Red Cross Blogs

Podcast: seeking asylum in the UK

By Katrina Crew
April 19, 2010 at 9:49 am

Imagine fleeing your country, your family, and everything you know because your life is in danger. Several years ago, Jennifer suffered horrific violence and came to the UK seeking asylum. She talks about her experiences, and how the Red Cross’ refugee services have helped her find her way in a new country.

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[This transcript is an authentic transcription of the recording. To protect her identity, we have changed the interviewee's name, and the image is not of her.]

Jennifer: I left my country in 2003 because I was torture. I was beat, I was raped, I was shot with a gun. I still have one bullet in my cheek. They remove the one in my head but the one in my cheek still there.

Narrator (Carla Dow): Jennifer fled her family home in Cameroon in fear of her life. When she was 36 years old, she left behind her husband, daughter and two nephews who she’d adopted as her own after the death of her two sisters.

Jennifer is still so afraid of the people in her past, that she doesn’t want to give her true name in this podcast.

Jennifer: I can’t give my true name because I’m afraid. My brother, who I fear in Cameroon, is working with the prime minister in my country. He sent the military in my country to torture me.

That’s why my mum decide I should leave the country – that my life is not safe. I wasn’t no where to go. My mum just want me to leave the country – quick.

My mum tell me if I don’t leave this country, I’m going to leave you here to die alone because the thing I saw they did to you I don’t want this to happen again for the second time. Because they torture me in front of my mum, they rape me in front of my mum, they shoot me in front of my mum.

Narrator (Carla Dow): Jennifer began the long and uncertain journey to seek asylum, stopping in countries it wasn’t safe for her to stay in.

Jennifer: I just flee my country – I don’t know where to go. I was four years in Chad, supported by some family I met in the market place. I left Chad 2007 because people would kidnap people in their house to kill. I went Guinea Equatorial in 2007 and when I reached Guinea Equatorial I meet some lady from Cameroon and she told me that you can sleep in my house but I can’t help you for anything because me also I’m just here to try to settle my life. And she told me that you can go to the airport to beg money. I meet some white man and he asked me ‘why you beg for money – you’re still strong?’

I explain to him my problem and he told me that he’d bring me to UK, when he bring me in this country, he left me.

I see UK was good but I couldn’t understand the thing they was talking. That made me go to prison because if I could understand the language I could have know I was supposed to go to the police to claim asylum.

I tried to leave the country to go where I could understand the language. I was going to France and they catch me.

I’m still in process with my asylum case but I know that everything will be fine.

Narrator (Carla Dow): Arriving in the UK, Jennifer was confused and disorientated by a different culture and a language she couldn’t understand. She felt isolated, depressed and uncertain about her future, until she found the British Red Cross.

Jennifer began attending a Red Cross project based in Hampshire, which helps refugees and asylum seekers adapt to life in the UK by familiarising them with the local area and helping them access essential services.

Working closely with other local organisations and agencies, the volunteer and staff team enable people to develop their self-reliance and confidence within a short period of time.

Jennifer: In UK there is a lot of help; in UK somebody can be safe. But in Cameroon nobody can protect you – that why I left my country (tearful)

Narrator (Carla Dow): Being housed in Portsmouth in the south of England at first felt very alien for Jennifer. She was suffering from depression and knew no one. So how do you start building a new life?

Jennifer: When they were taking me to Portsmouth I was crying that I don’t know how I’m going to start. And since I’ve come to Portsmouth, Red Cross give me all the care I need.

The Red Cross call me, told me that ‘you was referred to us. Don’t be afraid, don’t cry’, because I was crying.

I was in depression. I’m still taking tablets but my condition is going better every day because of Red Cross.

When I came to Portsmouth, my benefit wasn’t coming through. Red Cross would take care of me. Red Cross were helping me buy my food. If Red Cross wasn’t giving me that food, I don’t know where I can go. They made me not go in the road and beg.

Narrator (Carla Dow): Red Cross orientation projects across the UK help reduce isolation, increase self-confidence and access to local services, improve wellbeing and health, as well as provide volunteering opportunities which enable beneficiaries to develop new practical and social skills – this was the next step in Jennifer’s journey.

Jennifer: I was going to the psychology service. She told me that I have to busy my mind. And I started coming to Red Cross as a volunteer in the kitchen. Since I come to Red Cross my condition is going better, better every day because when I come and meet people I talk to people and I’m busy. I just thank God for all that Red Cross did for me.

Narrator (Carla Dow): Jennifer is still waiting for the result of her asylum application, but is looking forward to more positive future in Portsmouth and hopes to be able to do something to help other people in the UK, after the care she herself has received.

Jennifer: For my future, when the government has settled me, I want to work, do the job I can do for help like look after the old people because this job is to help. Because in this country I received a lot of support. I also want to do some job to help.

Narrator (Carla Dow): Jennifer is still separated from her mother, daughter and sons and misses them everyday. She has now approached the British Red Cross international tracing and message services to help her try and find her family.

Jennifer: Since 2003 I always cry. I don’t know if my mum’s still alive. I don’t know.

Image courtesy sxc.hu

[The orientation projects in Southampton and Portsmouth have been funded by the Big Lottery Fund.]

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Tags: asylum seekers, Podcasts, refugee services, refugees

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This entry was posted on Monday, April 19th, 2010 at 9:49 am and is filed under Health and social care, Podcasts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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