Yes / The shocking pictures of a drowned Syrian boy in September 2015 spurred European governments and organisations into taking action to address the growing refugee crisis. The University of Bradford was no different and the senior management team began to look at ways of responding. Consultation was carried out with local organisations at a Bradford City of Sanctuary event and with other UK universities. This suggested that the university should: Recognise how the concept of sanctuary fits with its traditional values and the strategic plan (which includes inclusivity, diversity, internationalisation and sustainability); See this as a long-term issue. ‘Responses need to be long-term. The refugee crisis will be here for years to come.’; Recognise this as an issue that is wider than Syrian refugees. There are substantial numbers of asylum seekers and refugees escaping conflict in other countries such as Eritrea, Afghanistan and Iraq; Align with the civic and community response. The city of Bradford has a proud history of welcoming and including newcomers from all corners of the world and has responded positively to the current crisis. The City of Sanctuary initiative plays a major role in this response. The university response would follow three main principles: To build on and scale up the excellent work previously carried out at faculty level in being awarded Sanctuary in Health to then apply for a University of Sanctuary award; To develop a holistic response across the university, involving faculties, professional services and students. This should be inclusive to generate commitment, ownership and awareness across the whole university; To take a broad, inclusive definition of sanctuary, embracing academics at risk as well as student refugees and asylum seekers.

Yes / Asylum-seeking and refugee (AS&R) women living in the UK often have complex health and social care needs, with poor underlying mental and physical health and an increased risk of negative pregnancy outcomes. Despite this, AS&R women are less likely to attend for timely maternity care and when they do, care may be poor, with staff not understanding their specific needs and displaying poor attitudes. This article discusses the Maternity Stream of the City of Sanctuary and how this charity aims to work with statutory and voluntary sector maternity-related services and groups to develop services that are inclusive for AS&R women and meet their specific needs. Volunteer AS&R women are central to the activities of the Maternity Stream and this article discusses how they engage with midwives and other maternity workers to facilitate the development of services that may ultimately improve pregnancy outcomes for AS&R women.