New report by George Lapshynov explores the distinct and crucial role of churches in the integration of refugees and asylum seekers. 17/06/2025
About the report
This report explores the significant but often overlooked role that churches across the UK play in supporting the integration of refugees and asylum seekers. Despite migration dominating political discussions, the focus typically remains on reducing the number of migrants rather than on enabling those who have already arrived to settle and flourish.
Drawing on extensive interviews with church leaders, charities, and local authorities, this report uncovers the practical and relational ways churches help refugees find community in the UK. Addressing misconceptions surrounding church activities, including unfounded allegations of proselytism and ‘fake conversions’, it highlights how churches complement the work of voluntary and statutory organisations.
It identifies the strengths of churches that enable them to play a key role in refugee integration, particularly their ethical framework, based on Christian teachings, that rejects the alienation and commodification of immigrants. The report also highlights the challenges that churches face, such as limited resources, volunteer burnout, and tensions between faithbased motivations and public perceptions.
Ultimately, it calls for an improved national strategy for integration, urging policymakers, charities, and churches to collaborate more effectively. By recognising and supporting the distinct contribution churches offer, Britain can better welcome refugees – not merely as strangers living on this island, but as neighbours who belong, thrive, and contribute meaningfully to society.
You can read the report here.
How can we better achieve refugee integration? (Our recommendations)
This report proposes practical policy changes that would support churches and facilitate a smoother and comprehensive integration of refugees.
To achieve this, we propose three fundamental principles that focus on integration from day one that could radically improve integration outcomes:
A seat at the table — Despite providing key frontline services and serving as an essential safety net, churches often remain isolated from strategic partnerships. By virtue of the significant work of churches in local communities across the UK, and for the benefit of refugees and their integration in the UK, we believe it is essential that churches have a seat at the table in strategic discussions at local, regional and national levels.
A community access model — Asylum accommodation in general, and contingency accommodation in particular, is one of the greatest shortcomings of the UK asylum system. It lacks community buy–in, fuels local resentment, and contributes to the stigmatisation of asylum seekers. Yet we believe the time asylum seekers spend waiting can be optimised through a community access model that encourages accommodation providers to play a more positive role in integration and work increasingly closely with churches and civil society.
A right to volunteer —While charities up and down the country do much for asylum seekers and refugees, only initiatives enabling them to give back and have a stake in the wellbeing of their host communities can foster their dignity and sense of purpose. We therefore recommend formally promoting a right to volunteer for all asylum seekers and refugees. Provided the necessary safeguards are in place to avoid exploitation, volunteering will improve integration through language acquisition, social engagement and increased employability.
About the author
George Lapshynov is a Researcher at Theos. He is co–author of the Theos report Volunteering After the Pandemic: Lessons from the Homelessness Sector (with Hannah Rich) and the Theos socio–political research project Religion Counts 2024 (with Paul Bickley and Yinxuan Huang). He holds an MRes in International Relations and an MA(Hons) in History & Politics from the University of Glasgow.
With grateful thanks to the Susanna Wesley Foundation
