Over the past year, there has been an increase in the number of refugees and asylum seekers attempting to reach the UK by crossing the English Channel. This guest blog by Dr Razia Shariff, the CEO of Kent Refugee Action Network (KRAN), details how KRAN supports young, separated refugees and asylum seekers, how they adapted their services during the pandemic and how they work to challenge the narrative around the ‘migrant crisis’.

Kent is currently at the centre of a ‘perfect storm’ in relation to refugees and asylum seekers. Although recently the circumstances have changed, the challenges remain the same. The coincidence of a number of different events during 2020 has created a unique context for Kent Refugee Action Network (KRAN). The only constant has been the resilience and positive stories from the young people we work with. They have shown us how they are empowered to rise above any challenge they face, when given the right support and encouragement.

Kent currently has over 500 refugees and asylum seekers under the age of 18 in its care, and over 900 refugees and asylum seekers leaving the care system, having arrived as separated, asylum seeking young people. This is coupled with the recent establishment of an asylum seekers holding centre at the Napier Barracks in Folkestone for up to 400 adult, male asylum seekers. As there are very few safe and legal routes to claiming asylum in the UK, refugees and asylum seekers use lorries, cars and, more recently, boats to get to Kent.

The Covid-19 crisis has made it tougher for us to ensure that the needs of refugees and asylum seekers in Kent are being met. The legal system ground to a halt and asylum claims and appeals were put on hold. The legal system is only just starting to reboot. Any faster legal processes that are introduced, to deal with the backlog and blockages, must be just and fair.

Read the full article about migrant crisis by Razia Shariff at NPC.