Before watching or reading any of the resources recommended in this section, please ensure you research the trigger warnings and be mindful of sensitive topics. Prioritise your own wellbeing.
Films
This 2019 documentary, directed by Hassan Fazili, is filmed on three smartphones by Fazili and his wife, Fatima Hussaini, and their two daughters. It chronicles their three-year journey from their home in Afghanistan to Europe in search for asylum.
This 2018 film tells the true story of Sara and Yusra Mardini, sisters who escaped from Syria. It captures their gruelling swim across the Mediterranean Sea to Greece, their asylum in Germany, and their participation in the Rio Olympics.
This 2020 short film follows Rawan, an English literature teacher who fled Syria in 2018 and relocated to Oxford, UK, he takes us around the city, reflecting on the physical and emotional journey that brought him there.
Riz Ahmed-produced this animated movie, 2021, about Amin Nawabi’s past as a refugee from Afghanistan, as he is about to marry his husband in Denmark.
This 2018 film follows the arduous journey of the Syrian-Kurdish Nabi three-generation family from Aleppo to Germany.
Limbo is a wry and poignant observation of the refugee experience, set on a fictional remote Scottish island where a group of new arrivals await the results of their asylum claims.
Books
While the Earth Sleeps We Travel by Ahmed M. Badr
An Iraqi-American poet and former refugee, travelled around the world to gather contributions from dozens of displaced young refugees living in camps as well as those adjusting to life after resettlement to create this collection of poetry, personal narratives, and art.
We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World by Malala Yousafzai
This book follows Yousafzai's own experience being displaced in Pakistan and tells stories from nine other displaced girls and women around the world.
Sweetness in the Belly by Camilla Gibb
Tells the story of Lilly, orphaned age eight in Morocco after the murder of her British parents. Taken in and raised in a Sufi shrine, Lilly eventually makes her way to Ethiopia before being forced to flee to London as a refugee.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
Inspired by the true stories of comic- book pioneers like Stan Lee, Michael Chabon’s novel follows the lives of fictional superhero creators Joe Kavalier and Sam Clay. The novel is a fascinating reflection of how Jewish refugees gave rise to one of America’s most notable cultural exports.
The Ungrateful Refugee by Dina Nayeri
Begins during Dina’s childhood, after fleeing Iran, at age 8, with her mother and brother, they’re living in a hotel-turned-refugee camp in Italy. The family is granted asylum in the United States and settled in Oklahoma. Nayeri tells her own story as well as those of fellow refugees and asylum seekers through the different stages of their journeys to safety and a new home.
The Suitcase: Refugee Voices from Bosnia and Croatia
This book gathers personal narratives in the form of essays, letters, and poems, by refugees fleeing conflict in Bosnia and Croatia in the early- to mid- 1990s. Contributors from across ethnic and geographical barriers in Bosnia and Croatia describe their experiences and collective senses of loss as a result of violent conflict.
Apps
Love-Europe
This app supports refugees all over Europe, including UK. Helps refugees ‘navigate, communicate and integrate’ during their stay in another country. Includes phrase book and information on local services, as well as “Buddy2Buddy” feature that connects refugees with locals who can help them out.
TimePeace
This app aims to help refugees integrate into life in the UK, with a focus on the importance of community and social connection. Volunteers organise and advertise events around common interests and skills in the local area.
Forced to Flee Podcast
Forced To Flee, the new podcast from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, tells the extraordinary stories of people who lived through some of