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Asylum Stories "These stories are based on real situations described to me and other teachers by asylum seekers and refugees, the names have been changed. Please talk to people and find out what it’s really like for them, and tell people to visit this website if they believe the media lies about immigration. My name is Amadika, I’m from Zimbabwe. When I was growing up there were many refugees in my country. We didn’t like them. We thought they were taking our jobs, taking over our country. We wanted them to go home. I never dreamed that one day I would be an asylum seeker. Now I understand how quickly a life can change because of the political situation in a country. I wish I had been more friendly to those refugees. (Amadika’s benefits had been stopped and she was walking five miles to college and back every day, desperate to complete her studies). My name is Alem, I’m from Eritrea. I’m trying to get a job here in the UK so I can come off benefits and support myself. But I am finding it so hard because I have no experience. In my country I was only ever a soldier. (Eritrea has been suffering internal conflict for many years, being a soldier was not a career choice for Alem but a necessity) My name is Tewelde, I’m from Eritrea. There was a lot of fighting in my country. First I escaped to Ethiopia, then to Sudan (neither of these countries is safe) then to the UK. I don’t know when I will see my family again. I was homeless until recently, now I live alone in a bad area of Leeds. My name is Mariama, I’m from The Gambia. In my country they practise female genital mutilation (circumcision). My father protected me from this but then he died and I was no longer safe. I ran away to many different places in my country and eventually came to the UK. I had nowhere to live and no money. A charity sent me to a lady’s house to stay. You’re only supposed to stay for one night but she has let me stay as a friend and this is my home now. I was studying at college so I can get a job helping people. Then one night they came and took me to a detention centre far away, they tried to deport me. I really wanted to finish my qualification so I asked my teacher to send my assignments to the detention centre. I finished them and passed the course. Now I have been released and hope to return to college. I live in fear that they will come again in the night and deport me. My name is Massassi. I want to tell you about my Zimbabwean brothers and sisters living in Leeds. Their claims for asylum have been turned down, but if they return home they will be caught at the airport and will disappear. They will be abused, beaten, killed. So they stay in the UK. They can only work on the black market, they clean hospitals at night, doing the work that no one else wants for very low wages, hidden away. They are proud people and just want to support themselves, but the system in this country will not allow them to do this. They are living in the corridors of council flats. Why does no one care about them? My name is Farook, I’m from Kurdistan. When I was a child I didn’t go to school because there was too much fighting in my country. My name is Briggitte, I’m from DR Congo. I’m so frustrated because my baby is in my country, other people are looking after her. I left because I was in great danger but could not bring her with me. My name is Roshan, I’m from Iran. I came here with my husband because he was in danger. In my country you can be tortured or killed if you say or write things against the government or if your religion is in the minority. We are desperate to work so that we can support ourselves and live in this beautiful city. I have applied for so many jobs. Last week I had an interview at a clothes shop. I have experience in fashion retail. My teacher helped me to prepare and I practised my answers over and over. They didn’t give me the job. I answered all their questions. I don’t understand why no one will give me a job. (People from other countries face huge discrimination when applying for jobs, despite having skills and experience needed in the UK job market) My name is Layla, I’m from Eritrea. I’m trying so hard to get a job in the UK so I can support myself. Every week I fill in application forms and register with agencies. I am willing to do any kind of work, I have good English, I’m hardworking. I am a good person. But no one will employ foreign people. Why don’t they like us? My name
is Mohammed, I’m from Iraq. I’ve been in the
UK for four years. I want to tell my people that the UK people are
not our enemy, they are good people and I have many friends here."
by Catherine Tonge
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