Refugee Voices - Amirah

Amirah was born in Sri Lanka and arrived in the UK in July 2023. Her life at home had been stable and happy until 2022, when a terrorist attack forced her family to flee the country. Due to the fact that her father was involved in politics, the situation quickly became unsafe, leaving them with no choice but to leave. Although she had enjoyed her childhood in Sri Lanka, she had to accept that returning home was no longer possible.

Adjusting to life in the UK has been challenging for Amirah. She found the cultural differences, new climate, and language barrier difficult at first, and is continuing to work hard to improve her English. On her arrival, she found people here welcoming, but admits it took time to come to terms with leaving her home behind. She travelled to the UK by air with her family and has since been living in asylum hotel accommodation while awaiting a decision from the Home Office, a process that has now lasted nearly three years.

Despite the uncertainty regarding her asylum decision, Amirah is in her second year studying Geography and Environmental Sciences at a London University on a Sanctuary Scholarship. Herts Welcomes Refugees initially supported her by visiting her hotel weekly to provide her with clothes and food. In addition to this, Herts Welcomes Refugees also helped her obtain funding for a laptop to support her studies and has helped arrange payment of travel costs while at university. She now serves on Herts Welcomes Refugees’ Advisory Board, using her lived experience to help shape how the charity can better support other refugees in similar situations.

Amirah’s living conditions remain her greatest challenge. She is still living in an asylum hotel after nearly three years of being in the UK. She shares a room with her mother, with little privacy and no quiet space to study. She also mentioned that the absence of a stable home and privacy remains both unsettling and very challenging. Managing university work in these conditions is demanding, and the prolonged uncertainty about her future weighs heavily on her, particularly as other Sri Lankan families have recently been told to leave the UK while she still awaits a decision.
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Amirah misses the people and food of Sri Lanka deeply. She has been unable to cook and has had to adjust to British cuisine. Above all, she hopes for stability, privacy, and the opportunity to build a secure future beyond her temporary hotel accommodation.

UPDATE:  We have just heard that Amirah and her family have been granted refugee status and hope this can provide a bit of security and hope.  We wish them all well.