Eric Cross, Dean of Cultural Affairs in Newcastle University recognises more needs to be done stating, "We have a limited offer of charging home rather than international fees, but of course home fees would rule out most refugees."

​

With less than £40 a week and no access to a student loan system, Cross is valid in suggesting many refugees and asylum seekers will miss out on a university education.

Vice-Chancellor Day declined to speak with us further about how Newcastle University can help refugees access higher education.

​

In May 2017, a motion was put forward and passed by Newcastle University’s Student Council to support refugees and asylum seekers through a scholarship system. The motion was passed, however, Rowan South, Education Officer in the University’s Student Union, admitted he has not made progress implementing a scholarship scheme this academic year.

Without access to university, hundreds of young adults are missing out on educational opportunities. Only 1% of refugees in the world go to university, compared to 34% of the rest of the world population.  According to the Refugee Council higher education is a key part of integration, helping refugees to communicate more fluently, become more employable and make new friends.

​

Newcastle University signed up to the Newcastle City of Sanctuary scheme in December 2017, however, little has changed to help refugees access education and therefore aid integration. Speaking about a ‘migration lunch’ which the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Engagement and Internationalisation attended, Jonathon Hicks of Newcastle University’s Cultural Significance of Place Group said; ‘it was the perfect moment to remind the upper echelons of management, that the University is supposed to have a commitment to refugees.’

​

The Cultural Significance of Place Group (CSoP) have been key players in working to make Newcastle University more welcoming to refugees. After unsuccessful attempts to get the Vice-Chancellor to sign up to the City of Sanctuary scheme in the past, the CSoP group held a Migration Showcase in May 2017. Its purpose was to demonstrate that Newcastle University had already met the criteria of the City of Sanctuary scheme and highlight key pieces of work on migration within the University. Seven months later Newcastle University signed up to the scheme.

​

Nevertheless, A Freedom of Information request to Newcastle and Northumbria University revealed that Northumbria University took nearly three times as many refugees over the course of five years than Newcastle University did; Taking a grand total of 84 refugees compared to Newcastle University’s 32.