Language Matters – Supporting Refugee Week 2025
As part of Refugee Week, City of Sanctuary UK has published a helpful guide on language use when referring to people seeking sanctuary. Developed with the input of ambassadors and those with lived experience, the guide encourages respectful, person-first terminology.
Key points include:
- Use people seeking sanctuary rather than terms like refugee or asylum seeker to centre humanity
- Speak of working with people, not for them, to promote empowerment
- Refer to separated children and young people seeking sanctuary rather than acronyms like UASC
- Use experts by experience or people with lived experience of seeking sanctuary
View the full guide here.
