Salford EMTAS works with schools to help them meet the needs of asylum and refugee children and to ensure that everything is being done to maximise the potential of these children (all children have a right to education regardless of background or immigration status).
Asylum and refugee children and families may be particularly vulnerable due to a number of reasons including:
- Impact of trauma as a result of witnessing terrible events and facing persecution
- Dangerous journeys to the UK and the impact of traumatic experiences- particularly for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC)
- Limits imposed on families due to their immigration status once in the UK- no right to work, asylum housing, extreme poverty
- Uncertainties around the right to remain in the UK which creates a lot of anxiety and stress
- On going costs for visas and access to legal presentation
- Lack of documentation and ID-accessing education and health care must not be denied due to this.
Salford City of Sanctuary and Schools of Sanctuary
Salford City Council was awarded the City of Sanctuary status on 20 March 2023 by City of Sanctuary UK for demonstrating a commitment to creating a culture of solidarity, inclusivity and welcome for sanctuary seekers.
Salford EMTAS has supported a growing number of schools to become official Schools of Sanctuary across the city by creating a culture of welcome, understanding and belonging for those forced to flee.
If you are interested in becoming a school of sanctuary please visit the City of Sanctuary website or contact the EMTAS team on 0161 686 7229 or email emtas@salford.gov.uk
Useful definitions
Refugee
"A person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it."
The 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.
In the UK, a person is officially a refugee when they have their claim for asylum accepted by the government.
Asylum seeker
A person who has left their country of origin and formally applied for asylum in another country but whose application has not yet been concluded.
Unaccompanied Asylum Seeker Children (UASC)
According to the UNHCR (1994), an unaccompanied child is anyone under 18 who is “separated from both parents and is not being cared for by an adult who by law or custom has the responsibility to do so".
While their claim is processed, they are cared for by a local authority.
UASC are a highly vulnerable group of children who have usually spent many years on their own travelling to the UK (two to four years). They have normally experienced traumatic events which may include, sexual and physical abuse, slavery, intimidation and coercion.
Get more information on how to support UASC.
Economic migrant
Someone who has moved to another country to work. Refugees are not economic migrants.
Rights to an education
Both international and British law guarantee children access to education regardless of their immigration status, so, for example, to refuse a place at a school on grounds of immigration status would be discriminatory.
The UN Convention states in Article 28 that all parties recognise the rights of the child to education, and shall, in particular, make primary education compulsory and available free to all, and encourage the development of different forms of secondary education and make them available and accessible to every child.
Article 2 of the convention asserts the right to enjoyment of the convention rights without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of the child's or his or her parent's race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, disability, birth or other status.
No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF)
NRPF is a condition imposed on someone’s immigration status under section 115 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. This states that a person has 'no recourse to public funds' if they are subject to 'immigration control'. Individual’s with NRPF have no entitlement to:
- Certain welfare benefits
- Homelessness assistance
- An allocation of social housing through the council register
When a person has leave to enter or leave to remain that is subject to the NRPF condition, the term “no public funds” will be stated on their residence permit, entry clearance vignette or biometric residence permit.
This page was last updated on 27 June 2024