Hundreds of children believed to have fled with their families from countries such as Afghanistan, Sudan, Iraq and Syria are being housed in hotels across the city by the Interior Ministry, awaiting news of applications. their asylum. Dr Rhetta Moran, founder of the Manchester-based Refugee and Asylum Participatory Action Research (Rapar) charity, said the volunteers taught children in the parking lot of a hotel where they were staying. It calls on Manchester City Council – as well as outsourcing company Serco, the company that has a contract with the Home Office to provide accommodation in this part of the UK – to address the problem urgently. Moran said: “Many of these children have been victims of war and persecution. “Afterwards, they have endured traumatic journeys to reach the United Kingdom and upon arrival they face long delays in the asylum and immigration system.” A resident of a Manchester hotel, who did not want to be named, told the Guardian that about 30 children were staying in the same facilities as those of Syrian, Afghan, Iraqi, Yemeni and Sudanese descent, and that some had been waiting. at least six months for school. Chalk drawings made by children in a hotel car park. Photo: Rapar “They have two hours of formal Esol English lessons a week,” he said. “But it is often up to one or two teachers to coordinate learning for children of many different nationalities, ages, backgrounds and levels – sometimes for adults as well.” He said the learning that takes place in makeshift car parks was “very unstructured, with a combination of volunteers and residents taking the reins”, but also “very necessary for children who are at a critical stage of development”. Another resident of the same hotel added: “Sometimes it is just a case of doing some supervised math on the ground with chalk or the residents sharing their skills such as art or sewing. It is informal, but children get bored and do not get irritated without it. In addition, it is good for them to build their social skills through interactions with other children. Moran, who has worked with asylum seekers in Manchester for two decades, said children are failing the system, adding: “Parents who arrive with children are being asked to fill out forms they name three possible schools for their child to attend in the area – an almost impossible task for someone new to the country whose English may not be possible. “It is often up to charitable volunteers to help complete these forms, which are then sent to the city council for processing.” Madeline Summerfield, a volunteer with the charity Care4Calais and head of a hotel for facilities elsewhere in Manchester, said the funds are being extended to new asylum seekers and refugees across the area. The volume of people and the availability of space varied for each hotel and between city councils, he said, with some focusing on Afghan refugees, others on Ukrainians and others on “mixed” asylum seekers. Summerfield added: “Conflicts between local and national politics can make things difficult, but ultimately the focus must be on ensuring that all children are educated and have the opportunity to integrate.” A Manchester City Council spokesman said: “All staff in hotels where families have been accommodated have been notified of their Manchester school application guidance and are aware of the need to apply for a place to access a local school. They also have a direct connection to the educational service in Manchester. “This academic year alone, the council has placed more than 400 refugee children and asylum seekers in schools and colleges. That included assigning places to secondary schools outside of Manchester where there were not enough places in their area. “ A spokesman for the Ministry of Education said: “We must do everything we can to welcome refugees arriving in this country who have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict. We expect every school-age child who arrives here to start going to school right after. “We believe that the best place for all children to be educated is through schools and attendance will help children integrate into the communities in which they live.”
