs for legal aid, counsellingand other activities all of which have a high added value for the EU as they support the implementation of the Pact. review whether, given the changed context, Member States should be obliged to spend a certain percentage of their national programmes in support of civil society, a goodpractice established for EU funding for displacement from Ukraine. adapt national programmes under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) to respond to the emerging needs in relation to asylum and migration. Member States to: ensure that national programmes under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI) provide adequateresources for civil society organisations, that civil society are considered eligible under all relevant call for proposals and that activities include legal counselling and representation; calls should be issued promptly. convene consultations with affected NGOs to understand what the needs are and howthey can be addressed in the short-, medium- and long-term. Private funders to: re-assess funding needs for asylum in Europe, increase resources for this purposeand prioritise countries where neither national allocation of EU funds nor institutionalfunding reaches civil society. Immediate action is needed now. In the medium term, the new funding reality should be reflected in the proposals and negotiations of the next Multi-annual Financial Framework which will start this year.