[1] The charity was formed in Edinburgh in 1985 but moved to Glasgow in 1999 as the city became one of the main dispersal areas for refugees.

Its remit has expanded over time in response to growing demand for its services and is now the leading charity for refugees in Scotland.

In its early stages it primarily worked with refugees from Chile and Vietnam, helping with asylum claims, understanding the welfare system and getting access to housing and education.

One major new development during this time was the 1993 establishment of a reception centre for Bosnians who faced persecution and ethnic cleansing in Serbian concentration camps.

In December 2017, Scottish Refugee Council moved offices to 6th Floor, Portland House, 17 Renfield Street, G2 5AH.

One tragic result of this was the fatal stabbing of Firsat Yildiz, a young Turkish Kurd who had recently been dispersed to Glasgow.

Sabir has a wealth of knowledge in refugee integration that is informed by his personal experiences of going through the asylum system and his research and campaigning background in this area.

It is a place where women, children and men are protected, find safety and support, have their human rights and dignity respected and are able to achieve their full potential."

Its mission is to increase public understanding of refugees and campaign for an end to discrimination, racism and prejudice.

The charity also focuses on working with the media to broaden public understanding of the issues facing refugees.

The work of Scottish Refugee Council was affected following funding cuts introduced by the UK Border Agency in 2011.

In its response to the funding reductions, John Wilkes, Chief Executive Officer of the Scottish Refugee Council issued a statement saying: "Savage cuts to the refugee charity sector will force people who have already fled torture, conflict and persecution in their own countries to suffer even further while seeking safety in the UK.