“Does anyone know I’m here?”

Children seeking asylum spend their formative years in a state of limbo; the painful wait for visas and the elusive promise of protection.

Arben’s journey is no exception. Now aged 23, he has spent eight years striving to seize opportunities and create a future.

“Looking back as a child seeking asylum I can see I was dealing with a lot. I learned to cope with stuff by myself. I couldn’t really talk to my parents about it. I knew they were dealing with their own issues and in my mind, they were bigger issues – money, food, jobs.” – Arben*

Arben faced multiple barriers with education. He was banned from school due to visa restrictions, losing precious days in his HSC preparation, then faced further anxiety with no path to University and no access to HECS.

“Being a child seeking asylum, you feel helpless a lot of the time. You watch your parents deal with a lot of stress – particularly financial stress – and you don’t know how to make it better. The lack of support from the government makes it even harder. There’s nothing keeping you from becoming homeless. It was tough to watch my parents go through that. “

It was Arben’s mother who brought him to the ASC. Our comprehensive services including housing assistance, healthcare, food, and employment support all played a pivotal role in improving Arben’s life and the lives of his family.

“The Asylum Seekers Centre was there for my whole family. When things were difficult for us, they gave us practical help. But also having a place where people accepted you, talked to you – that was important too.”

With the help of an ASC volunteer, Arben secured a scholarship at Macquarie University. Thanks to the support of people like you he has overcome many barriers and continues to seize opportunities to build the future he deserves.

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