Blog

Much of what we do at RSN is rooted in local communities.

One of the ways we do this is in trying to match newly arrived unaccompanied minors with educational mentors who live in their local communities, as much as possible. We love to see people get to know those who are new to the country, who could be living just down the road from them! Here are a few reasons why we think that this dynamic is so special.

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We have watched many of the young asylum seekers we support turn 18 in the last few years.

Right at the age when life can be most confusing, unaccompanied asylum seekers are also applying for extensions of their temporary leave to remain, and living with the reality of possible forced return to their countries of origin. Seeing young people go through the process of ‘becoming adults’, whilst also passing through the complexities and anxieties of the asylum process, has at times been heart-breaking and difficult.

Following the release of our research paper, "I just want to study", we have received queries from individuals and organisations wondering how they can best support the young refugees and asylum seekers they work with to access University. As there are very different support pacakges available for different applicants depending on their immigration status this can be rather complicated! This blog post breaks down these categories to provide a basic guide of entitlements.

One of the most enjoyable parts of my role as RSN’s Mentoring Coordinator is matching volunteer mentors with the young people who have been referred to us by colleges who believe that having one-to-one support could make a real difference to their educational progress. It’s a privilege to be able to watch these relationships progressing and the way it impacts both the mentor and the mentee, who are able to learn from each other’s experiences.