Animations explore life in Scotland

This Refugee Week, young unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees share their views on their rights and what matters to them in a series of animations, we’ve helped support them to create.

Young People’s Voices is a group of young people from Guardianship Scotland, the national charity supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Supported by Scottish Refugee Council, they’ve worked with us over several months to talk about their lives in Scotland. They’ve shared their own experiences on what’s going well, along with the significant challenges they continue to face.

Their three animations cover the importance of adults who support them, their experience of education and the challenge of living with the limited money available to them.

They share the highs: good social workers who know about their rights so they can help them and about how important support workers are in helping them navigate budgeting and saving.

The group agreed that: “The best social workers are cheerful, caring, understanding and easygoing. They know about my mental health and wellbeing, including being trauma aware.”

They also share the lows: the significant barriers to living well in Scotland and the stresses of hotel accommodation. They said: “Staying in a hotel is hard. There is nowhere to wash your clothes, nowhere to cook your own food. The hotel food is cold, and the weather is colder.”

Access to good quality education is hugely valued, along with opportunities to learn with a diverse range of young people, not only with other asylum seekers. This helps with learning a new culture and language.

The group want as many people as possible to connect with their animations, to hear their positive experiences of Scotland, and to raise awareness of where their rights are not being met.

As Young People’s Voices, the group will continue work to have their voices heard and to meet with key decision makers. By sharing their experiences, they strive to make the systems and support better for young asylum seekers and refugees living in Scotland.

Their message is clear: “It’s important to us that you hear our stories and experiences as young asylum seekers and refugees.”