Refugees and asylum seekers who arrive in Northern Ireland at age 16 face significant barriers to continuing their education, with no automatic right to school or further education. The compulsory school age in Northern Ireland ends at 16, leaving older teenagers without legal entitlement to educational placement.

Mona, a 16-year-old from Gaza, came to Northern Ireland with her family expecting to resume her studies. In Gaza she had studied online because of the war. After initially attending a school in Coleraine, she has been unable to find a place since her family moved to Belfast. She plans to study nursing and eventually return to Gaza to help people there. "We are still children and we need education and support," she said.

Sara, 19, arrived from Sudan in 2024. She already had qualifications from Sudan, but when she tried to enrol in university to study medicine, she was told her qualifications were not sufficient and that she would need to gain the same qualifications as local students. She then waited a year for a place at a further education college to study A-levels.

Hani, 20, came from Iraqi Kurdistan at age 16. Her younger siblings could start school, but she could not. She registered for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes but had to wait two years for a place, delaying her entry into GCSE courses. She hopes to study business and marketing.

Hossam, 22, from Sudan, has been in Northern Ireland for three years. He said it is very hard to continue education and wants to combine business with fashion design.

All four young people have received some support from Anaka Women's Collective, a community organisation for asylum seekers. Anaka has called for a specialist education programme for those aged 16-24 arriving as asylum seekers and refugees.

A spokesperson for the Department for the Economy said further education provision is available to all eligible people aged 16 and over, including asylum seekers and refugees. They said 1,455 asylum seekers and refugees were enrolled in the further education sector in 2024/25. Free ESOL courses are offered at six regional colleges. The Department of Education has not yet commented.

The Northern Ireland Executive published a Refugee Integration Strategy in 2025, but it did not include specific commitments to improve education access for older teenagers.