A message from our CEO, Sabir Zazai:
Over the last few weeks we have seen an escalation of anti-refugee protests taking place across parts of the country. The slogans continue to be loud, the anger palpable. But beneath the placards and headlines lies a deeper question: what kind of society do we wish to be?
In moments like these, it is tempting to respond with equal force, to meet hostility with outrage. But we must resist that impulse. Instead, we must call for calm, for clarity, and above all, for compassion.
We must remember that people are at the heart of this. People like us, with families, friends and children. Refugees are individuals who have fled war, persecution, and unimaginable hardship in search of safety. To live in fear is not a choice. It is a condition forced upon them. And when we allow fear to shape our response, we do not become safer. We become smaller.
I say this not only as someone who works alongside refugees every day, but as someone who has lived that journey. I have seen what conflict does to communities, how it fractures trust, uproots lives, and leaves deep scars that won’t heal for generations. But I have also seen what peaceful co-existence can build: resilience, renewal, and a shared sense of belonging. These are not abstract ideals. They are lived truths.
This is not only about refugees. It is about who we are. About the kind of society we wish to build for future generations. Let us not be defined by the loudest voices of division, but by the quiet courage of those who choose empathy over enmity. Our cohesion is a delicate fragile flower. It is our shared responsibility to nurture and preserve it.
If we are sincere about building a society rooted in dignity, justice and compassion then we must move beyond reactive outrage and towards solutions that could work for all of us.
Here are the steps we can take together to turn the tide:
1: Challenge misinformation swiftly and publicly. All key institutions including local authorities, police and community leaders must respond to false claims with facts and not silence. Delay allows lies to fester. Rather than inflame divisions our political leaders have a duty to bring people together.
2: Reclaim the narrative. We must tell the true stories of refugees, amplifying voices that help to humanise, not demonise. People seeking sanctuary aren’t a problem that needs to be solved. It is the system that needs fixing.
3: Reform the asylum system. A broken system does not help anyone. Long delays in asylum decisions, accommodation away from the warmth of community and the lack of right for people to work creates conditions for scapegoating of people with deep scars of trauma. We need timely and just decisions and to allow people the right to work.
4: Strengthen legal protection. We need robust laws to protect the safety of individuals and communities from targeted harassment and incitement. Where there have been incidences of hate speech and intimidation outside asylum hotels these must be met with legal consequences.
5: Invest in community dialogue. When people don’t talk to one another it allows a vacuum to be filled by misconceptions and misinformation. Polarisation thrives in silence. Councils should host regular forums where people could come together to get to know one another and learn about mutual concerns.
6: Hold media accountable. Misleading coverage fuels divisions. Regulators must enforce standards and we must call out dehumanising language. But equally we must celebrate responsible reporting like we do at SRC through our annual Media Awards.
7: Build coalitions of solidarity. Faith groups, private sector, schools and civic organisations must stand together. Counter protests aren’t good enough, we need longer term strategy to safeguard our cohesion.
8: Celebrate local leadership. Councils that speak out like Falkirk and Perth and Kinross deserve recognition. Their courage sets a precedence and must spotlight leaders who choose compassion over convenience.
9: Speak with moral clarity. This isn’t an issue of capacity or policy, it is one of morality. We must name racism, reject scapegoating and affirm that seeking asylum is a legal right.
10: Get back to basics. We must honour, protect and respect basic human rights. No one is less worthy than anyone else. We all deserve safety.
Safety is not built on exclusion. It is built on connection. And the more we see each other and engage in meaningful dialogue the safer we all become.
This article was first featured in The National’s series, Refugees are Welcome Here.
Learn more about how you can get involved and support refugees in Scotland.
