Prepared by Caroline and Madie, January 2023
This section of the archive will consist of the media’s different portrayals of refugees from the Ukraine refugee crisis in 2022 and the Syrian refugee crisis in 2021, just one year prior. The facts of both are similar in that both of these countries have endured constant bombardments and violence, however, the disparity between the articles produced during the height of these crises is the focus of this portion of the archive.
St. George’s Hall in Liverpool lit up with yellow and blue as a symbol of solidarity for Ukraine. Taken from https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/st-georges-hall-lit-up-23211241 (Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
While Britons think Ukrainian refugees pose no threat to the UK, they are less sure about refugees from Syria. Taken from https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2022/07/12/are-attitudes-ukrainian-refugees-unique.
Below are a series of helpful links detailing the Ukraine and Syrian refugee situation and some useful background knowledge on refugee bias in general:
- Some background on the Western racism faced by refugees explained:
2. Unequal media representation of refugees dependent on their race:
https://eachother.org.uk/does-the-mainstream-media-treat-all-refugees-equally/
3. New Visa delays that prevent housing refugees – Britain making it harder to take refugees
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/24/world/europe/uk-homes-for-ukraine-refugees.html
4. Example of dangerous media representation that generalises Ukrainian refugees:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11182855/Why-Im-glad-Ukrainian-refugee.html
5. Media that creates a false narrative of all Ukrainian refugees:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/20254944/ukrainian-refugee-reported-me-slavery/
6. SUPPORT/ Cost of living crisis effect on Ukrainian refugees:
7. Landmarks lit up Ukrainian colours for support:
8. Ukrainian refugees that were taken into people’s homes:
https://www.gov.uk/register-interest-homes-ukraine
9. Compared to Syrian refugees there is no GOV website, it is volunteer-based and a private website:
https://www.paih.org/get-involved/host-a-refugee-in-your-home
10. 2015 statistic of who would take refuge in their house:
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2015/09/03/1-10-britons-refugee-home
11. Government prepared to put money into housing Ukrainian refugees:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ukraine-refugees-uk-money-government-b2034654.html
12. 2/3 of Britain wants to help in 2022:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ukraine-war-refugees-uk-resettlement-b2023549.html
13. Syrian refugee media representation:
14. Tommy Robinson sued by Syrian refuge- an attack on EDL and encourages facism:
15. Article comparing British citizens opinions about Ukrainian, Syrian, Afghan, and Somalian refugees and has statistics and charts taken from surveys: