This event is a collaboration between Freedom From Torture Bristol and Bath local supporters’ group and Bristol Student Action for Refugees.

We will be joined by a panel of experts who will discuss the dangers and emotional trauma faced by unaccompanied young people seeking asylum and safety. We will explore why the young people make this journey, what it is like and what they expected & found when they arrived in the UK? We will learn how we can help make the journey safer and support these young people upon their arrival in the UK.

Our Panel includes;

Gulwali Passarlay: After seeking asylum in Britain when he was just a boy, Gulwali has become an advocate for refugee rights and has fought for increased awareness of the challenges faced by unaccompanied minors seeking asylum. Over the past 5 years Gulwali has spoken to over 50 schools across the UK, sharing his story and the realities of rebuilding a life in the UK as a refugee. He is a refugee rights campaigner and the author of ‘The Lightless Sky’.

Faiq Tukmachi: He is a semi-retired Consultant Community Paediatrician, currently has the responsibility of assessing unaccompanied asylum seeking children and young people. He also acts as a medical advisor for the adoption panel and assesses children who are looked after. He has always been interested in helping children who are vulnerable and in need of protection. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child health.

Mia Barlow: She is the Community Organiser at Safe Passage International - an organisation that supports refugees to access safe and legal routes to asylum across Europe. She is responsible for leading Safe Passage’s grassroots network of groups, individuals and faith organisations on Safe Passage’s ongoing campaigns and advocacy. Previously she founded SHARES (Sherborne Area Refugee Support), a charity that works to support refugees and asylum seekers in Sherborne, Dorset.

You will have the opportunity to ask our incredible panel your own questions in our Q&A section at the end of the event. It will be hosted on zoom.

If you didn't manage to get a ticket but would really like to attend this event then shoot us an email at BristolSTAR@outlook.com :)