I've just got back from an incredible 2 weeks travelling Morocco. I managed to squeeze in some impromptu filming and will start editing, just as soon as I've unpacked and had my daily fix of mint tea(!)

Spending two weeks away from home, and in such a different place really gets you thinking. And so, in the meantime, I wanted to share these two videos with you all:

Leaving it all behind:

Leaving Iraq

The videos are the cumulative result of a two month project run by the Refugee Council in London called SMILE. I was part of a group working with unaccompanied minors (under 18s) seeking asylum in the UK.

These are two stories of relative success, but for many it's an altogether different story. Fleeing war torn countries, leaving and often losing family members, the kids' trouble did not end just because they had arrived in the UK. Many faced gruelling interrogations and waited for months on end not knowing what the future would hold. 

Fortunately, the recent government announcement that 'that there should be an annual limit on the number of non-EU economic migrants admitted into the UK to live and work' has brought hope for many. The government has also promised to end the detention of children for immigration purposes. [See more here].

However, the problems faced by those seeking asylum, child or adult, in the UK and elsewhere are far from solved. This is just the beginning of a long and complex debate...

You can see more videos from the project by clicking here.  

Image courtesy of Travis Hodges