Alex's Story: "Winning would give me freedom that I have been dreaming of for so many years"

Alex's Story: "Winning would give me freedom that I have been dreaming of for so many years"

By the age of 22 I was detained twice, almost made homeless and prevented from accessing higher education. Living in the UK as an asylum seeker traps you in this endless cycle.

My dream is to study social sciences to become a social worker. I want to help young people that are going through the same situation as myself. Being in the care system without status helped me realize my purpose is to help others get out of this cycle and improve the immigration system for the better.

However, living without status prevents me from moving forward. I am not allowed to pursue a degree because I cannot access student finance. I cannot afford to pay the fees on my own because I am not allowed to work. So if I can’t work I can’t go to university and if I can’t go to university I can’t qualify as a social worker.

It’s like being in prison or in lockdown. I cannot work, I cannot travel, I cannot get married or apply for student finance to pursue a higher education, I cannot rent a property and I have trouble accessing the healthcare system. It’s an endless cycle and it feels like there is no way out.

Regularising status and winning the campaign would mean the world to me. It would give me the freedom that I have been dreaming of for so many years. I have been living here for a long time which means all those years I have been limited to achieve and access things that any UK citizen would easily access.