Edinburgh College has committed to becoming accredited as a "College of Sanctuary" and is working with partners across the institutiuon to strengthen the support provided to those students seeking sanctuary.
A steering group including staff from support teams, curriculum teams, corperate services, and the Students' Association are working thorughout the 2024-25 academic year to review, plan, and implement improvements to welcome sanctuary-seeking students into Edinburgh College and the wider society.
College is a place for everyone. For decades, our College has welcomed those from across the world seeking sanctuary from violence, insecurity and persecution. Through the education we provide, our college and our staff offer vital opportunities to these students and, working with our partners, support them to integrate into life in their new communities in Edinburgh and across our region. In pursuing this award, we are making a statement about the sort of College we are – one that supports inclusion, values diversity and provides sanctuary to those who need it most. We currently have around one thousand students studying with us from a sanctuary-seeking background. We hope the process of working towards this award will improve all aspects of the Edinburgh College experience for them and those coming to the College seeking sanctuary in the future.
Principal Audrey Cumberford
About the College
Edinburgh College has a long history of welcoming sanctuary seeking students and has, over many years, developed an ethos that values diversity, supports inclusion and encourages students from all backgrounds to participate in College life.
The College is a key anchor institution in our region and one of the most important points where new Scots and established Scots interact. The College currently has around 1,000 sanctuary seeking students, 75% of whom study ESOL, with the remaining 25% studying across the College’s other curriculum faculties.
About the Project
EC Students' Association is working alongside Edinburgh College as part of the College of Sanctuary Project. The College of Sanctuary award (developed and overseen by the wider City of Sanctuary network) recognises – and seeks to enhance – the work colleges do in providing support and opportunity for refugees, asylum seekers and those seeking sanctuary in the UK.
As part of the process, the College has established an internal staff working group that will engage with sanctuary seeking students, identify opportunities to enhance our support and seek to raise awareness among the wider student and staff cohort of the challenges faced by those seeking sanctuary.
How to get involved
As part of the project, we have a Student Engagement Assistant tasked with gathering feedback from Edinburgh College students with lived experience of sanctuary-seeking. Student stories will be gathered and shared anonymously to help share experiences and educate the EC community on what is it like to be a sactuary-seeking EC student and how we can continue to improve their experiences.
We will also be hosting a celebration event at the end of the year, highlighting the work of the steering group and building the sense of togetherness and community amongst our students and staff.
If you would like ot get invovled, please get in touch with us on sanctuary@ecsa.scot
Further Information
- College of Sanctuary Website
- EC News Article - Committed to College of Sanctuary
- ECSA College of Sanctuary Poster - Asylum Seeker, Refugee, Migrant
- Funding information for Asylum Seekers & Refugees at College
Poster
Help spread the word! Download and print or share the poster below to help share the work we're doing to help make Edinburgh College a welcoming and supportive environment for sanctuary-seeking students.
