Visit homepage Donation Donate Menu Breadcrumb Our work Young refugees and migrants Life isn't easy for young refugees. After long and harrowing journeys, they arrive in the UK, not to a warm bed and loving parents but to endless questions from immigration. Tired and traumatised, they're grilled on how old they are and where they’ve come from. Without knowing the language and how things work, young refugees have to fight hard for basics like food, safety and housing. Without support, it’s easy to lose hope. We fight alongside young refugees, giving them the tools they need to rebuild their lives. Young refugee facts and figures 13 million The number of child refugees in the world 9,000 unaccompanied children who have applied for asylum in the UK since 2016 1,500 The number of refugee, asylum-seeking and migrant children we worked with in 2019 Working with young refugees and migrants Every child should have the chance to be safe, happy and achieve their dreams, regardless of their or their parents' immigration status. Our services across the UK give young refugees and migrants opportunities to recover, meet people and start enjoying life in a new country. our work with young refugees Play A Refugee's Journey video Because of their journeys and the horrific things they’ve seen, these young people often need counselling and mental health support. Our specially trained practitioners work with them one to one, for as long as it takes for them to feel better. I’m not alone While they’re waiting to know if they can stay in the UK, we’re there for them through interviews and interrogations. Where necessary, we use interpreters to make sure they get their voices heard. Suhail arrived in the UK all alone four years ago. Like many young refugees, he had to fight hard to start a new life. He struggled with mental health but has now found his feet and takes beautiful photos all over London. Read Suhail's story Staying safe Arriving alone in a new country is scary. People will take advantage of children on their own. Without a trusted adult to look out for them, child refugees may be manipulated into forced labour, criminal groups or sexual exploitation. We work with young people who have no one. We give them other options. Unlike other services, HEARTS focuses on long-term, personalised help. Our lead worker speaks five languages, including Pushto, Urdu, Dari and Farsi, meaning young people can connect with them and build trust. facts about HEARTS refugee service 122 young people were supported by HEARTS over three years 99% said their lives had improved after working with us helping refugees become independent Making friends We also run group sessions where refugees and migrants can meet others who have been through the same experiences as them. They learn from one another and rebuild confidence. One group started their own campaign so all unaccompanied children get a legal guardian to look out for them. We also run female-only groups. These sessions provide safe spaces for refugee girls and young women to have fun and pursue their interests - anything from fitness and well-being to education and language. Volunteer roles Whether you're organising group activities or helping a young person build friendships in a new country, our volunteer roles make a real difference to young people's lives. Find volunteer roles helping refugees develop life skills Life skills HOPE in Greater Manchester empowers unaccompanied asylum-seeking children to develop life skills. This could be one-to-one support with CVs, interview practice, housing, finding a solicitor or simply understanding how to buy groceries. Connecting Opportunities in West Yorkshire assists young refugees into jobs and education. Their online sessions also support young people living in isolated areas to connect, develop social skills and build confidence. Our mentoring or befriending schemes help young refugees feel part of new communities. If they like playing football, we find a game. If they like dancing, we find a class. They’re also great for learning English. Legal battles UK law is hard to understand for most. For unaccompanied refugee children without a trusted adult to explain, complex immigration and legal systems are impossible to understand. Many will spend months or even years waiting to be told if they can stay. Our services, like By Your Side in London, guide them through these systems. We’re with them every step of the way. We also work with families who've lived here for many years and whose children were born here, but who still have problems with their status. Our Migrant Advice Project in Newcastle and our Helping Further project in the West Midlands helps migrant families and young people to secure their status and continue living in the UK. She never let me down, ever Share the page Share this page on Twitter Share this page on Facebook Share this page on LinkedIn Related content Volunteer to help children Our volunteers help improve the lives of young people. They help collect donations, shout about campaigns and support children directly. Help us get guardians for unaccompanied children Join our youth-lead campaign to ensure all unaccompanied children who arrive in the UK alone get a legal guardian, someone to look out for them. Refugee and asylum seeker myth busters Refugees are constantly confronted by unfair stereotypes in the media and in politics. We unpack the untruths behind the headlines. Keep in touch_final Keep in touch Sign up to receive email updates about our work and how you can support children and young people. You can unsubscribe at any time. First name Last name Email address Please see our privacy policy for details of how we will use your information and keep it safe and secure. 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