refugee action blog

Tonight, the latest programme in Channel 4’s Unreported World strand focuses on Sudan, where Government forces are attacking civilians in the country’s troubled Nuba region.  Sadly, conflict in Sudan is far from new – civil war has raged in the country since 1985, and despite a peace agreement in 2005 and the declaration of an independent South Sudan just last year, violence and unrest continue in many of the border regions between the two countries.

Throughout the years, Refugee Action has provided vital support to many refugees who’ve fled Sudan’s conflict.  Some, like Peter and his family, arrived in the UK as part of the Gateway Protection Programme – a UN resettlement scheme which gives a small number of vulnerable refugees the chance of a new life in a third country.  Peter and his wife had lived for seven years in a refugee camp in Uganda, unable to return home after government forces attacked their city.  Three of their four children were born and grew up in the camp, where life was very difficult and opportunities were rare.  Despite this, Peter found work as a camp social worker, supporting others in the same situation as him and his family.  He applied for resettlement in 2000, but didn’t arrive in the UK until 2006.  Refugee Action staff met him at the airport, and supported him to build a new, safe life for himself and his family in the UK.  His youngest daughter, Happy, was born in the UK in 2009.

Another Sudanese refugee with an incredible story was Isa, who fled a terrifying life in Sudan and was supported by Get Connected, Refugee Action’s youth project.  Isa’s father was killed in the conflict in Darfur, a region of Sudan where many civilians were killed by government-sponsored militia.  Forced to become a child soldier at fourteen, he was beaten and made to kill and torture others.  He ran away and was sheltered by a priest, who paid another man to smuggle Isa to the UK.  When he arrived here he spoke no English and had nowhere to go.  The project workers at Get Connected helped him to adjust to life in the UK, learn English,  and make friends with other young people in a similar situation.  Isa is now studying Access to Medicine and hopes to become a doctor, “to help other people as I have been helped”.

In a situation of prolonged conflict like that of Sudan, thousands of ordinary people find themselves separated from friends and family, far from their homes and in extraordinary situations.  While the vast majority of Sudanese refugees were supported by countries like Uganda, we are proud to have helped a small number to build new lives in the UK.  As people around the world stand up in support of the Sudanese people – including celebrities like George Clooney, who was recently arrested at a protest against the Sudanese government – it’s important to remember that sometimes, people affected by a conflict can be closer to home, and need your support here as much as ever.  If you’d like to send a message of welcome to refugees in the UK, you can do so on our Welcome Wall.

This week, it’s Young People Seeking Safety Week!  With organisations and individuals all over the country standing up for young asylum seekers, we thought it was time for a blog about our fantastic youth project, Get Connected, which turns eight years old this year.

There’s been a youth project at our Liverpool office since 2001, but Get Connected was first launched in 2004.  Its youth workers – Gareth and Nicolette – worked with 55 young people last year, running weekly well-being activities like learning how to cook, and providing vital advice on asylum applications.  Both Gareth and Nicolette started out as youth project volunteers, in 2006 and 2002 respectively, and they’ve been at Refugee Action ever since!  “It’s important to support young people seeking asylum,” says Nicolette.  “They’re here on their own, without their families, so they’re one of the most vulnerable groups.”

It’s not easy to be a young person seeking safety in the UK, especially if you’re by yourself.  Not only do the young people at Get Connected have to deal with claiming asylum, they also have to learn and understand a new language and culture, as well as learn to live independently – doing their own shopping, cooking their own food, and looking after themselves in a strange city.  How many British teenagers could cope with living by themselves, in a strange country and a difficult and insecure situation?  We’re not sure that many could, but Get Connected gives the young people it works with a place where they can meet others in the same situation, make friends and enjoy themselves, and get proper support and guidance.  It’s also a place where they can be creative – recently, the young people cooked up a storm for World Food Night, and made a video about their event to inspire others (you can watch it here).

In its eight year life, Get Connected has supported more than 1,000 young people from all over the world.  Its current group includes young people from Iran/Kurdistan, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Guinea, Somalia, Ethiopia and Uganda.  All of the young people are here alone, with no family to support them.  Having been forced to flee their home countries due to conflict or persecution, they are faced with many of the same experiences as an adult asylum seeker: finger printing, asylum interviews, the need to prove that they have a well-founded fear of persecution at home and, in some cases, having to make their case in court.  In recent years, it’s become much more difficult for young people to prove their age – an issue which hit the headlines just last week, when the UKBA announced a pilot scheme using dental x-rays to assess the age of asylum seeking children. With young asylum seekers facing an increasingly uncertain future, it’s more important than ever that they receive the support they need to feel welcomed, respected and safe in the UK.  Youth projects like Get Connected, with experienced youth workers like Gareth and Nicolette, are a great way to ensure that this happens.  If you’d like to support the project, you can make a donation to it here.