A Right to a Voice

In 2007 the UK Government withdrew the right of asylum seekers to attend English language courses for their first six months. Waiting for such a long time has costly consequence on both individuals and society as it aggravates feelings of isolation, affecting mental health, well-being and inhibiting community cohesion. It also creates additional difficulty in understanding medical advice or communicating with public bodies.

What can you do for asylum seekers? Use your Right to a Voice!

...if people are staying in this country and they want to be part of the society, learning the language and having language skills are essential for living. It will help people to feel that they are part of the society.

Ruqia

Contact your MP and ask for ESOL to be a right for asylum seekers from day one.

Why?

It is cost effective
It is humane
It contributes towards community cohesion
It is in line with best practice in other countries

Asylum seekers - people like you, people like...

...Adil

Adil How important is it for asylum seekers to learn English when they arrive?

"It is very crucial, it is very important that they learn English from Day One. Not to leave it to 2 months, 3 months, 6 months later because as soon as they arrive, they've got some motivation to learn English and to run their life smoothly after that."

What kind of impact do you think that has on an individual?

"It's a huge impact. Number one, people may lose trust in themselves. Second, they will be not useful for the society at all. And another thing, that will affect the economy of the country as well, if they don't speak and write and are educated, how can they work?"

"I hope that every asylum seeker is given the opportunity to learn from the first day they arrive in the UK. If you look at other countries in Europe - Sweden, Germany - it's compulsory for them to learn the language from Day One. So let's put that pressure on asylum seekers because they will be benefiting in the future from learning English. So, this is the hope I have."

Read the full interview with Adil here - [Word]

...Ruqia

Ruqia How important is it for asylum seekers to learn English when they arrive?

"It is essential. Maybe it's not as necessary as food and shelter but, apart from that, language is the second to those. Because especially if people are staying in this country and they want to be part of the society, learning the language and having language skills are essential for living. It will help people to feel that they are part of the society."

"...when you've got the language skills, it opens up many doors. You can be independent. In a way, it empowers you, whatever you want to do. It gives you many opportunities. I think that's the benefits."

"Language is key to understand people, to reduce prejudices as well as having skills for work, for independence, for people to be really in control of their lives."

Read the full interview with Ruqia here - [Word]

On the 10th of December 2008, as the world celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights, NIACE launched A Right to a Voice, to highlight the injustice and damage of ESOL policy changes upon asylum seekers. The Declaration states: EVERYONE has the right to education regardless of nation or social origin, birth or other status. It is the UK's moral duty and responsibility to help those seeking safety in our country by providing at the very least, their basic human right to education from the day they arrive.

Materials

Civil action

In parallel to A Right to a Voice, NIACE set up training workshops for volunteers. The programme of activities, Welcome to Britain - [Word], is available free.

Participants on A Right to a Voice workshop for volunteers, said:

"This was gold dust for me!"

"A wealth of materials."

"I've been looking through the materials...and I reckon anyone could start up a group with the support, suggestions and contacts [available]. The contents convey a feeling of efficient simplicity which I find appealing...I'm excited by the idea of the learners assessing their own progress."

Resource materials for volunteers

Supporters

Over 100 organisations and individuals expressed support for the campaign. These included organisations like:

NATECLA (National Association for Teaching English and other Community Languages to Adults)
UCU (University and College Union)
AoC (Association of Colleges)
ACM (Assocation for College Management)
LLU+
Open University
NUS (National Union of Students)
the Refugee Council
Oxfam and
many colleges.

High profile individuals include:

the Archbishop of Canterbury
Rabbi Rich
Baroness Sharp of Guildford and
Glenys Kinnock.