Almost a quarter of British children do not know the meaning of the word “refugee”, according to a new survey, amid mounting evidence of a growth in negative sentiments and scepticism towards those seeking asylum in the UK.

Just over half of teachers (52 per cent) spoken to by the British Red Cross (BRC) said they had witnessed “anti-refugee” sentiments in their pupils and almost a quarter of children (24 per cent) did not know what a refugee was.

The poll of 750 primary and secondary school teachers across the UK also showed that 54 per cent believed media, including social media, was a contributing factor to the children’s negative sentiments.

The figures were released as the nation marked refugee week with hundreds of festivities inviting people to explore the lives of refugees living in the UK.

Alex Fraser, of the BRC, said while there were a lot of positive stories in the community, negativity still existed on social media, the street and in classrooms.

Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Show all 20 1 /20 Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Modi Emmanuel "Modi Emmanuel crawled mile upon mile to escape the war in his country, South Sudan. When his mother had the strength, she would lift him and carry him the best she could across the rocks and hard ground they were journeying on. I met Modi in a South Sudanese refugee camp in Uganda. He crawled on his hands and knees towards me and I outstretched my hand. Before he shook it, Modi wiped the dust from his hand. I cry when I think of him doing this. This beautiful young man, who has suffered so much, was so conscious of the dust on his hand, dust that was only there because he had no choice but to crawl because of his disability, that he would wipe it before shaking my hand." - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Modi Emmanuel 'He had crawled as he'd become separated from his wheelchair. A colleague of mine brought it over to him and helped him into the seat. This wheelchair allows Modi to get around the camp, where tens of thousands of refugees live, every one of them forced from their homes in South Sudan by violence. Modi has the wheelchair thanks to the support of BMS World Mission and Hope Health Action They're working in refugee camps in Uganda, distributing wheelchairs to children and adults with disabilities. You can help this life-changing work today by supporting BMS' South Sudan's conflict survivors appeal.' - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Annet and children 'Annet gave birth on the roadside whilst fleeing the civil war in her country, South Sudan. Her mother helped her with the delivery. No-one else. Just Annet and her mother, behind some bushes as they tried to escape a conflict that's created the largest refugee crisis in Africa. "When this was happening, I had a lot of thought about my country," Annet told my colleague at BMS World Mission "I was thinking that if the war had not broken out, I would not have gone through these challenges... giving birth on the way... not being able to feed my baby. These are the things that came to my mind." I met Annet in a refugee camp in Uganda. Just over 815,000 South Sudanese refugees are currently in Uganda. The number of people displaced by the civil war in South Sudan is 2.3 million' - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda 'I don't have much, but I'm overwhelmed with joy' - Dube 'Dube taught me a lot about generosity and kindness. I met him in a field in Uganda, where he was growing maize so that he could feed his family. He's a long, long way from his home in South Sudan. He fled with his three young children to Uganda because of the civil war that's created the largest refugee crisis in Africa. He made it to safety with no means to support his family. He'd lost everything he'd owned. A friend allowed him to use a field to grow crops, whilst the seeds he planted were given through the help of BMS World Mission and Hope Health Action. When we asked to buy some of his corn, Dube refused to take our money, even though he needed it and could have bought much needed items with it. He instead gave us the corn as a way of saying thank you for the seeds he'd been given in the past.' - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Joice and her twins Sarah and Sharon 'I met Joice in Bidi Bidi, the world's largest refugee camp. There are around 225,000 South Sudanese refugees in the camp, each one of them forced from their nation by civil war. Joice survived the journey to the refugee camp in Uganda. Many others don't. Joice didn't know she had pre-eclampsia. It was only detected because a volunteer health worker had access to a highly accurate blood pressure monitor. Joice was monitored afterwards and had a c-section at eight months. Had it not been for BMS World Mission supporters, and the work of partner Hope Health Action, that blood pressure monitor would not have been in the camp. I've seen the difference that monitor can make. And you can see it now in that Sarah and Sharon have a mother to cradle them' - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda 'War forced these young men to flee their homes in South Sudan. I met them early in the morning in a refugee camp in Uganda. They were making bricks for a school so that some of the tens of thousands of children who have also been forced to flee from their homes by civil war can resume their education. I've never witnessed teamwork or determination like I did that morning. Every participant had their role. Every one of them putting everything they had into building a school. Into helping children who have suffered unimaginable grief and fear' - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda 'War forced these young men to flee their homes in South Sudan. I met them early in the morning in a refugee camp in Uganda. They were making bricks for a school so that some of the tens of thousands of children who have also been forced to flee from their homes by civil war can resume their education. I've never witnessed teamwork or determination like I did that morning. Every participant had their role. Every one of them putting everything they had into building a school. Into helping children who have suffered unimaginable grief and fear' - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda A girl holding a younger child at the camp in Uganda BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda 'Children would tease me because I'm not able to move' - Nancy 'Nancy can't walk as her right foot is twisted. She's only 14 and a refugee because of the civil war in her country, South Sudan. I met her in a refugee camp in Uganda. She didn't use to have the wheelchair you can see. It's only thanks to Hope Health Action, supported by partner BMS World Mission, that she has it. Other South Sudanese children and adults with disabilities are being helped too. But so much more can be done. Children like Nancy crawled away from a war zone because they didn't have a wheelchair, or someone to carry them. They arrive in Uganda bereaved, exhausted and facing extreme loneliness and fear. They are part of the largest refugee crisis in Africa. I've been to the world's largest refugee camp - Bidi Bidi - and seen child after child needing help. Please consider helping them today.' - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda "We lived in fear in South Sudan, so we came here for rescue, to look for a peaceful place' - Agnes 'Agnes [L], arrived in Uganda with not a single possession having fled a civil war that's created the largest refugee crisis in Africa. "There was no shelter when we arrived.... rain washes you," she told us. "We were rescued and given some tarpaulins, and we built shelter from there, and started gaining back what we have lost from South Sudan." Agnes has the use of just one eye. We met her in a refugee camp in Uganda, where she is helping people with disabilities. “I feel God has left one of my eyes to be used for someone who is not seeing. So that’s why I became interested to help those ones who cannot help themselves completely, and I became a volunteer."' - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Young children sit outside a tent at the camp BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Susan 'Susan is unable to walk and crawled away from the civil war in her country, South Sudan. She has leprosy and didn't make it to a refugee camp in Uganda. Emergency food rations provided through BMS World Mission and Hope Health Action have kept her alive. We crossed a dry river bed to reach Susan. Her hut is just a mile or so from the South Sudan border. When it rains, the hut leaks. Susan is fragile and lonely, and rarely gets visitors. Pastoral activists found her and have been supporting her, providing her with a wheelchair and food. Others need finding and supporting too' - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Children gathered in a church in the camp BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda A young boy alone at the camp BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Children at the UNHCR food centre BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Children of the refugee camp in Uganda BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Children in a group at the camp BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Children gathered in a church in the camp BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda A young girl at the camp BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Children of the refugee camp in Uganda BMS World Mission / David Dunham

“We want to encourage a more informed conversation online and in schools ... and create conditions of greater shared understanding,” he said.

Meanwhile, a new Ipsos global online study of 26 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific showed overall Britain remained open to welcoming refugees – albeit with some levels of concern around the validity of their claims for asylum.

Seventy-two per cent of British respondents agreed people should have the right to seek refuge from war and persecution, compared with 61 per cent globally.

British Red Cross campaign for Refugee Week

However, there has been a growth in British who are sceptical that refugees’ claims are genuine – up to 51 per cent from 47 per cent in 2017.

They were also divided over whether refugees would integrate successfully, with 45 per cent believing they would do so compared to 38 per cent who did not.

Ipsos research director Kully Kaur-Ballagan said the findings showed on the whole the British were compassionate about people’s fundamental rights to seek refuge.

“However, in practice there is widespread concern about people taking advantage of the system and the public remains relatively divided over the extent to which refugees will successfully integrate into their new society.”

Image from the British Red Cross video campaign for Refugee Week 2019 (British Red Cross)

Refugee Action head of resettlement Lou Calvey said refugees were “desperate to work and contribute”.

But she said it was a gruelling process for those seeking asylum – many of whom waited months with minimal financial support of £37.75 a week.

Those with status also faced challenges getting access to mental health services, English language classes and getting into work that matched their skills.

“I know a Syrian teacher, a bus driver, he’s happy to be working. But something is wrong if he is not able to bring that experience of teaching in Syria for 20 years back to the UK.”

Emma Harrison, the CEO of IMiX, a migration communications hub, said investing in English lessons and enabling people to work while their asylum claim was being processed were key to a successful integration.

“More than anything, refugees want to build a new life for themselves and their families – having made their perilous journey here and having lost so much already.”

For Ahmed Osman, 53, the cost of moving to the UK has been high – he no longer felt able to talk to the family he’d left behind, he struggled with thoughts of suicide and spent a year homeless on the streets of London.

Ahmed Osman, 53, was unable to return home to Egypt after former business associates made threats on his life (Supplied)

The call upset his mother so much, he no longer felt able to talk to them.

“I’m no young boy to cry like this…[but] I want to see my mum. Five years, I have not called my mum or called my dad. I love them so much, but I called them just one time when I arrived to say I was OK.”

Osman said he’d been happy with his life working as an import-export manager in Egypt, where he helped provide for his four siblings, parents and son.

And if it hadn’t been for a business deal in 2013 that went wrong when a UK-based client went bankrupt without paying up, Osman would likely never have left.

Instead, having come to the UK in 2015 to attempt to recoup his losses, Osman found himself stranded and unable to return, due to threats on his life by those to whom he now owed money.

“Now I can’t go back to Egypt. People are looking for me, as this money is not my money, I can’t return money to these people.”

Legally unable to work while seeking asylum, he ran out of money and for a year lived on the streets around Trafalgar Square and Shepherd’s Bush.

The British Red Cross has released a video campaign for Refugee Week 2019 (British Red Cross)

Ashamed of his living situation, Osman’s thoughts turned to suicide.

“No one in my family knows my story. They will die if they know something like this – I felt bad.”

Osman said today things were looking up. He’d completed a business course, found a studio apartment and had established a fruit, vegetable and juice store.

He said this was all that refugees wanted when coming to the UK.