A series of powerful photos and testimonies, shining a light on the distress and difficulty of seeking asylum, has taken pride of place in the city’s Church of England cathedral, in a bid to boost public understanding of daily life for people forced to seek sanctuary.
Captured by award-winning refugee artist Sadia Sikandar, the photographs show members of the community group at North Tyneside refugee support organisation Walking With in North Tyneside. The images are accompanied by stories, which reveal what it’s like to be trapped in a converted hotel, to be housed in ex-military camps, to be banned from work and to try to recover from the terror of being forced to flee your home.
Asylum, a Long and Painful Process
The exhibition, ‘Asylum, a Long and Painful Process’, is on display at Newcastle Cathedral (St Nicholas Square, NE1 1PF) from Friday, 15 May 15 until Sunday, June 7. A celebration event will take place at the Cathedral on Monday, June 1, from 6.30pm-8pm, featuring music from refugee artists and the Heaton Voices choir. Guests are encouraged to, where possible, RSVP in advance via the Newcastle Cathedral website.
The exhibition has been touring libraries, offices and community venues across the North East throughout this year, and aims to challenge perceptions and raise awareness of the reality of life for people seeking asylum.
One of the people photographed, Asadullah, said:
“Seeing the exhibition be seen by so many people makes me feel proud, emotional, and hopeful. These photographs are not just pictures – they represent real stories, struggles, and journeys. It means a lot that people are taking time to understand the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers and see the human side of our stories.
“I hope people understand that people only leave everything behind because they have no safe choice. Life is still difficult after arriving here, but feeling safe means everything. I hope the exhibition brings more kindness and understanding. Refugees are just people looking for safety and peace after very difficult experiences.
“For me, life is still challenging, but I feel stronger and more hopeful now. Sharing my story has helped me feel seen and understood.”
Walking With comment
Walking With Operations Manager Clare Campbell said: “It has been amazing to see the reaction to these images as they’ve travelled round the region, and having them on display in the Cathedral will help even more people to understand what life is really like for people who come here seeking safety.
“Many people are shocked when they see the reality of our asylum system: the frustration and despair that comes from being trapped in limbo, banned from working and unable to start truly rebuilding your life.
“We know that there is a lot of misunderstanding, fear and suspicion being spread about people seeking safety. But what we’ve found is that that starts to change when people are helped to understand more. The people we support, the people in these photos, didn’t want to leave their homes: they’ve been forced to flee war, torture and persecution. When they reach the UK, they’re hoping for safety, but too often they find themselves crushed by a system that robs them of dignity and damages their mental health.
“A faster, fairer system that allows people seeking safety to work, begin to rebuild their lives, and receive a decision as quickly as possible would transform their lives, and be far better for all of us. We hope anyone who visits this exhibition will be able to see that.”
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