JRS-UK Community Blog

Together with Sr Margaret from JRS, Souleyman gave a workshop to Fifth Former’s of Stonyhurst College. We asked him his impressions and reflections after the workshop.

He was grateful that the hall welcomed them warmly. For him, the students showed ‘a scholarly purposefulness and positive approach’. He was also happy to see the pupils listen very intently and show ‘honest desire’ to know about the detention situation for asylum seekers in this country.

In the workshop, he posed the question “what part of our mission statement do you believe to be primary and vital?’ After a careful thinking, a young man suggested that it was ‘accompaniment, as a platform to explore’ and ‘the impact of being a healing presence in a very negative environment’. It was a person-centred approach to the issue of detention.

Souleyman saw that the students were particularly interested in personal stories. They were thirsty to understand questions and realised prayer always supports detainees. They also understood how important it is to write to their MPs. Responding to their desires to surf and broaden their knowledge about the issue, he gave the students the addresses of some of the useful Internet websites.

At the end of the workshop, Souleyman prayed together with over three hundred students in Stonyhurst College. Here is their prayer, or rather, a prayerful poem.

God’s plan is always the best. 
Sometimes the process is painful and hard.
But don’t forget that when God is silent,
he’s doing something for you.

Subscribe to JRS-UK Community Blog by Email

Recently, Nas and Kate visited Stonyhurst College for a workshop in order to explain the situation that asylum seekers are facing in the UK. It was by an invitation from the college for a special day for the pupils to look at their values and learn about different communities or issues outside of their own experience.

Nas said “We tried to explain to the pupils the difference between a refugee, an asylum seeker, a migrant and an internally displaced person. We also showed them a video about people who experience destitution in the UK. We did a quiz to challenge their assumptions about why refugees come here. I took the opportunity to talk about my experience of destitution.”

Kate said “We shared the approach of JRS to be welcoming and to respect people as individuals, not to stigmatise them or think that refugees just come to Europe for better opportunities. We tried to explain that people come for safety and they are courageous.” She also shared “I think to start with they had some understanding but did not really appreciate the difficulties; but when they saw the stories of our JRS refugee friends and heard Nas’ story, they had a new respect for asylum seekers.”

Nas agreed. “They were emotionally responsive and also they made comments and suggestions about what should be done to help asylum seekers in the UK. We talked about JRS values such as compassion, justice and solidarity which help to change our attitudes.”

Regarding the meaning of workshops like this, Nas thinks “It is important to do such workshops in order to send out awareness about what asylum seekers are facing in this country and to help to change the way people think about them. For example, one pupil said it was important not to judge until you know about their real situation.”

Kate remembers “When I was at school we did a similar workshop and it made a big impression on me. I don’t think I would have chosen to work for JRS as an adult, without these opportunities in my own life. So it helps inspire people to live and work to serve others.”

Both of them had a very good day. For Nas, “It was hard speaking in front of everybody!” but he also said “I enjoyed the environment of the school and the pupils were well behaved. They were willing to listen and to learn.” Kate said “I liked it when the pupils in the last workshop gave Nas a round of applause after he spoke!” She added “I was nervous beforehand, but it went well.”

Subscribe to JRS-UK Community Blog by Email

Kate shares her experience of attending a screening of Leave to Remain, a new film, shown as part of the 2013 BFI London Film Festival, about the experiences of teenage asylum seekers in Britain.

Leave to Remain tells the story of Omar, Abdul and Zizidi, all young people growing up in London, having applied for asylum in the UK. Each one has left their own country for security and finds themselves on a rollercoaster of new tribulations, dilemmas and emotions. Together with their teacher, Nigel, they try to navigate their way through the asylum system, negotiating with the authorities for their well-being and safe future. As Bruce Goodison says* “It is nothing short of miraculous when these children survive and remain sane. But far from being victims of an uncaring system, having battled to be here, they don’t give up and also feel compelled to support the country that becomes their home.”(* quoted in The Independent newspaper film review).

It made me smile when the audience laughed as one of the young asylum seekers pronounced Peckham (a neighbourhood in south-east London where I used to live), as more dangerous than the province in Afghanistan they had fled from. The young refugee’s choice of T-shirt “I © Kabul” showed the irony that he had not come here to London as a tourist. And I was moved as I reflected that the features of life in the capital in the film that I enjoy, like fireworks at Diwali or not being afraid of traffic wardens, take a long time getting used to if you are frightened of gunshots or people in uniform who might oppress you.

But the best part was a surprise! Just as I was packing my notebook and bag up the lights went on in the cinema and onto the stage strolled half of the cast, the Director and Producers. There was a full house, so all the spectators were treated to an interview with Bruce Goodison and insights from the three main actors who played Omar, Abdul and Zizidi. Masieh Zarrien, who played Abdul, had himself come to the UK from Afghanistan as a child. Masieh decribed the experience of acting for the first time on the film as an “amazing experience in general… being a professional environment taught me a lot” and shared his pride at seeing himself on the big screen.

Seeing the film and hearing Masieh speak was touching for me as one of my friends, herself a refugee originally from Afghanistan, now fosters young Afghani refugee boys in her home, helping them heal and adapt to their new circumstances. I now have a better insight into some of the challenges they face together, dealing with the difficulties of an uncertain future, and the importance of being part of a wider family here in the UK.

The film raises lots of interesting questions, some of which are addressed by the Refugee Council’s Q&A sheet specifically prepared for Leave to Remain: http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/policy_research/policy_work/briefings/leave_to_remain_q_a