The Refugee Council has joined the Campaigning Alliance for Lifelong Learning (CALL), which had its public launch last week in London.
CALL has been set up to campaign for the right for everyone to access learning, in light of recent cuts in the provision of adult education. Since 2005, two million places have been lost from further and adult education. Among those who have lost out in this process are refugees, wno longer entitled to free English language classes, and their communities who benefit from range of courses that adult learning can bring.
Lifelong learning opportunities are vital for refugees to rebuild their lives in the UK. In particular, learning English is a crucial step towards addressing some of the loneliness and isolation experienced by asylum seekers and refugees when they come to the UK, and English classes are traditionally heavily oversubscribed. In addition, English classes are a way for asylum seekers to meet other people and learn about life in the UK, which in turn supports better integration.
The Refugee Council believes asylum seekers should be allowed to learn English and take other courses from as soon as they arrive in the UK. Even young asylum seekers who do well at college or school cannot go onto university because they are charged international student fees. The Government recognises how important English is for integration, but refugees don’t qualify for ESOL unless they are unemployed or on a low income. Refugees may have to study again because they don’t have their certificates with them as a result of fleeing persecution. As a result, they will need more support, rather than less, to help them start a new working life in the UK and ensure we are all able to benefit from their considerable skills and experience.
