Before you travel out of your home country, especially if it’s your first time, be rest assured that challenges will come. Challenges are part of the experience you would gather as a new arrival. The reason is that the UK is a different scene compared to where you are coming from.
Always be prepared to face any challenges that may come your way. Don’t be afraid, it’s an everyday occurrence. The UK is not the only place people face challenges; even in your home country, challenges may come at any time.
However, your ability to resolve the issues amicably makes you fit for the country. In this article, we will tell you how to overcome challenges in the UK as an African immigrant.
Here are the notable challenges faced by African immigrants in the UK and possible ways in which you can overcome them. Hop in with us!
1. Children seem not to be doing well.
This challenge may be evident even from their first week. As little as this sounds, this is part of what will be a bigger problem soon if it is not handled well. Kids who emigrate to the UK with their parents should be enrolled in school within the Country.
This is the way through which they will have an excellent education and a great future, and also they can socialize with their fellow children, which would make them adapt to the environment quickly.
However, depending on their age, they may struggle to do well in school in their early days. This is because the language may be a significant barrier hindering them from engaging in class like their classmates. As a result, they may struggle to learn or do well during examinations, even if they are brilliant.
How to overcome the challenge
- How to overcome this challenge is to look out for schools that have well trained teachers or assistant teachers who can handle your children’s situations perfectly well.
- Ensure that the children are kept in a class below 30, and any school that has a class that is more than 30 is not good for them because other Students might make those children not get the attention they need.
- Once you do these, your children will blend with the foreign culture and start performing well in no time.
2. Language Barrier
Another challenge faced by African immigrants in the UK is the Language barrier. Before now, you already know that the UK is an English-speaking country, and English remains their formal language.
So, being unable to speak English In the Country, not just English, excellent English, or not getting a good grade on your GCSEs and A-level can be a significant setback and even hinder your employment.
How To Overcome The Language Barrier
- To overcome this Language barrier, make sure that you learn how to speak English at home or plan to enroll in an English class immediately after you arrive in the UK.
- You can still live in the UK while learning the English language. And you can as well have someone to interpret for you in extreme cases.
3. Unemployment
Unemployment is one of the biggest challenges that African Immigrants face in the UK. As we talked about the challenge that children face earlier, it could be predictive and will eventually go away with time.
However, parents do find it challenging to get a job when they first come to the UK; this is because they are new to the system and know nothing about it. They usually don’t even have a house or family already residing in the country.
They are also left with little money or job prospects, and compelled migrants are often forced to do menial jobs to provide for their families. In the UK, employment law is stricter, making it hard for them to secure a good job.
How to overcome this challenge
- To avoid this scenario, before you migrate to the UK, make sure that you secure a job from a reputable company where you can start working immediately after you are done settling down.
- Also, ensure that your family member or a close friend willing to lend you a helping hand is already settled and working in the UK. This would make it easier for you to secure a good job through that person.
- Lastly, if you notice an organization for people from your country, ensure you identify with them so that they can facilitate your settling down in the country.
4. Not Enough Space
Although this is a general problem even for the UK government, this also becomes a challenge for African immigrant families. The lack of space directly affects the type of job or service available and the amount of help one can get.
In the UK, there is an extreme housing shortage, and the number of people who need a house is more than the available houses. People born in the UK still find it challenging to get a place for themselves, and it’s the same for Immigrants.
Most immigrants come down to the country with nothing and no accommodation plan; they rely on the government to provide accommodation for them, which becomes a problem most of the time.
How to overcome the challenges Of Not Having Enough Space
- To overcome this accommodation problem as an African in the UK, ensure that you include your accommodation plan and book your accommodation even before arriving in the Country.
- Don’t depend on the government; if not, there is every tendency that you will be stranded. If you already have a friend there, talk to them to know if they can accommodate you until you raise money for your accommodation
5. Racism and Discrimination
It’s still baffling that up till this moment, racism and Discrimination is still the order of the day. In the UK, there have been reports of extreme discrimination against the Black by whites, who claim that they are a superior race.
However, this is not true, as God creates every human being, and the color of their skin doesn’t matter. As an African Immigrant, you may face racism as a challenge; it happens daily, but rest assured that you are not fighting alone.
How to Overcome Racism and Discrimination Challenge
- There is a black movement organization that is focused on speaking up against racism. So, you can belong to such a group and connect with your fellow blacks, and that would make you feel at ease and have a rest of mind.
- Don’t let those negative words or behavior get to you. See yourself as unique and special, who is worthy of love.
- Associate with a Group or friends that accepted you.
Frequently Asked Questions On How To Overcome Challenges In The UK As African Immigrant
Can African immigrants succeed in the UK?
Yes, there are a lot of African migrants that are doing marvelously fine today; they have succeeded in their careers, businesses, and life aspirations. So African migrants can succeed in the UK.
How can I Overcome those Challenges Facing African Migrants in the UK?
Some of those challenges can easily be overcome by identifying them on time, making appropriate plans, and trusting yourself to get through them.
Is there still racism in the UK Today?
As sad as it may sound, yes, there is still racism in the UK. However, the government and some organizations are fighting hard to ensure that the ugly attitude is wiped out from the country permanently.
Conclusion
Finally, as an African immigrant who newly came to the UK with the mindset of building something from nothing, be rest assured that you are going to be faced with several challenges, which will come to test you before you are fully settled.
Everyone who migrates from one African country or the other for whatever reason would face similar challenges. It is vital to discuss them and find a lasting solution to it. This challenge is becoming an issue that the UK government is trying hard to address.
What we discussed earlier is not the only challenge African Immigrants face, but we just decided to highlight a few as there is much to consider. Most of the challenges listed above are not only faced by African Immigrants; many of the UK citizens also face some of the challenges.
