A charity supporting refugees and migrants across the West of England and Midlands has helped more than 1,500 people find safe housing in 2025.
According to its latest impact report, the year saw a 10% increase in the number of people granted refugee protection in the UK. Overall, 58,148 people received refugee status or other leave in the year to September 2025.
ACH, formerly knows as Ashton Community Housing, was founded in Bristol in 2008 to provide supported housing to refugees, who had recently been granted five years’ leave to remain.
The company supported 1,581 people into stable accommodation over the past 12 months and supported hundreds into education, employment and entrepreneurship.
Employing more than 130 staff from over 35 nationalities, the charity said the rising demand reflects ongoing global conflict and displacement.
Government figures show around 234,000 people arrived from Ukraine to the UK by December last year and asylum hotels held 36,000 people as of September 2025 – a 13% increase from the previous quarter.
Once granted status, individuals have 28 days to leave asylum accommodation and find housing, a timeframe ACH says leaves many at risk of homelessness.
One case study details Ahmad, who arrived from Iraq in 2015 aged 18 and spent eight years navigating the asylum system before being granted refugee status in 2023. After being given 28 days to leave his accommodation, he spent time sleeping rough in Coventry.
The charity also ran a pilot scheme in Wolverhampton targeting people with complex needs, including substance dependency and those with no resource to public funds. Of the 13 individuals supported, four moved into stable housing.
Fuad Mahamed, CEO of ACH, said: ‘The last 12 months have been our most impactful yet. We’re extremely proud to have continued to move forward in the face of what has been an increasingly challenging national and global backdrop.
‘The number of people granted refugee protection in the UK continues to rise, reflecting ongoing conflict, displacement and instability on a widespread scale. For many newly-recognised refugees, starting a new life in the UK remains abrupt and precarious, with limited timeframes to secure housing, employment and support.
‘We’ve continued to help refugees in the West of England and West Midlands overcome these challenges by proactively providing the right support at the right time, which is fundamental for helping refugees and migrants move from crisis to contribution.’
Image: ACH
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