Refugees living in Kingston shared their stories about settling into life in the UK this week.

Kingston Council leader Kevin Davis and mayor Roy Arora visited the borough’s Refugee Action branch in Canbury Park Road to speak to migrants turned refugees in the past few years about finding homes, getting work, learning English and becoming part of the society - something they desperately want.

The group, who were from Afghanistan, Syria and Sri Lanka, met on Tuesday, September 22 to share their experiences.

Many said they chose Kingston having heard positive things from those who had gone before.

One woman, who asked not to be named, moved from Sri Lanka to be with her husband in 2010. He was driven out of the country by his work as a human rights activist.

She said: "I wasted two and a half years of my life in the UK because I didn't have the right support [until finding out about Refugee Action Kingston].”

Another refugee who now has a home and whose daughter works at Kingston Hospital, said they were first sent to Glasgow but experienced racism there. This has never happened in Kingston, she said.

Refugee Action Kingston helps countless people who have fled their home countries tweak CV's, learn English and understand hospital documents.

It also provides counselling sessions, a timebank [where skills are exchanged] and runs a creche.

Coun Davis said: "It is clear to see how passionate they are about their work; and I can see why.

"The people who we spoke to who had received Refugee Action’s help had become human good news stories - people who had faced real horrors and who now live happy lives in Kingston."

Kingston Council has backed the housing of Syrian refugees within the borough, but people volunteering their homes to help have faced strict Home Office rules blocking their efforts.

To support Refugee Action Kingston visit localgiving.com/charity/refugeeactionkingston.