What it’s like to be a refugee

Why did you come to the UK?

It's a very long story. I travelled through lots of other countries to get here, so it took me five days to get to England. I came to England alone - I was 14 and half years old at that time. I can't believe that I managed to get to the UK on my own.

How did you feel when you first arrived?

When I arrived in the UK, I did not know which country I was in. It was very strange - I felt lonely, and I did not know anyone at all.

What education did you have before coming to the UK?

I did not have a lot of education. I only had two and half years of education because my parents could not afford it, so I had to leave school and help them at home. Luckily when I started school in the UK there were some other Kosovan students who were very kind and showed me around, but I could not speak English so I was angry with myself.

Did you have any help with learning English?

Yes, I did have two hours a week help just learning English but of course that's not enough. I used to copy notes down and learn with picture books. When I went home I just went to my bedroom and studied for at least three to four hours a day, seven days a week, and that was for about nine months.

Did you find it difficult to make friends with the other kids at school?

At my first school there were some Albanian people so they introduced me to other students. In my second school I was bullied a lot because I was shy and I didn't want to miss a minute of my lessons. The other kids started hating me and I only had a few friends. It was very difficult, but now in the school I am in now I have lots of friends, and if they are horrible sometimes I just ignore them. I have changed school three times.

How different is school in the UK to your previous school?

There are lots of differences. Here in England everyone has the opportunity to get a good education, but in my country it's just if your parents are very rich and they can pay for all the books and so on.

What plans do you have for the future?

I am hoping to be allowed to stay in England permanently. After my GCSEs I want to go to IVth form and after that, university. If I can't manage to get the grades I hope to start my own business.

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