Young Refugees

A series of short guides about working with young refugees in the UK

Published: February 2003

These guides are about providing support to unaccompanied children and young people. They provide information and guidance for professionals in social services and elsewhere on this complex and challenging area of work.

Working with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children at ports

This guide is designed to assist immigration officers working at ports of entry. It includes practical tips on supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and answers to frequently asked questions about asylum-seeking young people and why they come to the UK.

Download Working with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children at ports (PDF 84KB)

Setting up youth groups for young refugees in the UK

This guide provides information on why there is a need for establishing groups in the UK, the benefits of groups for young people, tips on setting up groups, and support for group leaders.

Download Setting up youth groups for young refugees in the UK (PDF 79KB)

Setting up mentoring schemes for young refugees in the UK

This is an introduction to mentoring and befriending schemes for young refugees. Mentoring is commonly seen as a way of supporting young people to meet their education, training and employment aspirations. Befriending tends to concentrate more on supporting a young person emotionally, having someone to talk to and have fun with. There is much overlap between the two models.

Download Setting up mentoring schemes for young refugees in the UK (PDF 97KB)

Providing emotional support to young separated refugees in the UK

This guide offers advice on how to provide emotional support to young separated refugees and asylum-seeking young people in the UK. It includes information on the typical emotional experiences of young refugees, practical ways of providing support, mental health issues, and key contact details.

Download Providing emotional support to young separated refugees in the UK (PDF 156KB)

A guide to the rights and entitlements of separated refugee children (updated 2005)

This guide provides information on the rights and entitlements of separated children and includes advice to professionals on how to support separated children in accessing them. It includes national contact details of agencies that can support separated children.

Download A guide to the rights and entitlements of separated refugee children (PDF 309KB)