“Through the motivational advice I received from Asylum Access Thailand and from the knowledge I gained through the Bangkok Refugee Youth Club, I gained the courage to continue pursuing my dreams.

One of the eight accepted applicants was Asad himself. Several students took admissions tests for an online higher education degree program. In April of this year, BRYC conducted a workshop for refugees interested in university study, informing them of available programs and scholarship opportunities.

That’s when Asad joined the Bangkok Refugee Youth Club (BRYC), an AAT supported group that aims to expand education access for refugee youth through outreach, research and civic engagement. Still, a formal education is what Asad knew he needed to advance and provide his family with the life he thought they deserved. He began providing legal consultations to empower others in the Somali refugee community who faced similar challenges. He served as a community interpreter to help others access their potential, and gained legal skills in Thai and international law. That’s when he heard about Asylum Access Thailand (AAT), and in 2016 he began taking on leadership opportunities. Even when formal education wasn’t an option, he was determined to build his professional repertoire. “I was disappointed and wanted to give up on pursuing my studies.” Stripped of his legal identity, he was denied access to basic services like healthcare, employment and education. Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and thus does not recognize refugees’ rights, so Asad was considered an illegal migrant. Little did he know attending school would put him at risk of arrest and indefinite detention. And at age 20 he decided to flee for his own safety, leaving his wife and daughter behind in the only country they had ever known: Somalia.ĭreams in tow, he arrived in Thailand hoping to pursue his studies and better provide for his family. His prospects should have looked bright indeed.

With a thirst for knowledge and a gift for languages, including English, he dreamed of pursuing a university education. Asad graduated from high school at the top of his class.

How to get to the asylum in destiny