Asylum seekers

Imagine you and your family live in a place where you do not feel safe because of warring groups, poverty or political instability. You have heard that another, peaceful country, has agreed to help people like you who are looking for a new home. You pack your bags, get on a bus, a boat, or a plane and head towards that country, hoping that you will be received and allowed to stay.

This is what an asylum seeker is. Asylum seekers are people who flee their home country to try to find safety in another country because their own is not safe for them. They are seeking protection from persecution or some other kind of danger that they cannot find safety from in their own country.

When asylum seekers arrive in a new country, they have to ask the government of that country to let them stay and protect them. The government will then interview them to find out why they left their own country and why they want to stay.

Sometimes, it is not easy for the new country to agree to let the asylum seeker stay. They have to make sure that the asylum seeker really needs help, and that they are not just looking for a better job or a nicer place to live.

If they are granted asylum, they can start a new life in a new country. However, this can be a long and difficult process, not just the initial application process, but also finding new jobs, schools, and new communities to live in.

Asylum seekers are often vulnerable and need help to start their new lives. That is why there are organizations and charities set up to help them. They provide things like housing, food, clothes and language classes, and help them get started in their new community.