Statement on the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East

Breaking Barriers works with many refugees who’ve been forced to flee their country due to war.

We know the profound personal toll conflict has, even if you reach a place of safety. Grief for relatives and friends lost. Ongoing trauma from events experienced and reported. Physical and mental scars. Fear for those left behind. And, for refugees, these challenges are on top of trying to build a new life in an unfamiliar country.

We are, therefore, deeply concerned about the devastating human impact of the ongoing conflict in Israel and Lebanon, and the resulting mass displacements of people. Nobody, wherever they live, whatever their nationality, religion, race or political perspective, should be violently forced to flee their home. This is a humanitarian disaster for a region already in crisis, and will inevitably have repercussions here in the UK as well.

We stand united with each of our refugee clients who is personally affected by these events, whether through connections to Lebanon, Israel, Palestine or the wider region. We recognise the consequences this may have for their wellbeing, their families, and their capacity to engage fully with their employment journey.

We also know that many of our staff members and volunteers are themselves wrestling with the impacts of this war and crises elsewhere. From Gaza and Yemen to Ukraine, from Sudan and Ethiopia to the DRC and Central Sahel, from Afghanistan to Myanmar to Haiti. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it is overwhelming.

Meanwhile, an estimated 1.2 million people – a quarter of the Lebanese population – have been displaced in recent weeks. We cannot rule out the possibility that this may, ultimately, increase the number of refugees in the UK, and demand for the services of Breaking Barriers and other organisations in our sector. At a time when EU funding to support refugees here has ended, and when a number of charitable trusts and foundations have temporarily paused all grant giving.

Through all this, our mission remains to welcome refugees into meaningful employment with advice, experience and education. We sincerely hope that, one day, nobody will be compelled to leave their country and seek asylum, and there will be no need for our support. But, in the meantime, we’ll continue doing all we can to help refugees who, having faced the unimaginable, are determined to overcome so many barriers and build a new life in the UK.

Thank you for your support.