Meaningful Career for Refugees - Keiko Okura_Stage 3 PPJ.pdf

the Glasgow School of Art, MDes Design Innovation and Service Design

Keiko Okura
Meaningful Careers for Refugees

Meaningful Careers for Refugees
the Glasgow School of Art, MDes Design Innovation and Service Design

Keiko Okura

Contents
Introduction

Project Introduction

Process Overview

Design Partners
3
Phase 1 Discover

Literature Review

Short Interviews

Desk Research

Finding 1

Finding 2

Positionality

Research Questions
5

7

8
10

13

14

15

16

18

19
Phase 2 Develop & De
fi
ne

Observation

Survey and Interview with Migrants

In-depth Interviews

Persona

Workshop

Analysis

Thematic Analysis

Story Writing for Each Persona

Understanding of Their Social Context

Insights 1-8

Opportunities Spotting

Opportunity 1-7

Decide the Focus Opportunity Area
21

22

23

24

29

35

36

37

38

43

51

52

59
Phase 3 Deliver

Understanding the Opportunity Area

Concepts

Ideation

Concept Development

Idea 1-3

Proposal

Service Model

Storytelling

Service Details

Impact
Conclusion

Re
fl
ection

Reference List

Acknowledgements
Appendix

Appendix 1-5
65

66

67

68

69

73

73

74

79

80
84

86

88
90

Syrian refugees arrive at Bardarash camp in Duhok (UNHCR, 2021)
Project Introduction
According to TED-Ed (2016), 60 million people have been forced to
fl
ee from their home countries every year to escape wars, violence
and persecution. Furthermore, National statistics by Great Britain
Home O
ffi
ce (2022) indicated that there were 48540 asylum
applications in the UK in 2021. Yet, their life is still not easy after
arriving in the UK. They have to survive with a minimum standard of
treatment in a country where the language and culture are di
ff
erent.
Moreover, they are not allowed to work until they o
ffi
cially obtain
refugee status.
The project aims to understand the current situation of refugees and
asylum seekers in the UK and to speculate on ideal futures. The
desirable outcome is
fi
nding a way to bridge the gap between the
current situation and the possible future by designing a new system.
The system should be prompt to contribute to their well-being, making
them feel accepted and valued in the UK through the lens of a career.
This journal argues their challenges, pain points, and unmet needs
and a proposal that responded to the di
ffi
culties alongside my journey
as a Service Designer. I hope this project provides some new
information and raises awareness about asylum seekers and refugees
in the UK.
5
Introduction – Project Introduction #1

It came from my personal experience. I worked for three di
ff
erent
types of companies in three di
ff
erent roles. From those experiences, I
learned that your job changes your life tremendously. It changes a
community where you spend 40 hours per week, the income you
have, and most importantly, it would change your feelings towards
your life. You would learn and develop your skills, utilize your
strengths and contribute to someone through your job, which would
bring feelings of value. It is evidenced by Myers (2018), arguing that
you feel valued through your job when you have a job you love, you
are good at and needed by the world. Additionally, I realized through
my experience that your health is the most important basis for work.
therefore, it should not be ignored as well.
In the beginning, I was thinking about exploring migrants and their
careers in the UK, as I am a migrant from Japan, where culture is
hugely di
ff
erent. However, I noticed that refugees in the UK have more
di
ffi
culties and barriers, especially before getting a job, so I decided to
focus on refugees and their careers.
6
Introduction – Project Introduction #2
Find your ikigai (Myers, 2018)
What you love
What the world needs
What you are good at
Ikigai
Why Did I Decide to Work on This Theme?

Introduction – Process Overview
7
Process Overview
Literature Review
Observation (Volunteering at charities)
Short Interviews
In-depth interviews
Work

shop
Participatory Research
Analysis Ideation
Prototyping
Phase1 Discover Phase 2 Develop & De
fi
ne Phase 3 Deliver
Desk Research Desk Research
Survey

Design Partners
Charities & NPOs:

• Scottish Refugee Council

• Central & West Integration Network

• Refuweegee

• Cranhill Development Trust

• The born youth & community centre

Government

• Home Office

Educational Institution

• University of Oxford
8
Introduction – Design Partners

Literature Review
During this project, I was reading books called “The Tyranny of
Merit” and “Doughnut Economics” to understand what is causing
inequality in society, what are that impacts and what could be a new
system to change the current situation.
Through reading those books, I learned that people born with
wealth can gain more opportunities and have more power in the
current system of capitalism. It also causes physical and emotional
labour to be underrated so dignity is less provided to their work
even though these workers are essential to our life. Raworth (2014)
argued that Instead of focusing on GDP growth, designing a system
focusing on human well-being is essential to make a change.

I read a book called Capital to understand the story of asylum
seekers living in the UK. the piece of writing helped me with gaining
a deeper understanding of their situation and emotions living as
asylum seekers in the UK.
10
Phase 1 Discover – Literature Review
What Causes Inequality?
What is the Situation of Asylum Seekers?

“Instead of pursuing ever-increasing GDP, it is time to discover how to
thrive in balance.”

– Kate Raworth, Doughnut Economics (2018)

“Being good at making money measures neither our merit nor the value
of our contribution.”

– Michael J Sandel, The Tyranny of Merit (2020)

“Critics point to this inequality as evidence that higher education is not
the meritocracy it claims to be.”

– Michael J Sandel, The Tyranny of Merit (2020)

“Quentina found she had no ability to do nothing all day and that sitting
around the house, and not having any disposable income of her own, gave
her acute claustrophobia–a sense of being trapped, powerless, inside her
own head. This was made worse by the fact that she was, in actuality,
genuinely powerless, with no ability to affect her own destiny in any of the
relevant important ways. So she decided that she would have to do
something with her days, would have to work, in order not to go insane.”
– John Lanchester, Capital

Short Interviews
This project started with interviews with workers from charities. As I did
not have much knowledge about refugees, I thought starting from a chat
with some stakeholders could be helpful in
fi
nding areas of the
research.
During the interviews, I asked those questions and related stories:
• Who are refugees and asylum seekers?
• What are their di
ffi
culties?
• What are the di
ffi
culties related to their job?
From the short interviews, I found some main di
ffi
culties they face, such
as
fi
nancial di
ffi
culties, language barrier, racism & stigma, and legal &
systemic challenges.
After the interviews, I decided to conduct further desk research about
each topic to gain a deeper understanding of them.
13
Phase 1 Discover – Short Interviews
Refuweegee
The born youth and community centre

Desk Research
Whilst conducting short interviews, I looked into information related to
refugees/asylum seekers and their job hunting to understand factors that
a
ff
ect their situations. The research was conducted mainly by looking
through websites, YouTube, articles and reports.
To begin with, I researched about di
ff
erences between asylum seekers
and refugees because I thought It is basic information that I should know
before starting primary research. From the research, I found four major
di
ff
erences.
Secondly, I investigated the current system for refugees and asylum
seekers to understand their contexts. From the data I gained, I wrote a
story of their journey (see Appendix 1) from
fl
eeing to becoming a
refugee to understand their situation deeply.
From the desk research, I gained further understanding of these topics
as well:
• Their stories and real voices until gaining refugee status.
• Di
ffi
culties when they look for a job in the UK.
• Other main issues such as poor mental health and racism.
14
Phase 1 Discover – Desk Research #1

UNHCR (2022) showed that asylum seekers are not allowed to work while living on 39.63/week (which is approximately £5/day), not knowing if
they can stay or not, but accommodation to survive is provided. On the other hand, Home O
ffi
ce (2019) noted that refugees have the right to
work. They are given permission to stay for 5 years and they can apply to settle in the UK after 5 years, according to Home O
ffi
ce (2014).
However, housing and
fi
nancial support are not provided.

15
Finding 1 – Di
ff
erence between Asylum Seekers and Refugees
Possibility to be sent back Right to live
Refugees
Asylum Seekers
Not allowed to work Allowed to work
Accommodation is provided Pay rent by themselves
£5/day is provided Right to claim universal credit
Work
Citizenship
Housing
Financial Support
15

BMA (2022) showed the journey until becoming a refugee was very long with plenty of challenges, such as restrictions by law and 19 months of
waiting time until receiving a decision.
16
Finding 2 – The Journey from Fleeing to Becoming a Refugee
16
Flee from their
country
Refugee camp
Entering the UK and
request asylum
Screening
Interview
House in initial
accommodation
centers or hotel
Asylum Interview
Live on £5/day,

no right to work
19 months later

on average
Allowed to stay and
work
Pay rent and
fi
nd a
job
House in Home
O
ffi
ce
accommodation
Before Becoming Asylum Seekers
After Becoming Asylum Seekers
After Obtaining Refugee Status
Become
asylum
seekers
Obtain

refugee
status

Risk of exploitation

“Rights relating to access to employment are not fully realised for migrant workers and this
is a major concern as they are likely to be concentrated in low-wage, low-skill, poorly
regulated sectors and are at risk of exploitation.”

– Equality and Human Rights Commission (2016)

Barriers to employment

“Participation in the labour market is seen as the most important factor favouring long
term integration into society. The UK currently has no national strategy to aid the
transition of refugees into the labour market.”

– Breaking Barriers (2018)

Mental Health problems

“Most migrants do not experience mental health problems. However, refugees and asylum
seekers can be at increased risk, particularly if they have experienced violence and
trauma, including exploitation, torture or sexual and gender-based violence.”

– BMA (2022)

Positionality
Before starting in-depth interviews with stakeholders, I examined their
positionally in the UK to understand how my position would a
ff
ect them,
and how they feel about living in the UK as an asylum seeker or a
refugee. There are asylum seekers from various backgrounds, but I
mainly considered asylum seekers from Syria, Afghan, Venezuela,
Pakistan and Iraq, which are the top 5 nationalities of people claiming
asylum in the UK (UNHCR, 2022). By seeing the wheel of power/
privilege, I found that they are marginalised in many categories, and I
thought some people who need to prove their position by comparative
theory would abuse it. Additionally, I found religion is not included in the
wheel, but it also a
ff
ects their positionally, because of the stigma about
some religions.
On the other hand, I found some of those positions are socially
constructed, and some are constructed by capitalism. Indeed, it is not
related to their actual value, implying those positions might have a
chance to be changed if society reacts di
ff
erently. Besides that, wealth
and education are a
ff
ected by capitalism, which would also be changed
if a di
ff
erent system, such as Doughnut Economics is used.
18
Phase 1 Discover – Positionality
Wheel of power/privilege (Duckworth, 2020)
Asylum seekers Refugees
Me

Research Question
What could bring a possible better future for asylum seekers and
refugees where they feel independent, contributing, accepted
and valued in society through meaningful employment?
19
Phase 1 Discover – Research Question
After those research, I de
fi
ned a research question for the project.
To narrow down the research question, I also de
fi
ned three concert research questions that became a basis of further research.

1. What are the di
ffi
culties that refugees face in the UK?

2. What are successful experiences in careers for refugees in the UK?

3. What could be meaningful careers for refugees/asylum seekers?

Observations
As I am not allowed to directly conduct research with vulnerable groups
of people without having a gatekeeper, I decided to conduct
observational research. I work as a volunteer at charities.
Through working as a volunteer, observing asylum seekers and
conversing with other volunteers, I found some similarities in both
volunteers. I found:

• Asylum seekers and refugees are also volunteering at charities

• Halal food might be di
ffi
cult to
fi
nd or purchase
21
fi
ne – Observations
Food bank volunteer with CWIN
Volunteer at Refuweegee

Next, I conducted an online survey to understand the di
ff
erence in
challenges between migrants and refugees. I sent the survey to migrants
working in the UK.
I also conducted an in-depth interview with one of the respondents, who
is from a non-European country but satis
fi
ed with his job, to understand
what are the di
ff
erences as a migrant from a non-Europian country and
what makes him satis
fi
ed. I also considered this could be an ideal
situation for refugees.
From those research, I found that the main di
ff
erence between refugees
and migrants is the requirement for visas or sponsorship. They were
also afraid of lack of information, cultural di
ff
erences and
fi
nancial fear.
Additionally, I recognized that English language skills, quali
fi
cations
recognized in the UK and understanding of the working culture in the
UK could be key factors for migrants to gain their desired careers.
22
fi
ne –


In-depth Interview to Stakeholders
As a next step, I conducted in-depth interviews
with stakeholders. I talked with those
stakeholders below.
• Charity Workers – 3 (di
ff
erent charities)
• Researcher from Home O
ffi
ce – 1
• Employability O
ffi
cer from a Charity – 1
• ESOL Teacher from a Charity – 1
• Researcher from a University in the UK – 1
The purpose of in-depth interviews was to
understand di
ffi
culties that asylum seekers and
refugees face particularly in their job hunting and
careers and to
fi
nd successful case studies about
their careers.
After the interviews, I made some major
personas of stakeholders to summarize key
information, and to understand their mindset and
motivations.
23
fi
ne –

In-depth Interview to Stakeholders #1
Cranhill Development Trust(Charity)
Refuweegee (Charity)
CWIN (Charity)
Interview with a ESOL teacher
Interview with a researcher

Workshop
I conducted a workshop with asylum seekers and volunteers at a charity. The
workshop was planned with a supervision of a gatekeeper. The purpose of the
workshop was to understand the ideal careers for asylum seekers. I used the
workshop as a research method because it would mitigate the sensitivity of the
research. I considered that this method lets participants express their opinions and
feelings voluntarily, and having other participants would help their inspiration.

The workshop was planned with supervised by a charity sta
ff
to make sure it did not
trigger negative emotions. It started with presenting and discussing the workshop
plan with the sta
ff
together. the charity sta
ff
helped provide ideas such as recruiting
participants by using
fl
yers, making a consent written on the workshop day instead
of asking for
fi
lling a digital form beforehand and preparing Asian food on the
workshop day to attract people. I also started joining a volunteer at the charity three
weeks before the event, not only for observation but also to get to know volunteers
and asylum seekers and to make a comfortable atmosphere at the workshop by
being known among them.
29
fi
ne – Workshop #1
Initial presentation to discuss the workshop idea
Flyer of the workshop
Planning the Workshop

At the workshop, questions to induce speculative design were asked in
the workshop. During the workshop, I let participants write answers on
sticky notes to make a safe and comfortable space, eventually
generating some conversations.
30
fi
ne – Workshop #2
The Workshop Day
Sticky-notes responding to the questions

31
fi
ne – Workshop #3
Presentation during the workshop Discussion and conversation
Writing on sticky-notes
Consent Forms

As a result, two topics evolved from the workshop. one is a desire for their career,
such as skill learning and using. The other is wishes for the current situation, gaining
more powers to control their life.
32
fi
ne – Workshop #4
Workshop Outcomes
2. Wishes for Their Current Situation

• Becoming a refugee and having a life as a person as soon as
possible

• Support for ESOL class

• Peace and no depression

• Living with their family again
1. Desires for Their Career

• Free skill learning

• Working cultural learning for integration in the UK

• The utilisation of their skills as they used to do back in their home
country

• Help refugees and asylum seekers

“We can't do anything is too bad, especially for men and those who worked every
time like me, just to see that is not good.”

“I want to be interviewed as soon as possible and I become a refugee and my son and
husband come to me.”

“Asylum seeker comes here without any knowledge in English, they cannot attend the
food banks, they don't have any opportunities to know about some charities and
buildings and hubs, so they're just stuck at home and depressed and they're not
aware of anything.”

“I hope my family also come live here with me.”
– Asylum seekers, Quotes from the workshop

Re
fl
ection on the Workshop
There was some tension in the air at the beginning of the workshop,
so I encouraged the participants to have food and started talking
about food. It eventually broke the ice and the participants started
actively joining and expressing their thoughts. The questions I
prepared made them think and talk about their current situation,
which I did not expect. As a result, some participants explained their
di
ffi
culties in the current situation and also stated their wishes. I
learned that talking about something in common would help people
break the ice, and also thinking about the future would trigger
thoughts of the current situation.
34
fi
ne – Workshop #6

Pick Key
Information
Analysis
To start the analysis, I highlighted key information from
observation
fi
eld notes, Interview transcriptions, workshop data,
desk research and personas.
35
fi
ne – Analysis #1
Find Key Information
Transcriptions from interviews
Workshop outcomes
Personas
Observation Field notes
Desk research

Next, I wrote down key information on sticky notes and clustered them
several times. After making groups, I took a picture of sticky notes and
then wrote down some
fi
ndings on the picture (the right bottom) to
understand the relationships between each factor.
From this analysis, I started to see some key factors and dilemmas.
However, It mixed a few personas of asylum seekers and refugees so I
conducted further analysis.
36
fi
ne – Analysis #2
Thematic Analysis
Second analysis by sticky-notes
Key
Information
Sticky-notes with key information
Understand relationship between each groups

In order to organise the information from the analysis, I wrote stories of
each persona (see Appendix 2-5) whilst conducting further analysis on
my Miro board. The story writing helped me with understanding the
challenges for each persona, their current situation, emotions and
experience.

37
fi
ne – Analysis #3
Story Writing for Each Persona
Asylum seekers without
language skills
Refugees without
language skills
Refugees with language
skills

Stories
Classify each groups by personas
*See Appendix 2-5

After writing stories, I visualised the social contexts of both asylum
seekers and refugees that a
ff
ect their di
ffi
culties to organize
information from the story.
38
fi
ne – Analysis #4
Understanding of their Social Contexts
Miro board – Finding dilemma and unmet needs from the stories

Social context of asylum seekers
39
fi
ne – Analysis #5
Socio-Cultural
Barriers
Legal and Systemic
Barriers
Mental
Health
• Hard to access to
information about the
area without
understanding English
• Not knowing the system
in the UK

• e.g. ) GP, transportation
and possible supports
• Not allowed to work
• Have to survive with
£5/day (£39.63/week)
• No information for
support is provided when
arrival
• Long waiting time until
getting the refugee status
• trauma from their home country
The power to be a person is
taken

The current policy for asylum
seekers takes away their
power to control their life by
not providing enough support
and not allow to work, making
them feel isolated from society.
The situation worsens their
mental health alongside
traumas from their home
country.
They feel lonely, powerless,
less valued and not integrated.
Social contexts of asylum seekers

Social context of asylum seekers
40
fi
ne – Analysis #6
Socio-Cultural
Barriers
Socio-Economic
Barriers
• Language barriers cause

• Low-paid or down
skilled job

• Limited access to
information and using
services

• Less integration to the
society
• Cultural di
ff
erences

• Not knowing the working
culture and job hunting
process

• Not knowing the process
of applying to colleges or
universities
• Limited access to
information about
higher education and
funding help
• Limited access to free
or a
ff
ordable language
classes, employability
training and skill
learning
• Hard to have a highly
skilled job without
quali
fi
cations
recognized in the UK
• trauma from their home country
Information is not delivered

Without language skills and
wealth, it is hard to have a
highly skilled job. To
overcome this situation,
refugees want to access to
support and know possible
options, but the information is
not delivered
Mental
Health
Social contexts of refugees

After understanding their contexts alongside their stories, I looked into dilemmas in their situation to
fi
nd complex problems. From those dilemmas,
I spotted unmet needs and pain points and then I questioned myself “why it is happening?” Also, I looked into game-changing factors in the
stories.
41
fi
ne – Analysis #7
Finding Dilemmas and Game-changing Factors in the Stories
The help from the government is
not enough and that causes further
mental issues, why the policy is like
that?
Many asylum seekers require
additional assistance, but no
information for assistance is
provided. Why?
Some asylum seekers and
refugees desire to learn English for
a better life. But it is hard to access
that information without
understanding English. Why
information is not provided in their
languages?
Some asylum seekers desire to feel
independent and valued by
contributing someone through
working, but it is hard to
fi
nd a
place to do so even as a volunteer.
Many refugees want to have a
better career, but access to
assistance for employability
training, working cultural learning
and college application is limited
Even though refugees have the
right to work, many employers
don’t know the di
ff
erences
between asylum seekers and
refugees and don’t know how to
check their right to work. Why they
don’t know that?

Stories Unmet needs
Pain points
Finding Dilemmas
Game changing
factors
*See Appendix 2-5

From the analysis, I found 7 unmet needs and 4
game-changing factors. From these factors, I
generated 8 insights.
42
fi
ne – Analysis #8
Mental Health
Care
English
learning for
non-English
speakers
Supports from
interpreter and
translator
Using and
learning skills
Access to
information for
free supports
Employers
awareness of
recruiting
refugees
Change of the
policy
Information
spreads by words
of mouth among
asylum seekers
If they know some
English and have
access to ESOL,
they learn English
quickly
Some charities
provide
community, where
people can talk
and contribute
Some charities and
NPO provide
employability supports
and application
supports for education
Game changing factors
Unmet needs

The system is designed for people to physically
survive for a short term to avoid abuse of the
system and not to be seen as a benefits
system, so it does not consider health
condition or cultural requirements,
transportation fee and their mental health
43
fi
ne – Analysis #9
Insight 1
Quotes

“It is very carefully calculated, what is the absolute
minimum that we can pay someone and to survive”

–Researcher from Home O
ffi
ce

”There is also some desire, to not make it too desirable
to come to the UK as an asylum seeker and just to
exist on the benefits and payment that they can
receive. That is the same reasons that asylum seekers
are not allowed to work in the UK”

–Researcher Home O
ffi
ce

“The money they have to live does not cover transport”

– ESOL teacher at a charity

“They are concern about people abusing the system, but
in turns, other people who need help become victims of
the system.”

–A researcher from refugee studies
Unmet needs
Change of the
policy

Many asylum seekers require additional
supports, but no information for system help
is provided when arrival even though they
mostly don't know anyone in the UK. Without
information, It is hard to improve their life
conditions, especially for asylum seekers
without understanding English
44
fi
ne – Analysis #10
Insight 2
Unmet needs
Services from
interpreter and
translator
Access to
information for
free supports
Quotes

“We don't offer a lot of support, but charities and local
authorities do pick up a lot of additional support
people needs that helps by others”

–Researcher from Home O
ffi
ce

”Asylum seeker comes here without any knowledge in
English, they cannot attend the food banks, they don't
have any opportunities to know about some charities
and buildings and hubs, so they're just stuck at home
and depressed and they're not aware of anything”

–An asylum seeker

“Someone has three children, they can't afford to take
children to city centre for the day, it costs £10-11 for
that bus, but you get £5/day budget.”

– A charity worker

Some refugees want to learn English to access
more information and to be out of low-paid and/
or down-skilled jobs, but it is difficult to access
affordable/free language classes without
knowing some English
45
fi
ne – Analysis #11
Insight 3
Supports to
from interpreter
and translator
Unmet needs
English
learning for
non-English
speakers
Quotes

”There are lots of asylum seekers I know, they're here
for six months, eight months, nine months, but
because they don't know English, they couldn't do
anything even they receive an email from ESOL, they
cannot read it and don't know what to do.”

–An asylum seeker

“A woman who used to be a teacher, working in a dry
cleaning shop. She downgraded her skills and she is
doing really tiring manual labour because of her
language skill.”

– ESOL teacher at a charity

Asylum seekers’ and refugees’ situation worsen
their mental health alongside PTSD,
and access for mental care is limited especially
in their native language, taking away their
power to integrate, work and progress toward a
better life
46
fi
ne – Analysis #12
Insight 4
Unmet needs
Mental Health
Care
Supports from
interpreter and
translator
Quotes

“I am still depressed because I'm alone here and my family
are back in Iran.”

–An asylum seeker

“There are very limited places […] great service is very
limited in terms of how long people might have to wait for,
what can offer.”

–A charity worker

“A lot of asylum seekers, they get really depressed and
develop serious illnesses. They have post traumatic stress
disorder, but they're not properly looked at.”

– A charity worker

“Mental health problem can be a handicap when looking
for a job. […] Some people are in needs of mental health
care and not in a condition to be able to work”

–A researcher from refugee studies

Some asylum seekers desire to feel independent,
valued and contribute through work because
they do not have the right to work, but it is hard
to find a place to do so even as a volunteer
47
fi
ne – Analysis #13
Insight 5
Unmet needs
Using and
learning skills
Quotes

”A lot of people I spoken to, they want to work and want
to be independent.”

–Researcher at Home O
ffi
ce

“Not allowed to work - causing loneliness and mental
health. They don't feel like a person. Everything that
comes with not being allowed to work.”

–ESOL teacher ar a charty

“Here in this country, unfortunately, asylum seekers are
not allowed to work and it's too bad. For example, lots
of people are in waiting lists for ESOL classes, but
there are lots of people like me, that I was a teacher
and kindergarten manager for 20 years and if they let
us work, we could at least teach the primary levels.”

–An asylum seeker

Some refugees want to gain qualifications from
college or university for their career, but
information for affordable and eligible
education is very complicated and limited
48
fi
ne – Analysis #14
Insight 6
Unmet needs
Access to
information for
free supports
Quotes

”I helped one or two people to get into university but…
with a lot of difficulties. […] You need the university to
have willingness to cover the fee, you need course
administrative to help you apply, help your
qualification is appropriate and talk through weird
processes you have.”

–A charity worker

.”They have the same right as Scottish people to go to
university […] but they don’t understand the time
scale of applying university, they need to meet English
requirement and meet all other requirements.”

–Employability o
ffi
cer at a charity

Some refugees want to have a better career, but
not understanding the work culture, job
market and job hunting process in the UK
prevents them from finding a desired job
49
fi
ne – Analysis #15
Insight 7
Unmet needs
Access to
information for
free supports
Quotes

”They want to go to college, they want to have a career
want a better life for themselves.”

–A charity worker

”One client has very high level of English has an IT
background, when he applied to a job, he passed the IT
technical assessment for 90%, but when it came to the
psychometric test, he scored very low, it was because of
his understanding of some words in terms of like team
working. It is not just because of the language, the
cultural aspect also comes in.”

–Employability o
ffi
cer at a charity

“People don’t know they have to show their qualification,
don’t know they are competing with people around the
UK who have local experience and local qualification”

–Employability o
ffi
cer at a charity

Refugees could be rejected by their CV despite
their right to work because employers don’t
know the differences between asylum seekers
and refugees, or the way to check the right to
work and not knowing the challenges they face
50
fi
ne – Analysis #16
Insight 8
Unmet needs
Employers
awareness of
recruiting
refugees
Quotes

“People will struggle because employees will either
reject their applications because they've been
stereotypes from the names.”

–A charity worker

“Sometimes, employers think refugees and asylum
seekers are the same because of the media…they
often use different terminology interchangeably”

–Employability o
ffi
cer at a charity

“Employers get confused because they don't know the
differences between asylum seekers and refugees, and
asylum seekers do not have the right to work”

–Employability o
ffi
cer at a charity

Opportunities Spotting
After
fi
nding insights from the analysis, I worked on
fi
nding opportunities
to identify factors making a better change. I particularly focused on
unmet needs, pain points and game changing factors that would bring
better change to consider how we could amplify them.

When spotting the area of opportunities, I considered those actors in the
opportunities to help me with
fi
nding clear proposals.

• Who could provide the opportunities?

• For whom the opportunity is?

51
fi
ne – Opportunity Spotting #1
Finding opportunities from the insights and game
changing factors
Insights

(Unmet needs,
Pain points)
Game changing
factors
Opportunities

How could Home O
ffi
ce change the policy
for asylum seekers – let them have the right
to work and provide information of
assistance or services?
Insight 1

The system is designed for people to physically survive for a
short term to avoid abuse of the system and not to be seen
as a bene
fi
t system, so it does not consider health
condition or cultural requirements, transportation fee and
their mental health
52
fi
Opportunity 1
For asylum seekers

How could local authorities provide
information for support with help of people
from the same culture and language?
Insight 2

Many asylum seekers require additional supports, but no information
for system help is provided when arrival even though they mostly
don't know anyone in the UK. Without information, It is hard to
improve their life conditions, especially for asylum seekers without
understanding English.
53
fi
Opportunity 2
For asylum seekers & refugees
Information
spreads by words
of mouth among
asylum seekers
“We(Home O
ffi
ce) don't o
ff
er a lot of
support but charities and local
authorities do pick up a lot of
additional support“ – Home O
ffi
ce

Insight 3

Some refugees want to learn English to access more information
and to be out of low-paid and/or down-skilled jobs, but it is di
ffi
cult
to access a
ff
ordable/free language classes without knowing some
English
54
fi
Opportunity 3
If they know some
English and have
access to ESOL,
they learn English
quickly
information for a
ff
ordable/free English
learning classes for non-English speakers in
their native language?
For asylum seekers & refugees without English skills
Opportunity 3

How could NHS or/and other organizations
provide mental health care in their native
language or with help of an interpreter,
especially for people su
ff
ering from PTSD?
Insight 4

Asylum seekers and refugees situation worsen their mental health
alongside PTSD, and access for mental care is limited especially in
their native language, taking away their power to integrate, work
and progress for a better life.
55
fi
Opportunity 4

How could NPO, local authorities or
charities provide volunteer opportunities
where they can develop or utilize their skills?
Insight 5

Some asylum seekers desire to feel independent, valued and
contribute through work because they do not have the right to work,
but it is hard to
fi
nd a place to do so even as a volunteer
56
fi
Opportunity 5
For asylum seekers
Some charities
provide
community, where
people can talk
and contribute

How could NPOs, charities or other
organisations provide career advice, such as
preparation for college and university and
employability training?
Insight 7

Some refugees want to gain quali
fi
cations from college or university
for their career, but information for a
ff
ordable and eligible education
is very complicated and limited
57
fi
Opportunity 6
For refugees
Some charities and
NPO provides
employability supports
and application
supports for education
Insight 6

Some refugees want to have a better career, but not understanding
working culture, job market and job hunting process in the UK
preventing them from
fi
nding a desired job

How could someone provide awareness and
learning opportunities for employers to let
them understand their right to work, the
hiring process and their challenges?
Insight 8

Refugees could be rejected by their CV despite their right to work
because employers don’t know the di
ff
erences between asylum
seekers and refugees, or the way to check the right to work and not
knowing the challenges they face
58
fi
Opportunity 7
For refugees

Decide the Focus Opportunity Area
1. What opportunity could increase a possibility of having a desired career when they become refugees?

2. What opportunity is the most impactful?

3. What opportunity is more feasible?

• Who could provide the service?

• What are the conditions when implementing the service?
59
fi
ne –

Decide the Focus Opportunity Area #1
De
fi
ne Conditions to Prioritise Opportunities
After
fi
nding opportunities, I prioritised them by those conditions below:
Why those conditions?

The aim of the project is bringing a meaningful careers, so it needs to have a strong connection and impact with their professional careers and
interests. Considering the time for the project, I decided to focus on more feasible opportunities.

These are three opportunities that I decided not to focus in this project:
60
fi
ne – Decide the Focus Opportunity Area #2
Low Priority Opportunities
Opportunity 7

How could someone provide
awareness and learning opportunities
for employers to let them understand
their right to work, the hiring process
and their challenges?
For refugees
Opportunity 1

How could Home O
ffi
ce change the
policy for asylum seekers – let them
have the right to work and provide
information of assistance or services?
For asylum seekers
Low feasibility and less impactful

• It is not feasible in the time of the
project to engage with employers
in the UK

• The project itself can provide an
indirect awareness so it would be
more impactful to focus on other
opportunities

Low feasibility

• Home O
ffi
ce wants to make asylum
policies stricter. To humanize the
process, we need to change the
mindset of authorities, and/or
in
fl
uence society. Further, I need to
conduct more research about
assumptions that people are
abusing the system.

Opportunity 4

How could NHS or/and other
organizations provide mental health
care in their native language or with
help of an interpreter, especially for
people su
ff
ering from PTSD?
Low feasibility

• NHS does not provide enough
mental care in the UK, even to its
citizens.

• Mental health care should be given
in their native language, whether
by an interpreter or by having a
native speaker counsellor.

After discarding those three opportunities, I mapped the challenges that asylum seekers are facing from arrival in the country through becoming
refugees and afterwards. I considered which challenge(s) could be more impactful for the future scenario of their life, and increase the
possibility of having meaningful employment.
61
fi
Decide Focus Area by Comparing Pain Points
Asylum seekers Refugees
Don’t know

what supports are

existing in the area
Limited access

to the information

without understanding English
Don’t know

how to apply to

universities or college
Don’t know

the working culture and

job hunting process in the UK
Don’t know where they can

get assistance

for applying to university and

employability training
Time
Limited access

to English classes

without understanding

English
Worsen their

mental health
Hard to
fi
nd a place

to contribute and

learn skills
The most impactful area
The timeline of challenges from asylum seekers to refugees

From this map, I found that “providing information about support in the
way they can understand” is the most impactful area. Once they know
supports that are existing, stakeholders could provide supports they
need, such as English learning, volunteer and skill developing
opportunities, university application help, and employability training. This
can help mitigate their mental health distress.

After
fi
nding the main focus area, I picked the opportunity that related
the most.
62
fi
Provide information in the way

they can acknowledge
Limited access

to the information

without understanding
English
Don’t know

what supports are

existing in the area

Focus Opportunity:

For asylum seekers and refugees

information for support with help of people
from the same culture and language?

Understanding the Opportunity Area
After deciding on the opportunity area, I started ideating some possible proposals that could make a change. To have a clear concept, I asked
myself these questions: for whom and why I am designing, what do I want to do, and what could be possible barriers and touch points?
65
Phase 3 Deliver – Understanding the Opportunity Area
For whom am I designing and why?

Mainly for asylum seekers, who don’t know the
system, don’t know what supports are existing in
the city, might not have SIM cards or phones yet,
and don’t understand English very well.

What could be barriers when providing
the service?

They may not understand English, not know
where they can go to meet their needs, not have
a phone or/and SIM card and not trust the
information
What do I want to do through the service?

Provide locations where asylum seekers and
refugees can gain and share information about
support (e.g. free food, free English course etc) in
the area they are living.

Where could be touch points with asylum
seekers?

Initial accommodation centre or hotel, and
Home O
ffi
ce accommodation, according to BMP
(2022)

Concept
66
Phase 3 Deliver – Concept
From those conditions, I generated a concept by thinking of the context, rationale, objective and innovation of the idea.
Innovation

This service helps asylum seekers access the
information they need without requiring any initial
knowledge.
Objective

Improving their life and be more close to their
ideal careers when they get refugee status by
breaking the barriers of language and access
to information
Rationale

The point of the system:

• Amplifying the phenomenon that information is shared
among asylum seekers by word of mouth

• Information is shared among all asylum seekers in the
area by informing about the service from a local
authority as an initial step

• Asylum seekers and refugees can see who shared the
information so that they can trust the source

• They can search locations by their needs, enabling
them to
fi
nd a place that meets their needs
Context

For new asylum seekers arriving in the UK, It is hard
to survive with the money provided by Home O
ffi
ce,
so they need further help. However, they don’t know
anyone in the area, don’t know the language, and
don’t know the system. The concept of the service is
to provide a space where asylum seekers and
refugees can share information about support, such
as ESOL classes, food banks and communities in the
area they live.
Concept

After de
fi
ning the concept, I brainstormed some possible ideas from the
opportunity. I began with ideating multiple ideas since it would be better
to have many options to
fi
nd an innovative proposal.

When I consider their accessibility to reach the information, clarity to
understand the language barrier, and renewability of the system, I
decided to test the ideas of a physical/digital map (via mobile or kiosk),
community and a review website.
67
Phase 3 Deliver – Ideation
Ideations
Possible Ideas

• Physical map

• Digital map

• A bulletin board

• A kiosk

• Review website

• Community

• Podcast channel

• YouTube channel

From the ideation, I came up with three ideas; providing a digital/
physical map, a review website and volunteers.

Afterwards, I tested each idea with stakeholders and participants of the
workshop through a questionnaire and in-person interviews. The test
was conducted to understand if there are any missing barriers, the idea
is accessible, clear and valuable to asylum seekers and refugees.
68
Phase 3 Deliver – Concept Development #1
Survey to test the ideas
Concept Development
Testing Possible Ideas

69
Idea 1: Digital & Physical Map
I designed an app which includes a map that indicates where
refugees and asylum seekers can get help.
Imagine, you are an asylum seeker. You receive a letter with a
map informing you of places where you can get free Wi
fi
, SIM
card or/and a free phone. The map also contains locations
where you can get food, learn English and have advice for
integration. Once you get a phone, you can download the app
through an URL or QR code on the map. The map is written in a
few languages (English, Arabic, Pashto and Spanish).

You download the app where you can
fi
nd further information
about places where you can get free support. You can use the
app in a few languages (English, Arabic, Pashto and Spanish). If
you pick what you want, some locations will show up on the
map

e.g.) you pick "I want food" then some food banks will show up on
the map. In the app, you can request your needs, and you can
add locations you recommend through the app. you can see
who reccommeded and liked that place as well.

70
Idea 2: Review Website
The second idea is a review website where refugees and
asylum seekers can write reviews of locations and services.
The goal is to enable asylum seekers and refugees to share
valuable information with each other.
In the website, you can
fi
nd categories of your needs.

e.g.) you pick "I want food" then some food banks will show up on
the website

you can request your needs and add locations that you
recommend. you can also see who recommended and liked the
place. you can post a review as well.

71
Idea 3: Volunteers Providing and Sharing Information
Final idea is that a local authority recruits volunteers consisting of
refugees and asylum seekers, and the volunteers provide information
on support for new asylum seekers. The volunteers learn that
information from the local authority.
Imagine, you are an asylum seeker just moved to the UK. The
volunteers regularly come to your accommodation (hotel or
initial accommodation centre you stay). They know locations and
services where asylum seekers can gain supports, so when
you ask your needs, they provide information.

e.g.) you ask where you can
fi
nd halal food then the volunteer
tells you where you can
fi
nd it.

From testing the ideas, I found that people prefer a digital map over a
review website as it is more intuitive. Also, I found new perspectives
about mobile phones and signals. They said “most asylum seekers have
a phone” but “Maybe some people don't have a signal, network,
smartphone or don't know how to download and use the app”. So that
“Wi-
fi
information could be useful.” They also mentioned the possibility
that people might not know how to go there because the bus system
might be complicated. As a new feature, charity sta
ff
wanted to post
locations. Further, some people suggested that “The volunteer idea is
great and can cover all the other items, volunteers can bring the map
and install the app for asylums”. I noticed that an initial accommodation
centre or a hotel can be a touch point with all new asylum seekers. As
a result, I combined all those feedback to develop a concept and
generated a new idea.
72
Findings from testing the ideas
No signal,
network, and
phone
Not knowing
transportation
Idea 1

Digital/Physical

Map
Might
need help
Charities
want to add
locations
Developing New Idea
Feedbacks to Idea1
Idea 3

Volunteers

Proposal
73
Phase 3 Deliver – Proposal #1
From the concept and testing ideas, I designed a service where
asylum seekers and refugees can share information by using a
digital map with help of volunteers consisting of asylum seekers and
refugees.

I designed a digital map where asylum seekers and refugees can
gain and share information about support (e.g. free food, free
English courses etc) in the area they are living. Local charities and
NPOs can also add location.
As an initial touch point with new asylum seekers, let volunteers go
to an initial accommodation centre or a hotel so that asylum
seekers can ask questions and volunteers can also inform them of
the app. The volunteers are recruited by a local council, consisting
of asylum seekers and refugees to be trusted by new asylum
seekers.
Asylum seekers
Local authority
Refugees
Recruits and trains volunteers
Inform of the local services
and the digital map
Share and gain

Information
Share and gain

Information
Share
Information
Informs of the app
Inform of
the app
Provide service information on “needs”

e.g.) Food, Community and English learning
Digital map
Charities and NPOs
Volunteers
Service Model

74
I came from Syria to
fi
nd a safer place and I claimed asylum when
arrived in the UK. After the screening interview with Home O
ffi
ce, I
moved to Glasgow.

I am housed in the initial accommodation centre, where I stay until the
housing contractor
fi
nds Home o
ffi
ce accommodation for me.
At least, I brought a mobile phone to contact my family. but I don't have
a SIM card, so I have to
fi
nd it and also need to know the place
providing free Wi-Fi.
Storytelling

75
Although, I don't know anything about the area, and living on a small
amount of money is really hard...
A few days later, some volunteers come to the accommodation. They
told me that they are also asylum seekers or refugees, and do
volunteer at the local council.

76
Thanks to their help, I could go to a charity on the map and I got a SIM
card. Now, I am able to access to internet!
They give me a map of the area and told me where I can
fi
nd free Wi-Fi
and SIM card. They also told me how to take a bus to the location. I
was worried about taking a bus because I had no idea about the
transportation system in Glasgow.

The app includes a map informing me of locations where I can get
support, such as free food, English class and community. the
volunteers told me how to use the app, so I did not get confused!
77
A Few days later, the volunteers came to my accommodation again,
and they told me about an app for asylum seekers and refugees.

The app helps me a lot as I can
fi
nd support in the area. without this
app and help provided by local communities, I would su
ff
er from
poverty, feel depressed and isolated.
78
The map is very intuitive, and a good part of this app is that I can see
the information in my language and I can search locations by inputting
my needs, such as "I want food". I did not know what was food bank, so
I would not have known the place if I had to search for the place by the
word "food bank" on Google Map.

79
Search locations by

your “needs”
Request your “needs”
Add details of locations

Name of the place, address,
phone number, transportation,
transportation fee support and
“needs”
See who posted

the location
• Through the service, they can reach
information in the early stage of their
journey in a way they can understand

• They can share and gain the knowledge
they need from credible sources, without
having to know the language and the
system

• Charities and NPOs can add their
information on the digital map so
information is delivered quickly and
e
ffi
ciently

• It provides volunteer opportunities for
refugees and asylum seekers, that help the
integration of asylum seekers additionally
creating feelings of contribution and value
for them.
Volunteers
The aim of this service is to let asylum seekers
and refugees share information by using a
digital map with the help of a team of volunteers
made of asylum seekers and refugees.
Language options

English, Arabic, Pashto and
Spanish
Service Details

80
Phase 3 Deliver – Impact #1
The key impact of this service is the improvement of their living conditions and learning opportunities by “sharing information”
amongst asylum seekers, refugees, NPOs and charities. Once asylum seekers start getting the information they need, it might
also help improve their mental health. After some time, they can keep gaining and providing information through the app even
after becoming refugees. As a future scope, I aspire to develop it into a digital space providing more useful information for
refugees as well, such as college application assistance and employability training.
Impact
Share

information
Refugee
Improvement of

Living conditions
Further learning

opportunities
Might help

Improve mental
health
Asylum seeker
Refugees
Charities
Asylum
seekers
Value of the Digital Map and Volunteers for Asylum Seekers and Refugees

81
Feedback from stakeholders and asylum seekers
It is a good idea, could be better than
Google Map

– ESOL teacher
I believe it can help lots of people,

thanks for this idea

– An asylum seeker
Volunteer is interesting and people won’t
suffer from confusing

– An asylum seeker
“

“

“


The system focuses on improving “networks” on the Doughnut model
proposed by Kate Raworth, which is below the level of social foundation,
especially for asylum seekers. In other words, the app enables asylum
seekers and refugees to gain information more easily by using
“networks”. That would also help them gain other basic human needs
below the social foundation, such as food, health, education, social
equality, political voice and income & work.
As you can see, each factor of basic human needs is interconnected to
each other. To gain more options for “income & work”, they need other
basic human needs, and the improvement of the networks is a starting
point for improving these needs.
The project is focusing on a very small part of the society, but it helps
people outside of the Doughnut by bringing them over the social
foundation, where there is “the safe and just space for humanity”.
82
Impact to Society
The Doughnut of social and planetary boundaries (DEAL, 2022)

Re
fl
ection
It was the
fi
nal project I could work on as a student. I re
fl
ect on three topics I learned.

It was the
fi
rst time for me not to be allowed to have a direct approach to the people I was researching. It made me
think about how I could understand their unmet needs, pain points and dilemmas without interviewing them. My
approach was observation, talking with stakeholders and asking stories about refugees and asylum seekers,
investigating online resources where I can hear their voices, and conducting a workshop under the supervision of a
gatekeeper. It took a lot of time to analyze all the data since gatekeepers have a great deal of information, but I
found that talking with them is a good way to quickly
fi
nd credible stories from di
ff
erent perspectives.

At the beginning of planning the workshop, I thought it would be a bit risky, but the gatekeeper helped me by co-
designing the workshop, and it turned out to be a great way to safely interact with asylum seekers and hear their
direct voices without pushing them to talk. Although, I would like to plan more carefully for the next time by including
other gatekeepers like a phycologist, to make it a safer space.
During the research, I sometimes felt hopeless, as I was focused on
fi
nding di
ffi
culties. From the advice from tutors, I
learned the importance of focusing on positivities in the project. If the designer could not
fi
nd positivity, it is hard to
make a positive change. I also noticed the value of
fi
nding areas where I can make a change, instead of trying to
fi
x
all the problems.
84
Conclusion – Re
fl
ection #1
Ethics and Collaboration with Stakeholders
Mindset As a Service Designer

When I see the situation of asylum seekers and refugees by using the framework of Doughnut Economics, I found
their social foundation is not satis
fi
ed. As far as I understand from this project, it is mainly because of two reasons.
First is the law, making them not allowed to earn money by work. The other is capitalism, making people gain fewer
opportunities if they don’t have money.
Through this project, I also reacknowledged that laws re
fl
ect the voice of the majority although the world is
becoming more diverse as a consequence of the development of technology and globalisation. To change the law,
we need to bring awareness to society and change the voice of the majority whilst considering the risk of changing
the law. If we cannot change the law immediately, what we can do is change the situation caused by capitalism and
the law. In this project, it was designing a system to provide help and share knowledge. In other words, this project
could raise awareness, could change the stigma caused by ignorance and media. Moreover, it implies possibilities to
provide more opportunities without money and help people integrate into society.

This project is one example of social issues. However, I learned from this project that to change society, we need to
bring acknowledgement until it a
ff
ects a system or structure in society. I believe designing services to bring a better
change within the system is one of the ways to make a slight but better change in the situation, and raise awareness
at the same time.

Last but not least, I hope that I could continue on make a better change for society as a service designer.
85
Conclusion – Re
fl
ection #2
Service Design for Society

Reference list
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BREAKING BARRIERS. (2018) Barriers to employment. [Online] Available from: https://breaking-barriers.co.uk/the-cause/refugee-employment-
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DOUGHNUT ECONOMICS ACTION LAB. (2022) What is the Doughnut?. [Online] Available from: https://doughnuteconomics.org/tools/11.
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ickr.com/photos/sylviaduckworth/50500299716/in/
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86
Conclusion – Reference List #1

GREAT BRITAIN. HOME OFFICE. (2022b) Immigration statistics, year ending December 2021. [Online] Available from: https://www.gov.uk/
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RAWORTH, K. (2014) Why it's time for 'Doughnut Economics’. [Online Video] Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BHO
fl
zxPjI.

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TED-Ed. (2016) What does it mean to be a refugee? - Benedetta Berti and Evelien Borgman. [Online Video] Available from: https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=25bwiSikRsI. [Accessed: 18th August 2022].

MYERS, C. (2018) How To Find Your Ikigai And Transform Your Outlook On Life And Business. [Online] Available from: https://www.forbes.com/
sites/chrismyers/2018/02/23/how-to-
fi
nd-your-ikigai-and-transform-your-outlook-on-life-and-business/?sh=11c8cd
fb
2ed4. [Accessed: 18th August
2022].

UNHCR. (2010) Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees. [Online] Available from: https://www.unhcr.org/3b66c2aa10.html.

UNHCR. (2016) The 1951 Refugee Convention. [Online] Available from: https://www.unhcr.org/uk/1951-refugee-convention.html. [Accessed: 18th
August 2022].

UNHCR. (2021) UN Refugee Agency releases 2022 resettlement needs. [Online] Available from: https://www.unhcr.org/uk/news/press/
2021/6/60d32ba44/un-refugee-agency-releases-2022-resettlement-needs.html. [Accessed: 18th August 2022].

UNHCR. (2022) Asylum in the UK. [Online] Available from: https://www.unhcr.org/asylum-in-the-uk.html. [Accessed: 18th August 2022].
87
Conclusion – Reference List #2

Acknowledgements
I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my tutor Dr. Iain Reid as well
as all sta
ff
members from the Glasgow School of Art who made time for me and
provided me with some great feedback and advice.

Also, I would like to thank all the interviewees and participants of my workshop who
helped me with my research.

Last but not least, I would like to thank my classmates and friends Mariana Acosta,
Kano Hashida and Junqiao Liu who helped run my workshop, and my friends who
supported me.

Thanks again to all who helped me.

22nd August, 2022

Keiko Okura
88
Acknowledgements

Story 1 – From Fleeing to Becoming a Refugee
The 1951 Refugee Convention (UNHCR, 2016)
Definition of a Refugee from UN’s 1951
Convention

UNHCR (2010) indicated that “A refugee,
according to the Convention, is someone who
is unable or unwilling to return to their
country of origin owing to a well-founded
fear of being persecuted for reasons of race,
religion, nationality, membership of a
particular social group, or political opinion.”
Appendix 1
Appendix – Appendix 1 #1

Flee from their country
Refugee camp
Entering the UK and request
asylum
Screening Interview
Housed in initial
accommodation centers or
hotel
Housed in Home O
ffi
ce
accommodation
Become asylum seekers
Until Becoming Asylum Seekers

According to Ted-ED(2016), The journey of becoming an asylum seeker starts with escaping.
When they are forced to flee their country for the reasons in the definition, the departure
can be sudden and unexpected so they often do not have the required documentation to
legally enter other countries. Since most of them have to travel by land or sea, most refugee
journeys are long and dangerous with limited access to shelter, water or food.

Ted-ED(2016) also indicated that some people first stop at a refugee camp usually run by
United Nations Refugee Agency or local governments after a long journey. It is intended to
be a short-term shelter until they can safely return home, be integrated into the host
country, or resettle in another country. But so many refugees are left with no choice but to
remain in camps for years or even longer. Although, UNHCR (2022) indicated that some
people at camps identified as vulnerable people by UNHCR could have a chance to apply for
resettlement under UK schemes (UKRS). However, only “1,587 people granted protection
through resettlement schemes in 2021” (Great Britain Home Office, 2022).

According to Great Britain Home Office (2014), once they enter the UK, they apply for asylum
and have “Screening interview”. The case is allocated to the Home Office decision-making
team and during waiting for their decision, they are recognised as an asylum seeker.
They are not officially recognised as a refugee until they pass “Asylum interview” with
Home Office, and the application has been accepted by Home Office. It takes 19
months on average until having the interview, according to the interview Home Office.

Asylum Interview
Live with £5/day,

no right to work
19 months later on average
Gain refugee status
Allowed to live and work
Pay rent and
fi
nd a job
Until becoming refugees

According to UNHCR (2022), When they are asylum seekers, they do not have the right to
work in the UK, and gain only £39.63 per person, per week, which can barely cover the
transportation costs. They are also housed in a Home Office accommodation, which may
be far away from the city centre without furniture and cooking equipment, with a fear that
they might be sent back to their countries, evidenced by short interviews with charity
workers.

After gaining refugee status

After they officially gain refugee status, they “have the right to work as soon as you have
been granted refugee or Humanitarian Protection status in the UK”(Great Britain, Home
Office, 2019). Also, they are “given permission to stay in the UK for 5 years.”(Great Britain,
Home Office, 2014). Also, “After 5 years, you can apply to settle in the UK” (Great Britain,
Home Office, 2014). but they can no longer receive support from the government, so they
have to pay rent and find a job to survive. Not only that, they still have many challenges
and barriers.

Story 2– Story of Asylum Seeker
Finally, I arrived in Glasgow and I claimed asylum. so, I am here as an asylum seeker until I have an asylum
interview and then Home Office makes the decision whether I would be given refugee status or not.

After staying at a hotel for a few weeks, Home office provided accommodation for me, but it is far from the
city centre and not furnished... I need to take two buses to go to the city centre but I have to survive with
£5/day, which is money provided by Home Office because working is illegal for asylum seekers.

Also, No information is provided by anyone... I don't know anything about the city...I don't know how
to get medical care, what kind of support the city has and who lives here because no information is
provided in my language. I don't know anyone here and who to ask for help and where to go.

I flee from my home country for my own safety... I am still very traumatised from the memory back in
my home country. I don't know anyone here and miss my family but I have to wait until I gain
refugee status.
Appendix 2

(1 month has passed…)

It is quite impossible to survive with £5/day...I cannot afford transportation so I cannot go anywhere,
and I can't find halal food. All I can do is just survive with unhealthy food and just stuck at home. I
feel so depressed and lonely and I can't stop crying even though I hate to feel sad.

(3 months have passed…)

Luckily, I met an asylum seeker who speak both English and my language. He said there is a charity that
provides some support such as food banks, English classes and some events for asylum seekers but I
can't even communicate with them without understanding English, so I don't know if I can use the
support, but I should go. If I have not met this guy, I would just be stuck at home and get depressed
with poverty.

(5 months have passed…)

I really wish I could work. I just rely on charities and the government, I cannot control anything, which
makes me feel like not a person. I miss the time when I had a job, was independent, felt valued and
contributed.

But I need to wait for the asylum interview, other asylum seekers told me that it takes almost 2 years. I
know some asylums working illegally, but police would treat them badly if they find it out, and it is too
dangerous. It is impossible to have this horrible life for 2 years and I don't even know if I can get
refugee status.

Two years have passed since I arrived in the UK. Finally, I get the paper. I gained refugee status. I can work
but I have to look for a job.

Although, I cannot speak English... as I did not have opportunities to learn it. so I have to do a job which
does not require language.

Two months later…

Luckily, I met a refugee working for a restaurant. Most people there speak my language, and my job is
washing dishes at the restaurant, so I don't have to speak and understand English. I feel relieved in
the way that I can work and will have income. but the job is really tiring and not a well-paid job... I
wish I could have a skilled job like I used to do back in home, but I had no choice to earn more
money.

Four months later

I mostly talk with my colleagues, so I don't use English that much. It is nice to have someone I can talk to
in my language, but I feel isolated from society. I wish I could have a better job but I need to learn
English. Although, I cannot afford it and I don't know where I can learn English for free.
Appendix – Appendix 3
Story 3 – Story of Refugees without Language Skills
Appendix 3

Two years have passed since I arrived in the UK. Finally, I get the paper. I gained refugee status. I can work
but I have to look for a job.

I used to be an engineer in my home country, but my qualification is not recognised in the UK. I want to
work as an engineer again so I need to go to a university or college for that, but I don't know how to
apply to universities and don't know how to manage the financial difficulties.

(A Few months later…)

Luckily, a staff member at the charity helped me with applying to universities. I did not know any process
of applying for universities, not knowing which university is eligible with my background, the
universal credit I could gain from the government for university, and some scholarships I could apply
for, such as SAAS funding. I still need to do a part-time job to cover some living costs, but I could work
on it. Without meeting the staff who helped me with everything in-person, I could not have
found the way to go to the university. I wish other refugees who want to study can also gain
support.
Story 4 – Story of Refugees with Language Skills - 1
Appendix 4

Four years have passed since I arrived in the UK. I was rejected once, but finally, I get the paper. I gained
refugee status. I can work but I have to look for a job.

It seems I can look for a job in the UK. I don't know how to find a job but the government provides me
with a job like my home country did to me?

A few days later, one refugee told me that I have to apply for a job. I used to work for a furniture shop so I
know the job. but what is CV? I applied for so many jobs, but I don't get a reply from most
companies...Is it racism?

Finally, I got an opportunity for an interview. I didn't know that the job market is that competitive.
During the interview, the interviewer asked me about team working and conflict with a team
member. I talked about physically working together with colleagues for a construction job, and I
experienced conflict in my home country because of the war. But the interviewer seemed to be shocked.
Why?
Story 5 – Story of refugees with language skills - 2
Appendix 5

Meaningful Career for Refugees - Keiko Okura_Stage 3 PPJ.pdf

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