Mohamed
When Mohamed arrived in the UK as an asylum seeker, his age was questioned. Although he explained that he was still a minor and entitled to care, he was not believed and was left with no support, shelter, or guidance. Eventually, the police found him and referred him to the Home Office. From there, he was connected to the Refugee Council, who provided food, accommodation, and basic support. With help from a local organisation, Mohamed made friends, got legal advice, and started school. But even after being granted leave to remain in the UK, his age was questioned again. Despite providing letters from teachers and social workers, he was not believed. He was not keen on taking part in an age assessment but was told that he had no choice. Without documentation to prove he was a child, he was told that he would now be treated as an adult. This led to him being evicted with just two days’ notice. He became homeless for a week and ended up needing medical treatment due to poor health. He was eventually re-housed with support from local organisations, but the new accommodation was far away from his school and support network.
Mohamed is a Muslim Black African young man in his late teens. He arrived in the UK as an asylum seeker and had a very difficult experience in and out of the care system due to an age dispute. Clips are read by an actor.
More about me...
I’m now at college and have a place to live, but I’m still waiting for the outcome of my court appeal about the age assessment. I don’t have everything I need – I’m still missing essential furniture, and I’ve had no help managing finances or bills.
What’s helped me most is the local organisation. They’ve supported me through the most difficult times. My experience has taught me that, especially for young asylum seekers, patience is essential – but so is being believed, and being treated with care and dignity.
Mohamed said immigration told him he couldn’t claim asylum because another country had recorded his age as 18, and they didn’t want to listen when he explained he was actually 17 (read by an actor).
Mohamed said immigration told him he couldn’t claim asylum because another country had recorded his age as 18, and they didn’t want to listen when he explained he was actually 17 (read by an actor).
So, after I waited, first, they didn't want to accept me. They said, ‘we can't, we can't let you claim asylum. You just have to go back. We don't, we don't want you to stay here’.
But after a long while, when they took my fingerprints, they said, we found your fingerprint in France, and you're not the age that you're claiming to be. And I know why that was, because when I was in the border of France, the UK force has taken my fingerprints. And when I told them I was 17, they have registered it 18 on the PC. So, I told them to correct it, but they didn't want to listen. They just gave me an ID that says I'm 17 years old, but on the computer, it was still 18. And because of that, they didn't want to believe my age when I came here. And I explained what has happened. But they didn't want to listen to me.
Mohamed said his local authority didn’t respond until his lawyer got involved (read by an actor).
Mohamed said his local authority didn’t respond until his lawyer got involved (read by an actor).
So initially they told me I was gonna leave the property on the 9th, but then on the letter they, they wrote me that I was supposed to leave on the 27th. So that was…a lot earlier than what they told me. So, the charity found me a lawyer because my previous lawyer, which was the lawyer who er dealed with my asylum claim couldn't take on this case. So, they had to find me another lawyer. The lawyer, when he saw me, he wrote them a letter, as soon as he did they responded quickly and they gave me a place to stay on the next day. But the place they gave me was so far away from where I was living before, from where I have got used to.
Okay, then I told my lawyer about my past experience and my health problems, so he arranged for a doctor to see me and the doctor asked me lots of questions about my past, and my current situation. After that, the doctor said I should be able to get a council property because of my case and she applied for a council property for myself and I got one two months ago now.
Mohamed was given two days’ notice to leave his home and became homeless for a week, which led to a knee injury that required hospital treatment (read by an actor).
Mohamed was given two days’ notice to leave his home and became homeless for a week, which led to a knee injury that required hospital treatment (read by an actor).
So, after they told me everything, I went home and I received a WhatsApp letter, a picture of a letter on WhatsApp that says I have to leave the property I was staying in, in two days. So, the date they gave me was you have to move out on the 27th. That was two days, in two days. So, I had no choice.
I went to refugee council. They couldn't believe what they saw, couldn’t believe… they said, ‘this can't happen’. You won't be able to find anywhere to stay in two days. So, I had to move out when the two days came. After two days, I had to move out. So for about a week, I was homeless. I didn't have anywhere else to stay.
And then a charity and the refugee council was helping me by finding a temporary place to stay. So, I was staying here and there wherever they find me. But because of the cold, when I was sleeping rough, I had… my knee has swollen because whenever it's cold, it swells. And I have explained to them about this, that I had a problem on my knee whenever it's cold, it swells. I had to go to hospital because of that.
Mohamed was given an unfurnished property and relied on a charity to help him furnish his new home (read by an actor).
Mohamed was given an unfurnished property and relied on a charity to help him furnish his new home (read by an actor).
The council are not supporting me with anything. They gave me a property, but it was empty. It didn’t have anything. So, [a charity] was helping me with furnishing the property. But the refugee council has closed here now. They moved somewhere else, so I’m not getting any support from them. But [a charity] has helped me a lot with furniture and things like that. They find things and they have been helping me with that.
Mohamed had been homeless and didn’t receive the support he was promised from social services, but was supported by charities to apply for benefits (read by an actor).
Mohamed had been homeless and didn’t receive the support he was promised from social services, but was supported by charities to apply for benefits (read by an actor).
I don't receive any payment from the social services, like they promised. So, whilst I was sleeping rough, I didn't have any money to live on. So, I was living, feeding with my friends, I was eating with my friends, they were offering food and stuff. The only support I got was from a charity, so I didn't have any money to live on. I tried to text my social worker asking if there is any support for me, like she promised, but she didn't respond, she wasn't talking to me. But when my lawyer sent them a complaint letter and the charity did the same, so my social worker start texting me and start calling me, that is after three weeks, by then I have applied to the Job Centre and the Job Centre has started to give me benefit. Then I didn't wanna answer the call because I've already spoken to the lawyer about it and they're already dealing with the case.
Mohamed said his key workers helped him find a lawyer, and the lawyer supported his asylum claim (read by an actor).
Mohamed said his key workers helped him find a lawyer, and the lawyer supported his asylum claim (read by an actor).
I had key workers at the time who were supporting me, so they are the ones who registered me in school and who found me a lawyer, and the lawyers helped me with the paper, with the claim, with the asylum claim, and that's how I got my papers.
Mohamed said the long wait for an interview during his asylum claim took a toll on his health (read by an actor).
Mohamed said the long wait for an interview during his asylum claim took a toll on his health (read by an actor).
The charity were helping with my case because it was taking long for me to get an interview when I claimed asylum. They were writing emails to my lawyer to update them what’s happen, to check the updates as to where my case is standing, and also to let them know about my health issues, how was, how it was affecting me.
Mohamed wasn’t believed about being 17, was sent to the Home Office alone, and later told his age couldn’t be accepted because he had been listed as an adult in France (read by an actor).
Mohamed wasn’t believed about being 17, was sent to the Home Office alone, and later told his age couldn’t be accepted because he had been listed as an adult in France (read by an actor).
When I first came in, I was held in a police station and they... When I went to claim asylums at the police station, they didn’t accept my age. And they also didn’t want to listen to me.
So after I waited, first, they didn’t want to accept me. They said, we can’t, we can’t let you claim asylum. You just have to go back. We don’t, we don’t want you to stay here.
But after a long while, when they took my fingerprints, they said, we found your fingerprint in France, and you’re not the age that you’re claiming to be. And I know why that was, because when I was in the border of France, the UK force has taken my fingerprints. And when I told them I was 17, they have registered it 18 on the PC. So I told them to correct it, but they didn’t want to listen. They just gave me an ID that says I’m 17 years old, but on the computer, it was still 18. And because of that, they didn’t want to believe my age when I came here. And I explained what has happened. But they didn’t want to listen to me.
So they said I have, they have taken my fingerprints in France three months earlier. And they said it was after three months that I came to the UK, and after they’ve taken my fingerprint, my fingerprint, they said you’d have to wait for a car to come and collect you. It would take about 40 minutes to one hour. This is after I’ve explained that I’m underage and what has happened when they took my fingerprint back in France. And then they said for me to wait for 40 minutes to one hour and a car would come and collect me. But that didn’t happen all night, and in the morning they just let me go. So I had to walk, trying to find a train station so I could go somewhere. So as I was walking I found a train station and I walked into there.
Mohamed was left homeless after his age assessment decided he was an adult (read by an actor).
Mohamed was left homeless after his age assessment decided he was an adult (read by an actor).
So, they did the age assessment then I was called in for a second day to continue the assessment and then they gave me an appointment to tell me the result of the assessment. At that time I wasn’t attending school because I was stressed about everything, I was missing school and everything. And then on the day that the result was gonna be announced the- my social worker took me aside and she said what do you think is gonna happen today? And I told her I don’t have any problem, I don’t have any worries at all, I know my age so I know what the result is going to be. And she said to me, 'no you don’t have to think like that you have to be open for whatever result is gonna come, you have to accept it you have to prepare yourself for any outcome,' and I wasn’t happy about that.
So, on that day, they brought an interpreter to tell me the result of the age assessment outcome. So, even my social worker, when she told me what could have happened, what is going to happen or what could happen, she used the same interpreter as well. So, she used an interpreter to tell me what may happen and that I have to be, I have to accept whatever result comes out. And she also said that even though, even if we don’t believe your age, we’re still going to support you until you’re going to be able to claim universal credit because I was getting close to 18 then. Until your universal credit and until you get support from them, our payment is not going to stop. I said, okay. And then when I went in for the results, the people told me that. They did not accept my age and they said I have to be supported by Universal Credit and that they weren’t going to support me anymore.
So, after they told me everything, I went home and I received a WhatsApp letter, a picture of a letter on WhatsApp that says I have to leave the property I was staying in in two days. So the date they gave me was you have to move out on the 27th. That was two days, in two days. So I had no choice.
I went to Refugee Council. They couldn’t believe what they couldn’t believe. They said, this can’t happen. You won’t be able to find anywhere to stay in two days. So I had to move out when the two days came. After two days, I had to move out. So for about a week, I was homeless. I didn’t have anywhere to stay.
Mohamed said that getting housing and legal support around his age dispute made him feel more settled (read by an actor).
Mohamed said that getting housing and legal support around his age dispute made him feel more settled (read by an actor).
Now college is great. I'm more settled because I have a place to stay, and with the age assessment, my lawyer is following it up. I think he's going to go to court. We're waiting on that. But I'm more settled than before.