Our Impact
en years ago, we began as a small group of volunteers in Calais, offering legal support to children fleeing war and persecution. Since then, our movement has grown, and together, we’ve helped over 3,000 children and their loved ones find safety in the UK, France, Greece, and beyond. Alongside direct support, we’ve fought for the rights of all those seeking safety across Europe and achieved significant wins for separated families.
Our impact in 2024
2024 was a challenging year for refugee rights. Across Europe, borders hardened, deaths at sea hit record highs, and we saw a surge in racist violence. But together, we kept fighting, and made real progress:
Supported nearly 900 people, including 340 children, to access safe routes and reunite with family
Won five major policy changes, from scrapping the Rwanda Plan to creating a new route for Afghan families
We assisted 870 people on the move with legal advice and direct assistance
Sharing our expert legal knowledge on safe routes with other organisations working with children and families on the move is key to ensuring more people have better access to information and are aware of their options.
en years ago, we began as a small group of volunteers in Calais, offering legal support to children fleeing war and persecution. Since then, our movement has grown, and together, we’ve helped over 3,000 children and their loved ones find safety in the UK, France, Greece, and beyond. Alongside direct support, we’ve fought for the rights of all those seeking safety across Europe and achieved significant wins for separated families.
Working with, not for
We work with, not for, refugees and we have been at the forefront of modelling meaningful representation and coproduction, through our Young Leaders programme, Expert by Experience (EBE) Consultants Programme and Positive Action recruitment practices.
In 2024, Safe Passage Young Leaders led on campaigns, hosted events during Ramadan, spoke at round table events in parliament, were involved in the recruitment processes for all new members of staff and were even invited to speak on the West Holts stage at Glastonbury Festival.
In the past year, EBE consultants have worked to strengthen our arrivals support for clients, written funding bids, driven forwards our campaigns, and co-produced a ‘Lived Experience Manifesto’ outlining how SPI can centre lived experience voices in all that we do.
This year saw more challenging anti-refugee rhetoric and policies across Europe, but we fought harder than ever to build public support and achieved:
5 Policy Changes, including extending the Afghan family scheme
739 Mentions in the media – up 125% from 2023
4 Expert by Experience Consultants working across the organisation to ensure lived experience shapes our work
26 Young Leaders with lived experience campaigning for change
20463 Digital campaign actions taken by our wonderful community