53. Memorandum from Hira Malik
I am writing regarding your inquiry on "treatment
of asylum seekers", I found the information really interesting
and therefore I thought I would let you know about some problems
that arise locally in Rotherham (Yorkshire) and I am sure that
these problems will be very similar on the national level as well.
I am one of the myps (member of youth parliament), so I have been
approached a lot by young asylum seekers in school and outside.
For young people one of the main areas is financial support. As
you would be aware that as soon they turn 16, their weekly income
support by NASS is cut down by quite a lot and they are faced
with more financial difficulties. They are not eligible for EMA
and are also not allowed to work to support themselves. This leads
them being still very much dependant on their parents who are
already not in very good position. All of these and many other
issues make many barriers for these young people which stop them
from continuing their education post 16. Even if they decide to
continue with A-levels, they are stopped again when wanting to
go to university, as they have to pay overseas student tuition
fees which is very hard rather impossible to pay for when you
are not allowed to work and have very low income support.
I believe that young asylum seekers are always
kept back from their peers and are not really cared about. They
already have so many problems back home and when they come over
here they face even more problems. They are not treated equally
at all. As being a young person myself and representing many other
young people, I know about many problems and issues that we have
to face day to day, and I know that it is part of life, but these
asylum seekers are not even given an equal chance and that too
from a very early age when they don't even know about what they
are going through. Things like when you go to trips to France
or Germany in year 7/8, they can't go because they don't have
travel documents let alone the money problems. I mean they are
in danger in their home countries and not the whole world, and
this stays with them all the way through their student lives eg
overseas trips for art or business studies and many other subjects
when doing GCSE's or A-levels.
They are also not allowed to obtain driving
license, which again keeps them behind everyone else. I am not
saying that they should be privileged in any way but they should
be seen and treated equally. Many of the young people, who I have
been approached by, are doing volunteer work and so are their
parents. This shows that they want to work and that they want
to be part of our society. They do not want to be on benefits
and feel happy in paying back through volunteer work. Many if
not all are very able and intelligent and can help in improving
Briton. I know few students who got straight A*'z and A'z in their
GCSE's and A-levels but are still not given the chance to show
what they can do. I am sure that there will many asylum seekers
who would be qualified workers in their countries and would still
like to work in Britain but again are not given the chance. Giving
them a chance to work will only improve Briton's economy as there
will be work force, more taxes payers and less benefit claimers.
Media always portrays asylum seekers negatively
by saying things like "they get everything even though they
are so lazy and don't do anything!" or like "they are
everywhere now, why can't they just go back home!!!" when
they should be showing the positive side as well. Asylum seekers
bring culture and teach us about how things are different in other
parts of the world. They also tell us that we should appreciate
the lives that we have because no one would like to go to a new
country where everything is different and most of the time you
don't even know the language.
I think that government should go back to the
laws regarding asylum seekers and should change them to make asylum
seekers part of our society and also by giving them more equal
chances because at the end of the day they are also human beings
just like us but with more problems.
I hope that this will be of some use, thanks
for your time.
August 2006
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