MP Jo Cox was a passionate campaigner for refugees.

She worked fiercely to urge governments, the EU and the UN to do more to help those fleeing violence and death through her career both as a humanitarian aid worker and newly-elected Batley and Spen MP in 2015.

To mark Refugee Week, we have compiled a list of five ways that Jo pushed their cause.

1. Voting for more help for refugees

Despite her short 13 months in parliament, Jo’s voting record shows her drive to get the Government to better support refugees. Along with voting for the UK to help 3,000 vulnerable child refugees, on September 9 2015 Jo Cox voted for the Government to give sanctuary to more than the 20,000 refugees it had pledged to take in. On December 1 2015, she voted against restricting the support available to failed asylum seekers and illegal migrants.

2. Moving Parliament debates

Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox speaking in Parliment

Jo was a fervent speaker in the House of Commons on refugees and asylum seekers.

One of Jo’s most moving speeches, made on April 25 during a debate on the Dubs Amendment of the Immigration Bill, was focused on the plight of Syrian child refugees.

Speaking to ask the Government to give 3,000 child refugees sanctuary in the UK, she said: “Who can blame desperate parents for wanting to escape the horror that their families are experiencing? “Children are being killed on their way to school, children as young as seven are being forcefully recruited to the frontline and one in three children have grown up knowing nothing but fear and war.

“Those children have been exposed to things no child should ever witness, and I know I would risk life and limb to get my two precious babies out of that hellhole.”

Ahead of the vote on increasing the number of Syrian refugees allowed to seek sanctuary in the UK, Jo was similarly impassioned.

“Taking 20,000 refugees over five years is simply not good enough; it sends an awful message about how seriously we take civilian protection”, she said.

“Whether it is the response to the drownings in the Mediterranean or our offer to take Syrian refugees, the Prime Minister has been pushed into climbdown after climbdown, embarrassed into action by the humanity of the British public.

“It is time for him to lead, not follow.”

3. Working with the opposition

Jo wasted no time in approaching Andrew Mitchell, Conservative MP and former International Development Secretary from 2010-12, following her election to parliament.

Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell (right) arrives with other MPs at St Margaret's Church, London, for a service of prayer and remembrance to commemorate Jo Cox MP
Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell (right) arrives with other MPs at St Margaret's Church, London, for a service of prayer and remembrance to commemorate Jo Cox MP

Together they made a compelling argument in the Guardian for “ethical” military involvement, complete with the creation of safe havens and other protection for civilians.

An extract read: “Some may think that a military component has no place in an ethical response to Syria. We completely disagree. It is not ethical to wish away the barrel bombs from the Syrian government when you have the capacity to stop them.

4. Setting up a parliamentary group on Syria

One of the key steps forward taken by the pair was to jointly set up and chair the All Party Parliamentary Friends of Syria group.

Writing on the group’s website following her death, Mr Mitchell said: “She and I chaired it together, taking evidence from military commanders, diplomats and officials from the region.

“She might have been new to Westminster, but she led the way.

“She was fearless, utterly fearless. Last year, we went to see the Russian ambassador in London, to give him a rollicking about the terrible way his country has behaved in Syria.

“I have no doubt that if Jo had lived, her talent and determination would have taken her to the Cabinet one day, presumably in development or foreign affairs. She’d have done a great job.”

5. Lobbying

Jo championed refugees during her seven career with Oxfam, where she worked as the head of its EU office, head of Oxfam GB’s policy and advocacy and global head of humanitarian campaigning.

A spokesman for Oxfam highlighted in particular her work in Darfur, Sudan, where as many as 300,000 people have been killed, more than 2.3 million people have been displaced inside the country and 100,000 refugees have fled to neighbouring Chad.

Jo Cox travelling in Darfur for Oxfam
Jo Cox travelling in Darfur for Oxfam

He said: “Jo worked tirelessly to help these people.

“She lobbied governments, the UN and the EU to do their upmost to stop the fighting and provide more aid to those suffering. She even helped persuade David Cameron before he was PM to accompany her in the camps in Darfur and speak to the Sudanese government.”

Speaking out to G8 Leaders in 2006, she said: ”This meeting is happening against a backdrop of rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crises which the G8 leaders must not turn their back on.

“One year on, people caught in crises such as Darfur have seen little benefit from another year of concerned words but not enough action.

“The G8 must commit to fully resource the AU troops so they can immediately protect the people of Darfur.”

Pressing EU Foreign Ministers who met to discuss the Darfur crisis at the General Affairs Council in winter 2004, she said: “The European Union must step in to the void left by the UN Security Council’s failure, and take action to stop the violence in Darfur.”