CYP Now - Policy & Practice: Asylum seekers are entitled to a childhood too

A day doesn't go by when there isn't a news story about asylum seekers and, depending on which paper you read, the nation is persuaded that we're either collapsing under the strain or applying a punitive regime.

But amid this very public debate, it's easy to forget that while asylum-seeker children reside in this country they are unequivocally entitled to a childhood.

Every child, regardless of their background or citizenship, has the basic right to grow and develop. Where possible, asylum-seeker children benefit from integration in mainstream education. Learning alongside other children helps them to feel less alienated and assists them in the imminent struggle both to pick up essential language skills and to adapt to a different culture. But integration should not stop with schooling. Play, hanging out with friends and discovering new skills are as essential as formal education if children, especially displaced children, are to grow into well-adjusted and fulfilled young adults.

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