This week thousands of asylum-seekers in the UK will be made to feel special.

They will be treated to live music concerts and festivities, where a variety of food will be served. A key event will be a parade in London, which organisers say will be about celebrating the protection of refugees and representing their proud tradition of offering safety to them.

All this is part of the line-up of events marking Refugee Week in the country. This year the focus is on encouraging people to change their perception of refugees, something well understood by 42-year-old Zimbabwean Luka Phiri, who is an asylum-seeker in London.

"We are perceived as con-artists who are coming here for benefits. They see us as spongers. The media does more damage by accusing asylum-seekers of crime in the UK," says Phiri, who hails from Mzilikazi, Bulawayo.

However, poor public perception appears to be the least of his worries at this stage. As his application for asylum has been turned down, he has to make a plan to get food and also find a place to sleep.

"I have tried to apply for this support for food and accommodation, which is £35 per week, but I keep being turned down," he says.

"I have been homeless and have been staying with different friends. On Friday I was given food by the Red Cross at a centre for the homeless. On Saturday I slept elsewhere in North London with a friend. Today I will sleep in Ilford, East London. This is very frustrating. There are a lot of Zimbabweans in my situation," he says, adding that the government does not allow asylum-seekers to work.

Ending up homeless and jobless in a foreign country was never part of his plan, going back to when he first got sucked into politics in the 1990's. Working in a tool factory that was gripped by the buzz around a new political party being formed: the Movement for Democratic Change which would challenge Zanu-PF.

"I was involved with the trade union in Zimbabwe. I was excited because we needed an opposition party in Zimbabwe to end the torture, killings and land invasions. The government was protecting the perpetrators," he explains of his reasons for joining the MDC.

His activism came at a price: "All this put a lot of pressure on my marriage. At times I would sleep at MDC safe houses; It was a painful time for me." He says eventually the police did nail him , leading to him being arrested eight times.

The climax came in 2003. Following an MDC demonstration at Queens Sports Ground in Bulawayo, he explains that he was arrested and beaten in what he says was a Zanu-PF 'torture house' on the outskirts of Bulawayo. After this, he knew he had to escape the country.

But he explains there was a problem: "It was difficult to get a Zimbabwean passport at the time. My MDC colleagues suggested buying a Malawian passport as it is easily obtainable in Zimbabwe." He arrived in London in bandages, where his application for asylum was rejected because of the Malawian passport; and the government soon cut off his support.

From 2004 up to March this year, he has had to live with a family in London that he knew from back home. They have provided him with food, transport money and even clothing.

Despite his hardships, he rules out returning to Zimbabwe. "Mugabe is still in charge of the new government and security. He can re-ignite the intimidation machine," he says. - Refugee Week runs from June 14-20 in the UK.