Working with Young Refugees – Perspectives from the MAP Advice Team

In the last few months, we have seen a significant increase in the number of young refugees accessing advice and support.

The Home Office took a decision in the Summer of 2023 to reduce the eviction notice period for newly recognised refugees from twenty-eight days to seven days. MAP saw the effects of this almost immediately. Advice appointments given at MAP have increased dramatically around the following issues for young refugees; street-homelessness, difficulty accessing benefit entitlements, and mental health support.

In December 2023, the Government reversed this Home Office decision, however many young refugees are still living on the streets, with limited access to accommodation and without the safety and stability they need to take steps like applying for work and embarking on educational courses.

The advice and support we offer makes MAP well suited to addressing the needs of our refugee clients in a holistic way. We recognise this challenging moment as an opportunity for us to harness the way we work with our refugee clients and learn about ways we can continue to develop a bespoke way of supporting those who have been through the asylum system. For example, we have built on our existing links with other refugee networks in Norwich and have now joined the Norwich Integration Network as well as the Norwich Asylum Seeker and Refugee Forum. Our Advisers have co-worked on cases alongside other reputable agencies including The Bridge Plus+ and British Red Cross, and we have met with other services delivering targeted support to refugees, including those providing ESOL classes as well as specialist mental health support, to improve our understanding of what is on offer to refugees across Norfolk.

The situation for our refugee clients currently is a challenging one. MAP is committed to social justice; we believe that no refugee should have to go without basic necessities, and that all refugees should be received with compassion. For this reason, we will continue to build on our work with Norfolk’s young refugee community and hope to continue providing a safe space for them to be heard.