SEEKING ASYLUM & ESCAPING PERSECUTION

In preparation for the Fortress Europe exhibition we shall now explore both as a class and as individuals the basic requirements that we as citizens and as young people can expect to have. Through identifying what we believe are our basic human rights we are seeking to better understand the problems faced by many asylum seekers in their own countries.

· What do we expect to receive in our everyday lives?

Ø _____________________________________

· What are the most important things in your life? What do you value the most?

Ø __________________________________________

· Are material possessions more important than friends and family? Outline your thoughts below.

· What do we take for granted?

· What could and couldn’t you do without?

How would you feel if these were taken away from you?

Throughout the world many young people live in a society in which these basic human rights are taken away from them. They cannot get access to many of the things we take for granted….such as education, clean water and shelter. They are not free to make their own choices and decisions about marriage and having children, nor are they able to move freely between places, they are not allowed to vote nor to speak openly about their views. They cannot get access to work nor to land on which to farm. They are persecuted and discriminated against because of their religious and cultural background and also because of the colour of their skin. In being persecuted they may be attacked physically and verbally, risk imprisonment and see their way of life destroyed.

Think again about your original thoughts as outlined on page1.

Has there ever been an occasion in the past when you were upset or felt sad? How did you feel? How long did it take you to get over this experience? E.g. not being allowed to do something or go somewhere you wished, a friend moving away etc.

Ø Do you think refugees might feel similar emotions?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ø How would you feel and how would you cope if your basic human rights were taken away from you? For example: if you weren’t allowed to see your friends, if you were not given access to an education, if you were not allowed to speak your own language in public.

Many refugees are forced to flee their homes in an effort to avoid persecution, in doing so they will be forced to leave their friends and family behind together with all their possessions. Their future is uncertain, they hope to achieve political asylum but are aware of the problems they face in moving to another country and being accepted.

How would you feel if you were forced to flee your home, leaving your friends and family behind?

Where would you move? How would you travel? What possessions would you take with you? How would you cope living in another country where you couldn’t speak the language and were culturally different?

In addressing many of the above issues you should have developed a better insight into the plight suffered by refugees and those seeking asylum throughout the world.