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NEWCASTLE CATHEDRAL
NEWCASTLE CATHEDRAL
A BEACON OF LIGHT
Asylum: A Long and Painful Process (Photography Exhibition by Walking With, North Tyneside)
15th May - 7th June
FREEHow long do those seeking sanctuary in the UK wait for the Home Office decision that will determine their future?
Six months? Six years?
It is rarely six months. It is often six years. Soon, it may be much, much longer.
Created by artist Sadia Sikandar – herself a refugee – with the campaigning group at Walking With charity, this exhibition of images will be displayed ahead of Refugee Week 2026, featuring heartbreaking personal accounts that lay bare the journeys of people seeking sanctuary in the North East.
Their message is this: “People fleeing torture, persecution and war may well experience a moment of relief as they arrive on our shores – but their respite is brief.
“Already exhausted by the challenge of escaping their homeland, our asylum process presents them with yet another mountain to climb, with poor living conditions and without the right to work.
“They are left in limbo, hoping their claim is processed before their mental health gives way under the burden of stress, fear and uncertainty that are part of our system of asylum.
“We challenge those in power to recognise that asylum does not have to be a long and painful process. And we call on them to take urgent action so that refugees can have their claims dealt with quickly, fairly and in a way that lends dignity to both them and us.”
The exhibition will be accompanied by a special launch event. Sign up to the Cathedral e-newsletter to be the first to hear the latest news and announcements.
