Actor and activist Mandy Patinkin recently witnessed first­hand the refugee crisis engulfing Europe. Alongside International Rescue Committee aid workers in Greece, he met families who had fled Syria and other war­torn countries in hopes of finding a better life for their children in Europe. “Standing with them, I did not see strangers to be feared but the faces and stories of my own family.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) provides specialist services for refugees, asylum seekers, and other vulnerable migrants. Our UK programmes help people fleeing from war, violence and persecution in countries like Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Sudan and Iraq. We help new arrivals in the UK to navigate local services like healthcare and education and support them to find employment and gain the skills that will allow them to prosper in the UK.