Video helps young people prepare for an appeal before the Council for Alien Litigation
Are you a guardian, supporter, teacher, counsellor, or trusted adult working with young people going through an asylum procedure? This video offers an accessible insight into the appeal procedure tailored to young people, and is therefore a valuable tool.
What does a courtroom look like? Who is present? And where can you go for support after a hearing? These are questions many underage asylum seekers ask themselves when they lodge an appeal against a negative decision on their asylum application. In this video, available in seven languages (Dutch, French, Arabic, Dari, English, Pashto, and Spanish), Tariq, Sadia and Danish show step by step what young people can expect during their appeal procedure. They also share where they found support during this often overwhelming period.
The video is intended not only for young people themselves, but also for guardians, lawyers, staff in reception centres, teachers, host families, friends or neighbours. It can be watched together as a tool to explain the procedure, make it easier to discuss, and support the young person.
Sara Lembrechts created the video as part of her doctoral research in migration law at Ghent University. She witnessed first-hand how underage asylum seekers encounter obstacles during the procedure: “Children and young people on the move have the right to a child-friendly asylum procedure,” Lembrechts says. “Accessible, accurate and recognisable information is an essential part of that, as is a supportive network that helps them understand and process that information.”
Young people who had themselves experienced a hearing before an asylum judge were involved in all phases of the production. The video was produced in collaboration with researcher Ellen Van Vooren, filmmaker Camille Ghekiere, the production company Het Bataljon, Ghent University, the Council for Alien Litigation and the children’s arts centre De Kopergietery.
