Without going into too many details and betraying any confidentialities, yesterday I met a young Congolese man at Lubumbashi airport. He originally left Lubumbashi as a child of 3 with his father. His father was granted asylum in the UK while he was not. He had been detained in the UK for over 2 years awaiting outcome of appeals. Last week, on his 21st birthday (the same day as mine, although I am sadly several years older!) he was deported to Congo, a country in which he is more of a stranger than I am, not speaking the language and having lost all contact with family and friends. He returned from the cold climate of northern Europe with jumpers and jackets which will be of little use to him here in the heat of the Congo! I used to manage a Social Work team supporting unaccompanied asylum seeking children in Manchester and used to be at the receiving end of children arriving alone and nervous in a strange country many filled with hope for what a future in the UK may hold for them. Yesterday I observed the process turning full circle meeting a nervous young man returning to his country of origin only this time, full of regrets. I am left with many questions about the aslyum process and policies.
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