This Welcome Week, new and returning students who are refugees or in the asylum process are being welcomed to campus with a new banner across the Arts Path.
Sussex is a University of Sanctuary, with a network of University staff and students working locally and with others across the UK to ensure higher education institutions are places of safety, solidarity and empowerment for people seeking sanctuary. Brighton & Hove is a city of Sanctuary.
The new welcome banner was created by the University of Sussex, the Students’ Union, the Sussex STAR (Student Action for Refugees) society, and Freedom from Torture. The Student Engagement Team’s Welcome Week Ambassadors took time out from running the Welcome Week Wellbeing Tent, where they are providing support and guidance to help new students around campus, to display the banner and say a warm welcome to new and returning refugee and Sanctuary students.
Professor Robin Banerjee, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global and Civic Engagement, said: “The new welcome banner highlights Sussex’s commitment to its University of Sanctuary status, which has been held since 2020. Our community of staff and students have a history of welcoming those in need of sanctuary, and offering them opportunities to live, study, and carry out research safely and with warm support from those on campus and in the city.
“I hope that the banner, alongside the wealth of wonderful activities on offer during Welcome Week and beyond, will enable all of our new and returning students to experience and feel the value that Sussex places on sanctuary.”
Students who are refugees, or in the asylum process, can get in touch with belong@sussex.ac.uk to find out more about support and opportunities on campus. Students and staff who wish to become involved in the Sussex University of Sanctuary group can sign up to the mailing list, or email: S.Luton@sussex.ac.uk.
Staff involved in University of Sanctuary work hold up the banner before installation