JRS was founded in November 1980 by Fr Pedro Arrupe SJ, then Superior General of the Society of Jesus, in response to the plight of refugees in Southeast Asia after the Vietnam War.
Deeply moved by the suffering and displacement he witnessed, Fr Arrupe envisioned an organisation that would accompany, serve, and advocate for refugees worldwide — not merely offering aid, but walking alongside those affected by forced migration, upholding their dignity and human rights. His vision laid the foundations for a global mission of compassion and solidarity that JRS continues to embody today.
In 1994, Jesuit Refugee Service UK established a formal office in Stockwell, South London. This initiative was led by Fr Bernard Elliott SJ, who had been supporting Vietnamese and Cambodian refugee communities near Heathrow, alongside Br Stephen Power SJ, returning from JRS work in Sudan, and later joined by Fr Chris Boles SJ, fresh from service in the Philippines. The early office was modest and volunteers took on a wide range of tasks to respond to the immediate needs of refugees.
Reflecting on these beginnings, Br Stephen Power SJ recalls:
“The Jesuit Provincial, Michael Campbell‑Johnston, who had helped Fr Arrupe to set up JRS International based in Rome, asked me and Bernard to set up an office next to CAFOD at that time. It was exciting as we did a bit of everything! Receiving people at the office with a variety of needs, visiting those in detention, contacting lawyers to get help, advocating for refugee rights with several networks and helping to send volunteers to JRS internationally.”
From these modest beginnings, JRS UK has grown into a vibrant community of accompaniment and welcome. Today its base at the Hurtado Centre in East London supports hundreds of refugee friends each year, offering essential services such as accommodation, food, clothing, toiletries, legal guidance, emotional support, and a warm place of hospitality.
The story of JRS UK is one of steady growth, moving from crisis‑response to sustained accompaniment, and embodying Fr Arrupe’s call to “be with rather than do for.” It stands as a testament to an organisation rooted in compassion which continues to respond to the hidden injuries of forced displacement in the UK.
This article was adapted from the original blog post on the Jesuit Refugee Service UK website, which you can read here.
Tracing the origins of Jesuit Refugee Service UK from the late 1970s to the formal establishment of its office in 1994, the British Jesuit Archives highlight key figures like Br Bernard Elliot SJ—read the full account here.
Banner photo: Fr Pedro Arrupe SJ puts a shoe on a refugee child’s foot (photo courtesy of Jesuit Refugee Service)
