Refugee hopes to study at Oxford University after ignoring advice to settle for job at Pizza Hut

Adam Yasir now advocates for young people from underprivileged backgrounds to have better access to higher education

Adam Yasir is currently awaiting news regarding his application to study for a masters degree at Oxford University (Instagram)

A Sudanese refugee who fled his home country for Britain as a child was told he would be better off working at Pizza Hut instead of pursuing higher education.

Adam Yasir, now 30 and living in Thornton Heath, Croydon, chose to ignore the advice of his social workers and now advocates for young people from underprivileged backgrounds to have better access to higher education.

He is currently awaiting news from the University of Oxford regarding his application to study for a masters degree – to add to his first masters and undergraduate diplomas.

Mr Yasir was just 15 years old when he was smuggled into the UK to avoid being recruited to join the Sudanese militia.

He made the “terrifying” and dangerous journey alone to Britain, where he was unable to speak the language.

In an interview with MyLondon, he said: “My uncle said you are going to be in a safer place, if I stayed the militia would recruit me.

“I was smuggled out from there, I didn’t really know much about the journey. I reflected back on it during my teenage years and tried to connect the dots. I remember going through France and on to the UK. It was terrifying.

“I have contact with some of my family, most of the male part of my family left the region to other places including Chad, Uganda and South Sudan. On my mum’s side of the family most are in refugee camps.”

Upon arriving in Britain, Mr Yasir was placed in a children’s home in Croydon and educated at a centre run by the Refugee Council where he learnt English before going to Croydon College.

He was determined to get a good education despite a lack of encouragement from those around him, including his “corporate parent”, Surrey County Council.

“One of the social workers kept asking me ‘why do you want to study?’, they said ‘why don’t you go and work at Pizza Hut?’,” he continued.

“I wanted to do [more than that] for a lot of people from my family who didn’t have that opportunity, that is the privilege of accessing education. I am passionate and eager to learn new things.

“I had every reason not to pursue education but I didn’t give up.”

Mr Yasir was later accepted to study at Goldsmiths University aged 18 but was unable to take up the offer because his asylum claim was rejected by the Home Office.

Refusing to give up his dream of going to university, he spent 18 months challenging the case until he was finally granted asylum.

He went on to study international politics and development at East London University and then a masters in human rights and international relations at Roehampton University.

In 2018 he set up the 3E Scholarship Scheme to help young people affected by the Grenfell Tower fire to attend university on free scholarships.

He said his time living in the care system led him to become an advocate for young people who were in a similar situation as his.

Describing his time in care, he said: “It was really tough, I had six homes within three years. You were moved with your belongings in plastic bin bags, it was traumatic.

“I find young people, particularly from BAME communities, become statistics in the care system. Advocacy work is rewarding, to be able to make it easier for young people to get justice.”