Refugee and asylum seeker support

Hampshire Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (Hampshire EMTAS) can offer advice and support to schools receiving asylum seeking and refugee children. This section aims to provide information for both parents and Hampshire LA schools. See below for an explanation of the terms asylum seeker and refugees.

Hampshire has relatively few refugee families. This means that many of them are isolated and very vulnerable. Schools will need to be flexible in their approach and provide a planned induction programme. This may be in conjunction with Hampshire Social Services if the child concerned is unaccompanied.

• Advice for schools - useful advice for schools: entitlement to schooling - government guidance; how Hampshire EMA Service can support
• Information for parents - advice and links (only in English at present)
• Information for unaccompanied children - link to downloadable booklet

Please note that government law and guidance regarding asylum seekers and refugees is under constant review. We will endeavour to keep you up to date with the changes.

Definition of terms asylum seeker and refugee

In most countries a person must apply for asylum before they are recognised as a refugee. An asylum seeker is someone who arrives in a new country and makes an asylum application. It is then up to the Government to decide if their claim meets the definition of a refugee, as below.

The 1951 United Nations Convention on Refugees defines a refugee as someone who has fled their country due to 'a well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion'.