Bristol Uni sanctuary students 'see future' after bursaries

Dr Katie Bales (right) talking to sanctuary students Stella Ogunlade and Sarmad Ozan

Students seeking sanctuary in the UK have said being offered university scholarships made them "feel like members of society again".

The University of Bristol's sanctuary bursary was set up to offer the chance of higher education to people fleeing conflict and persecution.

Scholar and third year law student Taina Maneus said: "Finally I'm feeling free, like a citizen again."

Many recipients are continuing their asylum claims while studying in the UK.

Miss Maneus, 22, who left Haiti for the UK in 2014, remembered crying with joy on receiving the scholarship, which has enabled her to study at the University of Bristol.

"Finally I'm feeling like I'm getting back into society, like I felt like in my own country, like a citizen," she said,

"In Haiti you can get kidnapped or killed, there's not much justice and it just sets people up to fail."

Taina Maneus is studing law at Bristol and hoping to live here permanently

Miss Maneus was 16 when she joined her father who was working in the UK, hoping for better education opportunities and a safer environment.

But their relationship broke down and she was taken into care and served a deportation order.

Her solicitors did not arrive during her appeal so she had to represent herself which gave her a taste for the profession.

She was granted limited leave to remain during her studies and hopes to be granted indefinite leave to remain afterwards.

'Sub-Human'

While studying law at college in Sheffield, she saw herself "as the person with the lowest level of English" but by working hard she achieved the "best grades", although she still felt "like a sub-human".

She wanted to go to university but knew it was too expensive.

However, her personal advisor - appointed to her when she was leaving the care system - told her about sanctuary scholarships.

"The possibilities made me feel like a person again," she said.

"I felt like… I can see my future and going to university and going in court.

"Law has been what I wanted to do since I was in Haiti because there is so much injustice."

She is looking forward to "becoming a lawyer, fulfilling my dreams"… and protecting people in "the same situation as me."

Sheila Jerome said the funding had helped her studies

Sheila Jerome is studying for a BSc in Childhood Studies, funded through the sanctuary programme.

The mother-of-four is from Nigeria and came to the UK with her husband in 2013 for him to study.

Although originally not planning to stay, the gradual understanding of the gender-based violence their daughters faced in Nigeria moved them to apply for asylum.

"When I started to understand that FGM [female genital mutilation] is against human rights and a type of gender abuse, that changed things for me," she said.

Shortly after, Mrs Jerome looked for study options.

"I felt that I would never be able to afford to go to university [in the UK] and… was told it was not possible for someone who doesn't speak good English… which was discriminatory."

Overwhelming

However, the 31-year-old found out about equal access university scholarships for refugees and asylum seekers and applied to Bristol University.

The funding has helped her cover crucial childcare costs and she said her lack of confidence is "a thing of the past".

Describing her experience as part of the refugee community, Mrs Jerome said it's "like you're in a cage or in a shell".

"Many refugee communities have lost their skills because they haven't got the opportunities and confidence," she said.

"I have come to realise what I can offer to the community but a lot of asylum seekers don't feel this.

"Many refugees are just young people who have… a hunger to give to society but the unequal access to education has made them feel they are just a refugee and 'education is not for me'.

"Everyone needs to fight against inequality… no matter what people's status is."

Dr Bales would like to see the scholarship open to PhD students.

Dr Katie Bales is a Senior Lecturer in Law at Bristol University and an expert in migration and welfare.

She is also a trustee of Bristol City of Sanctuary and was instrumental is setting up the scholarship programme in 2016.

"As a university we were aware that these schemes had been set up, we are not the first, but one of the first," she said.

"When the conflict in Syria was erupting it seemed a poignant time to offer support to forced migration students."

Students and academics wrote to the vice chancellor and when approved, a working group was created to put it into practice.

The motivation has always been to "level the playing field" and ensure forced migration students are not disadvantaged.

"We don't want any distinction between our scholarship students and non-scholarship students," she said.

"The whole student community is proud of the sanctuary programme and the 50 scholarships we've awarded so far and everyone contributes to making it a success."

Hostile environment

Describing the situation faced by asylum seekers, Dr Bales said: "If you're an asylum seeker you can't work, you live on £5 a day and live in asylum seeking housing.

"You can't rent and you're restricted in studying.

"It stifles people's aspiration and ambition that they may have been cultivating their whole life."

The feedback the university has had from scholars is that the scheme is "life-changing" meaning those involved "can think about the future again".

Dr Bales said: "We don't look at our students through the prism of refugee status but as human beings who want to be educated."

The criteria for people applying for the scholarship is to receive an academic offer from the university and be from forced migration backgrounds.

The deadline for next year's Bristol Universities Sanctuary Scholarship is noon on April 11.