Moritz is a 22-year-old gay man, originally from Iran. He claimed asylum in the UK just after he turned 18. He accessed Micro Rainbow’s support throughout his wait for asylum, between 2020 and 2023. Since getting his refugee status, his life has completely changed. Here, he talks about the support he accessed from Micro Rainbow, and how that helped set him up for building a life in the UK. You can read his story below:
Accessing support
I first accessed Micro Rainbow’s support in 2020. I had just applied for asylum and was feeling lost and lonely. My lawyer signposted me to Micro Rainbow, and very soon I was able to attend social inclusion events and moving on workshops.
Some of the most useful workshops I attended were part of the employability programme. I attended sessions on job searching – learning about Glassdoor, Indeed and other places where jobs are advertised. There were sessions on how to put together a CV, expected salaries for different kinds of roles, and I learned about the shortage occupation list.
Waiting for status and to build my life
In total, I waited over three years to get my refugee status. I don’t know if this length of time was because of the pandemic, or whether people always wait that long. It was hard to wait that long, from age 18 to 21 I was stuck, not really able to progress or move on with my life. Micro Rainbow’s events helped me to stay occupied, and to prepare me for getting my status.
I volunteered to stay busy – as it was still the pandemic, I volunteered for the NHS, stewarding at vaccination centres. I also volunteered for the London Fire Brigade, answering calls, and learning about fire prevention. I got some useful retail experience working in a charity shop too – this certainly helped me secure my first paid role.
I did start university, but I dropped out after a year. I was studying hospitality management, and in the end, I felt it would be better to get real life experience: doing the job instead of writing essays about it! University did help me find some new friends though! During my wait, I also did some translating for other Iranians in the Micro Rainbow community, helping them get their documents together for their own interviews.
Finding roles as a refugee
I think that being a refugee has held me back a bit with some jobs, but not with hospitality and retail roles. When I go to job interviews, at the point when they ask for my proof of right to work, I show them my travel document and they usually don’t notice that it’s not actually a British passport. Now I have experience, it’s not a problem finding these kinds of roles. However, it’s my dream to work as cabin crew, on the Eurostar, or as a pilot. When it comes to jobs like those, you need to undergo five-year background checks on you, and as a refugee, this can be a bit more complicated.
In fact, I applied for a role at Heathrow recently, and they admitted that they had never actually hired anyone with a travel document. They are not sure of the processes and have to look into it the feasibility of hiring me. I really hope I am able to do this.
Support when I needed it
I am thankful that Micro Rainbow was there when I needed support and when I was building my life in the UK. It can be extremely lonely being an asylum seeker, and the regular events and activities helped me socially, and to learn new skills. In fact, I used the CV I prepared in a Micro Rainbow employability workshop to secure my first role after getting status! The support I was given by Micro Rainbow during my asylum claim, and immediately after getting status, meant that I was able to secure paid work as soon as I became a refugee.
