A THREE-week celebration of refugees and the positive impact they have on Scotland will take place in June.

Highlights of this year's Refugee Festival Scotland include Being Human - a programme of visual art by Iranian artists at The Arches - and a celebration of the Glasgow Girls' story, including live musical performances.

The Scottish Refugee Council, which marks its 30th anniversary this year, said it planned to highlight how diverse and welcoming Scotland was, as the UK General Election campaign involved heated debate around migration which was "sometimes hostile and ill-informed".

They want to show the "huge contribution" refugees have made to the economic, social and cultural life of Scotland, especially in light of the recent tragic deaths of people trying to flee persecution and war in the Mediterranean sea.

The festival will also launch Refugee Lives in Scotland, an oral history project involving Glasgow University and host the Queer Gaylidh Dance Party, from the LGBT Unity Solidarity Group.

The event takes place in locations including Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Skye, is organised by the Scottish Refugee Council, which is marking its 30th anniversary.

It runs from June 3 to 21 and, in total, includes some 90 music, theatre, dance and visual arts events as well as discussions, films, community celebrations, schools events, workshops and even a football tournament.

The Media Awards to recognise the best, most insightful reporting on refugee and asylum issues takes place on June 17.

Meanwhile, on World Refugee Day - June 20 - the festival will host the Southside Souk multicultural market and a community screening of the Buena Vista Social club in Glasgow.

Suzi Maciver, Arts and Cultural Co-ordinator for Scottish Refugee Council, said: "We wanted this year's theme to shine a different light on the story of refugees in Scotland and to show what positive qualities they bring to Scottish culture, as well as the genuinely warm and open-hearted relationships that have developed between local communities and people rebuilding their lives here."

"We also want Celebrate to be more than just a good feeling - we want to celebrate the rights that refugees have and encourage them to be fairly recognised; the protection to which they are entitled when cruel situations take their daily lives away from them; and the dignity that they have even through the toughest and most unbearable situations that we as a host nation should respect and support."

"While the many individual refugee stories are often tales of great sadness, loss and endurance, so many refugees here take this adversity and turn it into something positive, and this is a great cause for celebration."