Lesson video

Hello, I'm Mrs. Barry, and I'm going to be your citizenship teacher today.

We've got a really interesting lesson to look at together about identity.

Some of this learning might be new to you, but that's okay because I'm here to work through it with you.

And by the end of the lesson, we'll have achieved our outcome.

So when you are ready, let's make a start.

Today's lesson comes from the unit how does identity affect rights? Today's lesson is called Refugees - Understanding Their Journey.

Our outcome for today is to explain the term refugee and explain some of their experiences in the UK today.

During today's lesson, we have some ground rules that we need to bear in mind.

Laura tells us to listen to others.

It is okay to disagree with each other, but we should listen properly before making assumptions or deciding how to respond.

When disagreeing, challenge the statement, not the person.

Andeep reminds us to respect privacy.

We can discuss examples, but do not use names or descriptions that identify anyone including ourselves.

Jacob reminds us no judgement.

We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without fear of being judged.

And Izzy reminds us to choose level of participation.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or join discussion.

We never put anyone on the spot.

Throughout today's lesson, there'll be a range of keywords that we use.

Let's look at them together now.

Refugee, which is a person who has been forced to leave their country due to a well-founded fear of being persecuted.

Humanitarian law, which are international laws which govern how we must treat other humans.

And asylum seeker, someone who has left their home country and is now living in a different country, seeking protection so they don't have to return to their home country.

Our lesson today has two parts.

Who is considered a refugee? And what are the experiences of refugees? So let's have a look at this first part now.

Who is considered a refugee? Migration is a common part of human history.

People have moved for lots of reasons.

There are both push and pull factors that cause people to migrate.

Push factors are reasons which force a person to leave their country.

And examples might include natural disasters, climate change, unemployment, poorly paid jobs, poor healthcare, and fear of persecution.

Jun reminds us that persecution refers to causing serious harm to a person either physically or mentally.

This harm can include severe discrimination, preventing someone from earning a living or accessing basic needs like healthcare.

Is this true or false? Freedom to practise your religion is a push factor.

Well done if you spotted that that's false.

Push factors are negative.

There are reasons people are forced to leave their homes.

If you are free to practise your religion, this is usually a positive thing.

You might leave because of a lack of freedom and move to a country with more freedom.

Refugees are people who have fled their countries to escape conflict, violence, or have a well-founded fear of persecution and of sort safety in another country.

Once a refugee arrives in a safe country, they will look to be granted the legal right to remain there.

This is known as refugee status.

Before they are granted refugee status, they're called asylum seekers.

Asylum seekers are people who are seeking a safe country to live.

The safe place is called an asylum.

For example, Sami has fled Ukraine due to war, so he a refugee, and he arrives in Poland and says he's seeking asylum, which makes him an asylum seeker.

His asylum claim is processed, and he is given permission to stay.

And that means that refugee status has been granted.

Not all asylum seekers will be granted refugee status.

According to government data, in 2023, refugees made up 11% of the total number of migrants who arrived in the UK.

In 2023, 67,337 applications for asylum were made in the UK.

Not all applications for asylum were granted.

33% of applications were rejected after the application was made.

According to the refugee council, there are 27.

1 million refugees around the world.

The UK has 1% of this total.

Many refugees do not arrive in Europe.

72% of refugees are living in countries that neighbour the country that they left.

So is this true or false? Most refugees live in Britain.

Well done if you spotted that's false.

The UK is currently home to just 1% of the world's refugee total.

Most refugees are living in the country next door to the country that they have fled from.

When a person arrives in the UK, they must declare themselves an asylum seeker as soon as they arrive.

When an application is made for refugee status, the Home Office must assess the claim against international humanitarian law.

A person must be very clear about why they're applying for refugee status.

If they do not meet the criteria of humanitarian law, they might have their claim rejected.

For example, if someone claims refugee status to earn more money in the UK, that application will likely be rejected as they're seeking better opportunities, not safety.

They're an economic migrant.

Asylum applications can be rejected for lots of reasons.

Sometimes, the Home Office may decide that someone isn't being truthful and they believe it's safe for them to return to their home country.

For example, if someone claims they're fleeing a country like Iran because they face persecution for being LGBT, the Home Office might ask for proof that they are LGBT.

If they can't provide evidence, their claim for asylum could be rejected.

So is this true or false? A person is likely to be granted refugee status if they come to the UK looking for a better standard of living.

Well done if you spotted that's false.

To be successful in an asylum claim and be granted refugee status, the Home Office must have substantial grounds for believing that there is a real risk of serious harm if the person were to return to their country.

Simply looking for a better standard of living or looking for work would not meet this criteria.

So let's bring that together and practise what we've learned.

A person has arrived in the UK seeking asylum.

What I'd like you to do is to write a summary explaining some of the push factors that might have led them to this point and explain what will happen next.

You can use the following flowchart to help you.

So person arrives in the UK, you claim asylum, and then they become a refugee.

What push factors might have led them to that point and what is happening in those stages? Pause the video here, give that task a go.

And then when you've done it, come back and we can have a look together at what you might have put.

Well done for giving that task a go.

So just to remind you, I asked you to consider the idea that a person has arrived in the UK seeking asylum, and I asked you to write a summary, explain some of the push factors that might have led them to that point.

Your answer could look something like this.

A person seeking asylum is likely to be fleeing a dangerous situation in their home country.

There are several push factors that might lead them to leave.

Persecution, this could be because of their race, religion, political views, or sexual orientation.

Conflict or war.

People could be forced to leave because of ongoing violence like civil war or armed conflict, which puts their lives at risk.

Human rights abuses are another push factor.

For example, if the person experienced forced labour, torture, or restrictions on their freedom of speech.

A person seeking asylum could also be forced to leave their home country due to environmental reasons such as climate change or natural disasters.

Well done if you included some push factors like that.

Second part of it was about them being an asylum seeker.

So a person has arrived in the UK seeking asylum, and I asked you to explain what that meant within your answer.

You might have written something like this.

When an asylum seeker arrives in the UK, they must apply for refugee status.

This is a special status granted by international humanitarian law.

The Home Office will check each application carefully.

If the application is accepted, then a person is no longer an asylum seeker, and they have been granted legal refugee status.

Well done if you included that explanation as part of your answer.

We're onto the second and last part of our lesson, and we're going to look at what are the experiences of refugees.

Asylum seekers may face long waits to find out if they have been granted refugee status.

In the UK in 2022, in some cases, it took nearly 21 months to receive an initial outcome.

Whilst awaiting the outcome of their application, asylum seekers are not entitled to most benefits in the UK, and they cannot work.

What support do asylum seekers get? If an asylum seeker does not have sufficient money, they will be given somewhere to live.

This could be in a flat house, hostel, or bed and breakfast.

There is no choice about where the accommodation is.

Sometimes, a person may be required to stay in an immigration centre.

In 2024, the government provided 49 pounds and 18 pence a week for support with living costs.

An asylum seeker in the UK is not able to open a UK bank account.

So is this true or false? Asylum seekers are able to work as soon as they arrive in the UK.

Well done if you spotted that's false.

Asylum seekers are not able to work and are supported by a weekly payment from the government.

Once a person has been granted refugee status, this normally lasts five years.

After this point, they can apply for indefinite leave to remain.

They must leave the home they lived in as an asylum seeker, and they stop receiving the weekly 49 pounds and 81 pence payment from the government to support with living costs.

Refugees can work but must apply for a national insurance number first.

They also need to open a UK bank account.

Not everyone in the UK has been welcoming to people seeking asylum.

For example, in August 2024, a series of riots broke out across the UK, some specifically targeted hotels where asylum seekers were living.

The Holiday Inn in Rotherham was used by the UK government to house people who were having their refugee status assessed.

A large crowd of approximately 700 people gathered outside the hotel and through furniture and smashed windows, some attempted to set fire to the hotel.

Following the event, asylum seekers inside the Holiday Inn spoke about being terrified by the incident.

Not all experiences are negative.

After the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the UK government created a special visa to allow refugees from Ukraine to settle in the UK.

A scheme called Homes for Ukraine was created, which asked British citizens to accept Ukrainian refugees into their home.

In total, 212,000 people came to Britain under this scheme.

Refugees are also recognised by the International Olympic Committee.

Each year since the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, refugees have been able to compete as their own team.

This recognises the talent that would otherwise have been lost because of conflicts and persecution.

In the 2024 Paris Olympics, Cindy Ngamba won bronze in women's boxing.

Cindy was born in Cameroon and came to the UK as a child.

At 18, she and her brother were detained for deportation.

Cameroon criminalises same-sex sexual activity.

Cindy is a lesbian, and returning to Cameroon would put her at risk.

As such, she was granted refugee status.

So why is the refugee team at the Olympics so important? Is it a, it means countries can win more medals, b, it allows refugees to win gold medals, or c, it allows refugees to be recognised for their talents? Well done if you said that the refugee team at the Olympics is important because it allows refugees to be recognised for their talents.

So let's bring that all together.

Lucas here says, "Once you are given refugee status, life becomes much easier." Having read the statement from Lucas, do you agree? Evaluate the claim he is making by considering the reasons why some may agree and some may disagree.

Pause the video here, give that task a go, and once you've completed it, come back.

We can have a look together at what you might have put.

Well done for giving that a go.

And just to remind you, Lucas had said, "Once you were given refugee status, life becomes much easier." And I ask you to evaluate Lucas's claim by considering the reasons why some may agree and others may disagree.

You might have included the following in your answers.

Refugee status does offer some protection to refugees.

For example, they're protected by international humanitarian law.

They're also able to work and open a bank account.

However, refugees still face lots of discrimination.

It should also be remembered that refugees have fled persecution and experienced trauma.

This means they may need more mental health support.

While done if your answer sounded something like that.

In today's lesson, we've considered refugees and understanding their journey.

A refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their home due to a well-founded fear of being persecuted.

Refugees are protected by humanitarian law.

An asylum seeker is someone who has left their home country and is formally seeking protection in another country to avoid returning.

If they are successful, they'll be granted refugee status.

However, the process is long and often complicated.

Refugees and asylum seekers face various challenges and support differs by country.

In the UK, programmes like Homes for Ukraine offer assistance, but asylum seekers have also faced difficulties including riots in 2024.

Well done on working through that lesson with me today, and I really look forward to seeing you in another citizenship lesson soon.