Refugee Stories Project - United Kingdom

Alice

editor — Thu, 24 May 2007 12:05:04 +0000

Summary

Alice is a musician from Kyrgystan, who was arrested and tortured for her political beliefs. Since arriving in the UK to claim asylum in 2003, she has struggled to rebuild her life and regain her health. She has spent time living on the streets, has given up her profession, and is still trying to find work.

Body

Alice left Kyrgystan in 2003. She worked there as a professional musician, until one day she was arrested for playing at opposition rallies, tortured, and forbidden from playing in her orchestra. She was forced to flee, and came to the United Kingdom.

Since then she has been struggling to reassemble her life and to regain her health. She was made homeless during her asylum procedure, and after she obtained refugee status moved from hostel to hostel before finding permanent accommodation. She has found it impossible to continue her music, and difficult to get a job.

“Being an asylum seeker effects your whole life, your routine, it effects everything…because sometimes you want to do nothing, drop out of everything, you want to leave your courses or English courses or whatever, you want to go away, but to where?”

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Integration

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Cleo

editor — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 22:20:23 +0000

Summary

Cleo has lived in Scotland for seven years. She applied for asylum in 2000, but her final appeal was turned down and she is now without status. While she and her family wait for a resolution to their situation, she does her best to remain positive and to contribute to community life in Glasgow.

Body

Cleo's refugee story begins with her parents' flight from the Angolan civil war - before she was born - to the Congo and then to Zambia. Cleo has Zambian citizenship and is entitled to an Angolan passport, but she has never set foot in Angola and does not speak Portuguese. Her own troubles began when she was working in the Angolan embassy in Zambia, when relations between the two countries deteriorated and her own mixed heritage drew the attention of the Zambian authorities. Pregnant with her third child, Cleo travelled legally to the UK, in 2000, to escape the harassment of the Zambian police. She intended only to take a short break from the pressure back home, but when her sister warned her it was not safe to return, she applied for asylum.

Her asylum claim rejected, Cleo has lived in Scotland for four years without status.

"I owe a lot to Scotland, if only I had the chance to get the refugee status, I would pay everything back. I would prove to this country that I am not here for the benefits. I want to get a job.."

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ECRE

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James

editor — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 14:11:21 +0000

Summary

James is a qualified science teacher volunteering at the UK-based charity 'Education Action'. He fled Sierra Leone four years ago and is still waiting for a decision on his case.

Body

James is a science teacher from Sierra Leone. He fled political persecution and arrived in the UK four years ago. His asylum claim is in the final appeal stage and alongside the uncertainty over the outcome of his case he deals daily with the frustration he feels at not being able to work and contribute to society. Instead he has continued his studies in preparation for the teaching job he craves.

"I think had I got some form of status in this country, the sky should have been the limit for me, because even at the moment without status I am doing a post-graduate masters here... the only job I think I will do and feel satisfied doing is teaching...that's my dream."