‘This Refugee Life’ is an innovative UK programme which takes one year level or approximately 100 secondary school kids, and brings them on the journey to Britain, through the eyes of a refugee. The kids work on the programme for several weeks, using materials developed by Encompass and provided to the school, to create a Refugee character for themselves. They research and explore their home countries, the political and environmental situations there, the life of the hypothetical individual and the reasons they may have had for leaving.

The programme culminates in a one-day incursion by a team of trained encompass facilitators. On this day, the students are rotated through four workshops, which use different approaches to help them get into the character of their refugee, and think about how that person would feel throughout the process of seeking asylum.

One particularly powerful session involves a mock asylum interview, where the rest of the class will then discuss and vote on the fate of the refugee in question. The facilitator of this session gave the following reflection:

“The kids were really engaged and vocal throughout this session. When one of the ‘refugees’ was refused for a reason they deemed unfair, they were upset and angry on their behalf. I think it gave them a good understanding of the incredible struggle that is seeking asylum in the UK, and hope that as a result of this session, these kids will go on to challenge negative perceptions of refugees in their communities.”

At the conclusion of each session the kids were asked to summarise their thoughts and feelings on one post-it note, resulting in some incredibly moving and powerful statements. Aside from the thought-provoking content, we also work hard to make sure the kids enjoy the day, having fun and learning at the same time.