Refugee Council Chief Steps Down Amid Escalating Hostility Towards Asylum Seekers
Enver Solomon is leaving his position as CEO of the Refugee Council in January, citing exhaustion from the increasingly hostile environment facing asylum seekers in the UK. Solomon, who has led the charity since 2020, will move to nacro, a criminal justice charity. His departure comes as the Refugee Council has been forced to implement security measures at it’s offices and Solomon’s home – precautions unheard of two years ago – due to a surge in threats.
Solomon attributes the escalating tensions to political rhetoric, recounting an incident in the south-west of England where locals protested outside student accommodation, mistakenly believing it was an asylum hotel. The occupants were,in fact,British students of color. “This is the consequence of political rhetoric,” he stated.
He described the current climate as a “tinderbox atmosphere” and highlighted the challenges faced by those seeking refuge. According to solomon, younger asylum seekers often prioritize education, while older individuals are primarily focused on finding employment.
Prior to his role at the Refugee Council, Solomon was a journalist at the BBC for ten years and later led a children’s charity during the coalition government’s austerity measures.He expressed concern about the broader implications of the current discourse, questioning whether society is prepared to treat people as “aliens, second-class citizens,” rather than recognizing “a sense of shared humanity.”
while acknowledging the difficulty of leaving a pivotal cause, Solomon emphasized his commitment to continuing the ”good fight” in a new capacity.
