In August 2025, The National dedicated a week of coverage to a simple but increasingly important message: Refugees Are Welcome Here.
The National’s campaign set out to challenge misinformation, amplify refugee voices and shine a spotlight on stories which otherwise may have been missed, using their platform to showcase the people behind the rhetoric and the positive contributions refugees are already making to communities across Scotland.
The centrepiece of the series was Xander Elliards’ powerful feature, “We want to work and to contribute”. Through in-depth interviews with refugees and asylum seekers living in Scotland, the article examined the human impact of a system that prevents many people seeking asylum from working while they wait for decisions on their cases.
Readers heard directly from people whose lives had been put on hold for years despite their desire to contribute. The piece documented parents skipping meals so their children could eat, individuals walking miles to volunteer because they could not afford transport, and skilled professionals unable to use their qualifications because of restrictions imposed upon them. It also explored the stigma attached to carrying documentation marked “no right to work, no recourse to public funds” and the difficult choices many face as they navigate daily life within the asylum system.
The feature formed part of a wider package of reporting and comment that explored refugee experiences from multiple perspectives. Throughout the week, readers met a 19-year-old refugee advising the Scottish Government, learned about community organisations supporting new arrivals, read first-hand accounts from people who had fled conflict and persecution, and examined the role of education, transport and community initiatives in helping people rebuild their lives.
The campaign generated an immediate and substantial response. Engagement across social media reached hundreds of thousands of people, while readers, charities, refugee organisations and campaigners praised the decision to dedicate significant editorial resources to the topic. Organisations working directly with people seeking asylum highlighted the campaign’s focus on the right to work, cost-of-living pressures and social isolation, noting that these issues are rarely explored in the depth they deserve.
A year on, Refugees Are Welcome Here remains an example of journalism serving the public interest by giving voice to underrepresented communities. By moving beyond political rhetoric and focusing on real people, the campaign showed how local and national journalism can foster understanding, challenge prejudice and contribute positively to public discourse.
The work was subsequently recognised at the Scottish Refugee Media Awards, reflecting both the quality of the reporting and the impact it had on audiences.
