Books, booklets & multimedia

The emotional well-being of young people seeking asylum in the UK

	Price: £10.95	(BAAF 2008) ISBN 978 1 905664 50 4

There are days when you hate going outside your bed, you hate the walls, you hate people. For me it was short term but for others it takes their life away. Zemar, from Afghanistan

This ground-breaking report presents findings from an in-depth study of the perspectives and experiences of children and young people arriving unaccompanied to seek asylum in the UK. The research, conducted by the Thomas Coram Research Unit and supported by the Department of Health, is based on conversations with 54 young people from 18 countries, supplemented by interviews with key professionals with expertise and knowledge of working with this group.

The young participants speak movingly about their journeys and the shock of arriving in the UK, about being in care and about their experiences of a range of health, education, social care, immigration and legal services.

Implications for policy and practice are listed at the end of each chapter. This fascinating study is essential reading for social workers, foster carers, asylum teams and all those who support and care for young people seeking refuge in the UK.