Supermodel Alek Wek was a refugee from Sudan

Music, dance, theatre and sport events, drawn from different cultures, will mark the week in towns and cities across Britain.

The Refugee Council, promoting the week starting Saturday, says UK society has been profoundly enriched by refugees.

It points out that the inventor of the contraceptive pill, the designer of the Mini, the founder of Marks & Spencer and the first governor of the Bank of England all came to the UK as refugees.

Wales trek

One of the week's events is the display Suitcases and Sanctuary, in which East London schoolchildren depict each other's immigration stories.

Other events include Celebrating Sanctuary on 24 June at Coin Street in London, a show by a diverse range of refugee musicians and dancers.

Glasgow City Council is planning a range of activities, and the Refugee Forum in Birmingham is planning a week-long event based in Cannon Park.

The United Nations Association in Wales is working with The Prince's Trust to stage a trek across Wales - simulating an emergency situation and crossing an imaginary border to "seek asylum".

What is a refugee?

Under the UN Convention, a refugee is described as someone who "has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion; is outside the country they belong to or normally reside in, and is unable or unwilling to return home for fear of persecution."

The UK is a signatory to the convention, and thus has a legal obligation to protect refugees.

The UK ranks seventh out of 15 European Union countries in terms of asylum applicants per 1,000 inhabitants.

However, there has been much argument in recent months about the number of refugees taken in by Britain.

The Refugee Council says many members of the public believe the UK is seen as a "soft touch", despite evidence that it is increasingly difficult to enter the UK as an asylum seeker.

Last year, immigration officials found that about 50% of asylum seekers were in genuine need of protection.