The alliance of leading refugee charities, the Asylum Reform Initiative, today (Tuesday 1 April 2025) announces the appointment of its new chair, Eleanor Harrison OBE, as the recently tabled Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill makes its way through Parliament.
Eleanor will play an important role overseeing the Asylum Reform Initiative (ARI) at this crucial time in its work to secure deep, long-term change in the UK’s refugee and asylum system. In 2021 the ARI set up the Together With Refugees campaign coalition, now the largest pro-refugee coalition in British history with 600 member organisations, and a key focus for Eleanor will be supporting and uniting the refugee sector and its allies in their response to the Bill and its call for a fair new plan for refugees.
She said: “With a summer of far-right riots, cuts to the aid budget and growth in anti-immigration rhetoric around the world, the fight for fairness and equality is under greater threat than ever before. That’s why I am proud to be joining the Together With Refugees coalition. United action from its 600 strong membership has never been more important than it is now.
“Having campaigned hard to win the abolition of the scheme to send refugees to Rwanda and the indefinite detention of child refugees, we know the power of standing together. Their ending is testimony to the dedication and tenacity of this movement and I will work hard to champion collective action in response to the latest asylum bill. I am deeply committed to ensuring our members’ voices, particularly those with direct experience as refugees, are at the heart of this action, our decisions and leadership.”
Angela McLeary, member of the ARI Governance Group representing the network of lived experience activists One Strong Voice, said: “ As a stateless person I know very well how important it is to fight for a better approach to the asylum system. To bring people together who are from local communities and national campaign organisations alongside those who have experienced the system is powerful. And right now it is critical that we use our voices to bring positive change with a fair new plan for refugees. I am delighted to welcome Eleanor to her new role and look forward to working together to secure deep and long-term change.”
Eleanor, who was recently appointed as the Fairtrade Foundation CEO, has been involved in social movements and campaigning for over 20 years and has shown a strong commitment to refugee issues since the beginning of her career when she worked to support asylum seekers and refugees in programme delivery at the Refugee Council (2005-2007). Other roles in the sector have included Interim CEO of Safe Passage International (2019) and Trustee at Refugee Rights Europe 2016-2020).
In addition to her leadership experience in the refugee sector, she spent six years as Vice Chair of Bond (2014-2020) and has been a part of several other boards and advisory committees. She has extensive chief executive experience, including at GlobalGiving UK (2012-2018), a global nonprofit challenging traditional aid dynamics; using technology to enable better access to funding, skills and learning for local organisations everywhere. In 2016 she received an OBE in recognition of her services to international development.
For more information on the Asylum Reform Initiative and Together With Refugees visit togetherwithrefugees.org.uk.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
- The independent Chair oversees the Governance Group of the Asylum Reform Initiative, which in turn oversees a Together With Refugees coalition Steering Group. Current membership of the Governance and Steering Groups are:
Asylum Reform Initiative Governance Group
- Angela McLeary, One Strong Voice
- Bridget Young, Director, NACCOM
- Eleanor Harrison, CEO Fairtrade Foundation (Chair)
- Enver Solomon, CEO Refugee Council
- Leila Zadeh, Executive Director, Rainbow Migration
- Mubeen Bhutta, Director of Policy, Research and Advocacy, British Red Cross
- Representative, Citizens UK
- Sabir Zazai, CEO, Scottish Refugee Council
- Sonya Sceats, CEO, Freedom from Torture
- Tim Naor Hilton, CEO, Refugee Action
Together With Refugees Steering Group
- Andrea Clever, CEO, Welsh Refugee Council
- Asli Tatliadim, Head of Campaigns, Refugee Action
- Dr Wanda Wyporska, CEO, Safe Passage International
- Emma Stevenson, Deputy CEO, Choose Love
- Hannah Green, Communications Manager, City of Sanctuary UK
- Hannah Gurnham, External Affairs Manager, NACCOM
- Imran Hussain, Executive Director of Communications and External Affairs, Refugee Council
- Jenni Regan, CEO, IMIX
- Minnie Rahman, CEO, Praxis
- Natasha Tsangarides, Associate Director of Advocacy, Freedom from Torture
- Nico Ndlovu, One Strong Voice
- Rabbi David Mason, CEO, HIAS+JCORE
- Representative, Citizens UK
- Representative, Rainbow Migration
- Representative, Scottish Refugee Council
- Sian Summers-Rees, CEO, City of Sanctuary UK
- Steve Ballinger, Director of Communications, British Future
- Suzanne Foster, Head of Public Affairs and External Relations, British Red Cross
- Yasmin Haima, CEO, JCWI
Eleanor Harrison CV Summary
- Chair, Asylum Reform Initiative (2024-present)
- Chief Executive Officer, Impetus (2020-2024)
- Vice Chair, BOND (2017-2020)
- Interim Chief Executive (Maternity Cover), Safe Passage International (2019)
- Chief Executive & Chief Influence Officer, GlobalGiving (UK & USA) (2017-2018)
- Chief Executive Officer, GlobalGiving UK (2012-2017)
- Executive Director, Action for Children in Conflict (Kenya) (2008-2011)
- Deputy Team Manager, Refugee Council, Birmingham (2007)
- Youth Endowment Fund Committee member (2020-2024)
- Judge, Student Social Mobility Awards (2023, 2024)
- National Tutoring Programme Steering Committee (2020 – 2021)
- BOND Vice Chair & Board (2014 – 2020)
- Refugee Rights Europe Board (2016-2020)
- Peace Direct Board (2014-2020)
- Most Influential in UK Fundraising (2018) Civil Society Media
- Order of the British Empire for Services to International Development (2016)
- Groundbreaker’s Scholarship for female leadership in UK charity sector (2013)
- Expert consultant, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (2011)
- Paul Harris Fellowship Award for community service (2009)
- MA International Relations (2004) University of Queensland, Australia
- BA (Hons) Social & Political Sciences (2001) St John’s College, University of Cambridge
About Asylum Reform Initiative (ARI) and its governance
The Asylum Reform Initiative is an alliance of British Red Cross, Citizens UK, Freedom From Torture, Refugee Action, Refugee Council, One Strong Voice, NACCOM, Rainbow Migration and Scottish Refugee Council. It was established in 2019, and in 2021 formed Together With Refugees – the largest pro-refugee coalition in British history with more than 600 members from small refugee-led and grassroots projects to large NGOs, unions and faith groups. The Asylum Reform Initiative is overseen by a Governance Group of nine sector leaders with an independent Chair. Together With Refugees is led by a Steering Group of coalition member leaders, overseen by the Governance Group. They are supported by a small coordinating team of staff and consultants. Lived experience leadership is core to the initiative with many of the Governance and Steering Groups having direct experience of being a refugee. For more information visit togetherwithrefugees.org.uk.
About Together With Refugees
Together With Refugees is the largest pro-refugee coalition in British history with more than 600 member organisations, from grassroots and refugee-led groups to international development charities and trade unions. With 80% of the British public wanting an approach to the asylum system that is well managed, fair and compassionate, the coalition also has a growing network of committed people getting organised and taking action to influence their MPs in constituencies across the country. The coalition is calling for a fair new plan for refugees that upholds the UK’s commitment under international law to the right to claim asylum, provides a proper strategy for welcoming refugees, and forges stronger global cooperation to tackle the root causes that force people to flee their homes and provides positive solutions when they do, including through safe routes to refugee protection. Find out more at togetherwithrefugees.org.uk and @RefugeeTogether on X and @RefugeesTogether on Instagram and BlueSky.