This petition was submitted by Gulnar Sohail having collected 78 signatures online.

Petition text:

We call on the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to review the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA), the Financial Contingency Fund (FCF) and the Welsh Government Learning Grant (WGLG) to allow for more asylum seekers to be able to participate in further education.​​​

Additional information:

​In these difficult times when inflation is on the rise and daily items getting more and more expensive for UK citizens too, it is almost impossible for asylum seekers to progress further in their higher / access education. We (Asylum seekers) are just given just over £5 a day from Home Office and from this amount they have to buy food, clothing, daily transport costs and the list is ongoing. Even if we try somehow (by cutting down on food or any other important things) the transportation cost for the whole course including any other charges like registration, child care are just too much to digest. My point is that there should be no discrimination between an asylum seeker and any other person living in Wales if both are trying to go to college for higher education / access courses. If a welsh person is getting FCF and WGLG then an asylum seeker should also receive these both or any other related help which will enable them to move forward in their lives. Because of previously mentioned costs I have seen so many asylum seekers turned down their plans to go for higher education. It also means that they will be doing nothing fruitful as work is not permitted and sitting at home will make them more frustrated. I also would like to mention a recent example when a destitute (whose asylum case is refused and his / her cash support and house from Home Office has been withdrawn) has committed suicide. He was living in this situation for some time and he was not able to make use of his life. I believe if he was given an opportunity he might not have gone that far. Enabling more asylum seekers into education will not only give them some purpose for life but it will also enrich the community where they live. After all when we got our residence permit we will be independent and free to work and this education will help us in many ways to shape our families and communities in much better ways.​

Exam hall

Status

This petition was considered completed by the Petitions Committee at its meeting on 07/05/2019.

The Committee considered further correspondence on the petition and agreed to close the petition, given that the Welsh Government intends to implement the actions called for by the petition from September 2020. Members thanked the petitioner for raising this matter and congratulated her on the success of the petition. Full details of the consideration of this petitions by the committee and related documents can be seen on the Meetings tab above.

It was first considered by the Petitions Committee on 05/12/2017.

Assembly Constituency and Region

• Swansea East
• South Wales West

Rhagor o wybodaeth

• Dysgwch fwy am broses ddeisebau'r Cynulliad
• Llofnodwch e-ddeiseb
• Sut mae proses Ddeisebu yn gweithio