As refugee week draws to a close, the British Youth Council has questioned the government's treatment of young asylum seekers.

BYC has also highlighted social perceptions surrounding young refugees and asylum seekers, criticising "a culture that routinely vilifies refugees and asylum seekers".

Forum Response: British Youth Council

Abigail Page, Chair of BYC, said: "Life for young asylum seekers and refugees in the UK is hard, making them some of the most excluded people in British society.

"Obstacles to taking part in UK life are not just dealing with memories of arduous journeys or persecution. The barriers begin with the treatment young refugees and asylum seekers face due to government policies, and a culture that routinely vilifies refugees and asylum seekers.

"The British Youth Council and STAR (Student Action For Refugees) are bringing nearly 100 young people to Portcullis House in Westminster next week to discuss their concerns about immigration and asylum policy with a group of MPs. The Young People in Parliament event will see Labour's Karen Buck MP and Evan Harris MP for the Liberal Democrats debate the key issues with the audience of young people, which will include young refugees and asylum seekers."

Forum Response: National Youth Agency

The Chair of The National Youth Agency, the Right Reverend Bishop Roger Sainsbury, said, "It is time to take the lead in campaigning for justice and compassion for asylum seekers and refugees, coming into our country. A change in attitude is needed, to one of welcome, a concern for truth, understanding and a return to traditional British values of justice and compassion. This must be the basis of a European and UK Asylum and Immigration Policy."

"I was particularly dismayed by the findings in this week's Amnesty International commissioned survey which indicated that most young people's perceptions of asylum seekers and refugees are negative. This suggests that my personal experiences of young people in urban settings, who largely live peacefully alongside asylum seekers, are not mirrored around the rest of the country. Much more needs to be done to give young people the true facts about asylum seekers and refugees to counter the misinformation that currently prevails."