Settit Beyene investigates the plight of refugees studying in the UK for the University of Nottingham’s Impact magazine:
…When reminiscing on the final year of college and sixth form, most students will remember their 18th birthday parties and frantic UCAS applications. But for some, the most lasting memory is the horror of war, which forced them out of their country. Veronica* is one such student, who was forced to flee her country amidst hardship and war, “It wasn’t safe any more and people were being killed in front of their families. I left my country to stay alive and seek out opportunities that I was not provided with.” After being granted leave to remain in the UK, Veronica worked for a few years to send money back to her family in Eritrea, before finally enrolling at Brunel University, “It was hard leaving home at 18 for good, especially when many young people remain with their families until after education here.”
University, a difficult enough transition for any student, let alone a refugee, has been especially hard for Veronica and she talks of the challenges arising from culture, language and age. “I had to study English for 3 years before coming to university. I was classed as a mature student and I felt socially isolated from my peers.” Veronica also missed the fact that she couldn’t spend the holidays with family or return any time she wanted to, like most students, “Sometimes I think about how blessed I am having been given these opportunities, but feel sorry for some of my family and countless others who got left behind in my country.”…
Full article here.
