Syed Hasnain has experienced all the challenges associated with being a refugee in Europe and is now making a difference by advocating for refugee rights and equal rights opportunities in decision-making spaces.

Originally from Afghanistan, Hasnain is the co-founder and current president of UNIRE (Italian National Union of Refugees and Exiles), the first national network of refugees living in Italy. UNIRE is a shared space dedicated to build and strengthen the networks of associations promoted by refugees and individual activists. It aims to restore the agency and the protagonism of refugees in relevant political decision-making spaces, no matter where they are from, by means of self-representation and self-narration.

In addition to his impactful mission with UNIRE, Hasnain has worked with several relevant humanitarian NGOs and is currently a member of the Expert Group on the Views of Migrants in the Fields of Migration, Asylum, and Integration at the EU Commission, where he provides policy expertise. If that wasn’t good enough, since 2018, he is one of the most dynamic members of the European chapter of the Global Refugee Network (GRN).

Stay with us to learn more about Hasnain’s journey and aspirations to keep impacting refugees and exiles’ lives in a positive, inclusive and lasting way:

Q: Thank you for joining us, Syed! To get us started, how would you describe yourself in only a few words?

A: I am a cosmopolitan refugee advocate.

Q: We imagine that this description of yourself is a good introduction to your life purpose. Are we correct?

A: Yes! My purpose is to advocate for refugee rights and their access to equal opportunities in host societies.

Read the full article about advocating for refugee rights at Impact Hub Network.