In the past decade, the number of displaced people worldwide has more than doubled, exceeding 122 million. Persecution, human rights violations, conflict and climate change have driven millions from their homes to seek safety and a better life elsewhere.

The majority of refugees and internally displaced people now live in urban areas, not camps. Despite this, most humanitarian aid is still directed toward camp settings. A growing body of research now supports a shift towards an ‘urban first’ strategy to displacement.

This hybrid event will explore innovative city responses to refugee hosting from the global South and North. We’ll focus on inspiring examples from Bristol, UK, known for its ‘sanctuary city’ model, and Nairobi, Kenya, where a groundbreaking refugee strategy has recently been approved.

The event will open with a special screening of 'Far Away From Home', a captivating film that follows the lives of urban refugees navigating Nairobi’s dynamic streets. Created in collaboration with young community filmmakers, urban refugees and researchers, the film offers an intimate look at the daily struggles and aspirations of refugees and asylum seekers in an urban context.

Following the screening, our panel will explore lessons learned from different city responses and offer reflections on how urban strategies can reshape the future of refugee hosting. Join us for this event to reimagine how cities can lead the way in building inclusive, resilient communities for displaced people.

This event is hosted by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) in partnership with the Mayors Migration Council and is supported by Bristol University's Migration Mobilities Bristol Research Institute and Ashley Community and Housing (ACH) Bristol.

Speakers

Lord Marvin Rees is a British Labour Party politician who served as the Mayor of Bristol from 2016 to 2024. He was appointed a life peer in December 2024. He is a co-chair of the Mayors Migration Council, working to bring the voices of cities and their leaders into international frameworks on migration, and to channel funding and resources into cities the world over.

Susan Kimani is Assistant Director for Youth for Nairobi City County Government. She has worked in the Youth Affairs department since 2016, and has been instrumental in championing urban refugee inclusion through her work with IRC’s Re:Build project, and more recently in the design of Nairobi’s Refugee Integration and Community Building Strategy. Susan holds a Bachelor's degree in Development Studies and a Diploma in Community Organization and has worked extensively in Nairobi informal settlements.

Lucy Earle (moderator) is the director of Human Settlements at IIED. Lucy Earle’s work focuses on the intersections of urbanisation, urban poverty and humanitarian crises, in particular forced displacement into and within urban areas.

Alison Brown is Professor of Urban Planning and International Development at Cardiff University, and director of the Informality Research Observatory. She has expertise in forced displacement, urban informal economies and fragile cities, and has academic and practice experience in 27 OECD-DAC list countries. She has led and co-led major research projects funded by GCRF, UKRI, the British Academy and others on displacement and informality, and has published widely on these topics. She led the livelihoods workstream of the 4-year comparative study on Protracted Displacement, led by IIED.

Ann Singleton is a Reader in Migration Policy and Strategic Policy Lead for the Migration Mobilities Bristol Specialist Research Institute at the University of Bristol. She has collaborated closely with ACH on supporting migrant integration

For the question and answer session, we will be joined by Abdi Wahid Kadir and Enock Otieno from Nairobi based community filmmaking collective Koch Films.

More about the film:

'Far Away from Home' follows urban refugees navigating the vibrant, bustling streets of Nairobi. Developed through a unique collaboration between young community filmmakers, urban refugees and researchers, the film captures the everyday challenges and hopes of urban refugees and asylum seekers.

Through intimate interviews and on-the-ground footage, the documentary highlights critical issues such as the struggle for proper documentation, encounters with discrimination, and the persistent threat of police harassment and arrest. These stories reveal the harsh realities that refugees endure as they seek to build new lives far from their homelands.

The film captures the intricate ways policy challenges intersect with daily lives, but, despite the adversity, 'Far Away from Home' also shines a light on the rich contributions that migrants make to Nairobi's culture and economy, showcasing how refugees are integral to the city's dynamic fabric. The film centres urban refugees’ joys, hopes and aspirations, offering a poignant portrait of the city’s – all cities’ – ultimate changemakers: migrants.

Awards: the film has received an award of merit at the Documentaries without Borders International Film Festival 2024

Director and editor: Abdiwahid Abdikadir and Enock Oyoo (Koch Films)

Participants: Obang (Ethiopia), Furaha (Burundi), Machuoch (South Sudan), Ade (Somalia), Stiv (Uganda), Anita (Congo), Keya (Ethiopia), Jonas (Burundi), Habiba (Ethiopia)

Producers: SDI-Kenya and IIED

The film was made possible through a grant from the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) with support from the IKEA Foundation

About attending

This event will take place in person and online (a hybrid event). Please see details for how you can participate below.

In-person participation

Join us in person at Watershed, Bristol, United Kingdom. Registration opens at 5pm (GMT/UK) and the event will start at 5.30-7pm (GMT/UK). You can register on eventbrite

Online participation

This event will be streamed via the Zoom video conferencing platform. You can register on eventbrite. For those who have not attended a Zoom event before, please read this guide to participation as an attendee. Every registrant will receive an email with a Zoom link ahead of the event.

The event will be recorded to be distributed publicly afterwards. By registering for this event, you agree to give your consent for this.

How I can contact the organisers with questions?

If you have any questions about attending the event, please email the events manager: juliette.tunstall@iied.org.

About data protection

The information you provide will be held on our database to process your booking. We do not share data with any third parties. Please let us know if you do not want to receive any further information from us.

Photography and videotaping

This event will be photographed, and/or videotaped on behalf of the organiser(s) for display, distribution, and broadcast, including on television and the worldwide web. By attending or participating in this event, you are giving your consent to be photographed and/or videotaped and waive any claims regarding the use of your image or contribution.

Image: A view of rooftops in Nairobi taken from the film 'Far Away From Home' by Koch Films