York Refugee Week Film Event

Join us at the Tempest Anderson Hall in the Yorkshire Museum on June 18, 2026 at 6:00 PM (BST) for an evening celebrating this year's Refugee Week theme of Courage through film.

Escaping Libya's Detention Industry (May 2025)

Since 2011, refugees and migrants in Libya have faced systematic abuse that the ICC suggests may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. Central to this crisis is the EU’s role; by providing funding, training, and logistical support to the Libyan Coast Guard (LCG) and the Department for Combatting Illegal Migration (DCIM), the EU has effectively outsourced border control, trapping thousands in a "vicious circle" of exploitation.

Featuring interviews with survivors and spatial analysis this documentary reveals a sophisticated detention industry where local militias, now absorbed into state institutions, operate centres like Al Mayah and Ain Zara. In these facilities, individuals face torture, forced labour, and extortion. The investigation highlights how violent tactics pioneered in trafficking hubs like Bani Walid have evolved into a formalised network of captivity. By enabling these Libyan actors, the EU is accused of facilitating grave human rights violations to prevent migration to Europe.

Produced by Lawyers for Justice in Libya and Forensis

Runtime 39 minutes

Introduced by Farah Abou El Sel (Researcher and interpreter)

No Release (September 2025)

After being released from Pr*son, two migrant men face a new kind of punishment: constant surveillance through electronic tags imposed by the UK immigration system. No Release explores the long-term impact of state control on the body, mind and identity and the psychological effects of punishment with no end.

Written and directed by Sînziana Cojocărescu

Monish Bhatia (Researcher)

Runtime 18 minutes

Introduced by Simon Parker

Armed with Words: Interpreting the War in Afghanistan (2022)

Sara De Jong and photographer Andy Barnham met with 14 former interpreters who are now resettled in the UK to document their experiences through in-depth interviews and to take their portraits. This short video explores the photographic exhibition and features the voices of the participants as they share their experiences of trying to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the allied withdrawal from Afghanistan,

Produced by Deniz Karagulle with interviews by Sara de Jong and photography by Andy Barnham.

Runtime 11 minutes

Introduced by Sara de Jong

After the screenings there will be an opportunity for questions and contributions from the audience.

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Host or Publisher Simon Parker