Safe Passage champions the rights of refugees and displaced people as they flee persecution.
The organisation’s legal teams across the UK and Europe also provide the necessary counsel to support individuals navigating the complex immigration systems, ultimately ensuring safe and legal routes for those in need. Working alongside refugees, Safe Passage campaigns for change and public support for safe routes, striving to help child refugees reunite with their families.
In last year’s annual Charities & Volunteering employee survey, Safe Passage was voted to be Savanta’s pro bono client of the year.
The Challenge
Following this recognition, Savanta approached Safe Passage to offer a pro bono research contribution as part of our Charities & Volunteering committee’s work.
Safe Passage wanted to use this opportunity to uncover brand awareness, primarily with parliamentarians, but also with the general public in relation to other charities in the refugee space, as well as uncover understanding and enthusiasm for safe routes amongst these audiences.
Our approach
In order to establish both public and parliamentary perceptions of Safe Passage and gauge potential levels of support for the cause, Savanta carried out quantitative research with the British public as well as UK Members of Parliament.
The objective of the two online surveys was to provide Safe Passage with a better understanding of people’s views on asylum policy amongst the public and decision-makers, with a specific focus on awareness and support for safe routes. The research also concentrated on spontaneous and prompted awareness of Safe Passage and likelihood to support the charity’s mission.
The outcome
During a time of heightened debate in the British media regarding asylum policy and perceived political hostility towards refugees, the results were helpful in validating Safe Passage’s mission.
The findings were used to create a report that touched on public and political satisfaction with asylum policy and focused on drawing out perceived benefits and drawbacks of safe routes as well as the language that resonates with Safe Passage’s key audiences.
The report revealed strong public support for the government to establish more legal avenues for refugees to enter the UK, thereby affirming Safe Passage’s efforts. The report also found differing levels of support between Labour and Conservative MPs that helped Safe Passage inform the next steps in their parliamentary campaigns.