“My journey here wasn’t by choice.”

The first young speaker explained that he didn’t leave his home because he wanted to but because he had to. In the UK, he felt isolated at first. He is not allowed to work and struggled to get a chance to study—the essential rights we often take for granted. “We’re not just statistics,” he told the MPs. “We’re human beings.”

“I was 16, but they said I was 26.”

Another speaker arrived aged 16 but was not believed about his age. He tried for nine years to get this corrected and went to court over ten times. He spoke about how many young asylum seekers go through this problem. It cost him years and for many people leaves lasting pain – he urged MPs to take this seriously.

“I feel like my life is on hold.”

A third young person explained how when he arrived, he was left alone for eight days, very cold, without enough food, and without any support. Several young people talked about being moved from place to place and how this impacted their mental health. This makes it hard to feel stable, safe, or like you belong.

“I waited nine months to attend education.”

Young people described very long waits before being allowed to attend school or college, and then being placed on the wrong course. Some of us shared this with politicians who were there, and we also responded to their ideas about how the system could be improved.

Lord Dubs (who was once a young refugee himself), said that the obstacles of long waits, frequent moves, and limited access to education and mental health services are barriers that take away the hope of the people in this system.

Afterwards, young people expressed their optimism about the future and the hopes they have about seeing change.

“Before coming, I felt stressed, but after arriving I felt less worried because of the set up and the size of the room, as well as the support from the Refugee Council” – M.

“At the start I felt a bit nervous, but then I was more confident and happy, not only because I was able to represent people like myself but also because I felt listened to” – H.

“It was a very interesting event, we communicated really well with each other and the MPs. I really hope we can see some changes in the future and find solutions to all the problems we covered.” – D.

The young people asked MPs and Peers to remember that behind each case number, there’s a person. We asked for a fairer, kinder asylum system that treats us with respect, and recognises the humanity and potential of every young refugee who comes here, hoping for a place to call home.

Now it’s up to all of us to make sure these voices lead to real change in the UK asylum system. We hope the government takes action on these issues, because – like every young person in this country – we are the future.■