Teenage refugees in school 'no man's land', report says

Thousands of teenage asylum seekers are thought to be spending up to a year out of education in a "no man's land" because schools are reluctant to accept them if they arrive after September, a report warns.

- Rachel Hall

Teenage asylum seekers are seen as too old to be easily integrated into mainstream schooling and too young for further education, leaving many stuck in a limbo that leaves them vulnerable to isolation, mental health deterioration and exploitation, according to research conducted by the charity Refugee Education UK (REUK) and funded by the Bell Foundation, an education charity.

While all teenagers are affected, those who struggle most are aged 15 to 17 and looking to enter year 11, when peers are preparing for GCSEs.

One charity worker told the researchers that "[young] people particularly unaccompanied young people are particularly vulnerable to victimisation, trafficking and exploitation" as a result.