My Exile - UNHCR by Volunteer Sagar Ghimire https://padlet.com/volunteer35/epzepchlfluyxjsj Aim of the role play : the participants play refugees and live the whole process from fleeing their country until arriving in their « host » country and asking for asylum. They will have to go to the foreign office, defend their cases etc. en-us 2021-02-25 14:05:30 UTC 2021-02-25 14:16:33 UTC hello@padlet.com My Exile volunteer35 https://padlet.com/volunteer35/epzepchlfluyxjsj/wish/1241080536 1. Introduction                        10’

You will participate in a game, which will help you to better understand the difficulties of refugees. You might already be sensitized to this kind of situation but it is possible that you will develop strong emotions or live difficult moments during this game.
If in any case you feel not well or it is becoming to difficult, know that you can exit de game at any moment.

You are now in your family. Together you will chose names which you will keep during the entire game. Read the families biography and memorize it to put yourself in the families place

2. Family creation                    15’

  • Create groups between 5 and 8 people, while giving the backpacks with the different colours
  • Distribute a „family «form (inside of the bag: family form, pen, writing pad, blindfolds)
    every participant has one role and name (to be chosen) during the whole game. Every group has to read and memorize the families biography on their form
  • You have 5 minutes to make a small role play to imprint your roles. Example: The family is at the breakfast table and every person has to behave following their role.
  • When everyone is done, blindfold the participants and ask them to be quiet.

We will now bring you to another place. Let us guide you. Do not move as long as no one comes to pick you up. Extend your arms to be able to feel potential obstacles.

3. Separation                        20’

During a nice walk with your family in your home town, a plane flies over the cities roof. The noises it makes surprised you and you are petrified. A few moments later, a whole formation of planes are seen on the horizon. They approach your village and attack it. Suddenly, smoke everywhere, people are screaming. You lost your family members and you need to find them. Now! Find your family without taking off the blindfolds.

  • Spread the participants in the room by taking their hands. Make sure that the families are separated.
  • When everyone is dispatched in the room and they are standing still, read the text below, start the war music, make noises, scream “Help”, “where is my family”, “Where is your family”, “We have to flee”
  • Once all families are reunited, tell them to take of their Blindfolds
  • Each family receives an instruction form ◆. They have 2 minutes to answer

4. The luggage                         5’

  • 2 minutes to choose 3 items (cell phone, passport, driver license, photo album, food, first aid kit, water, blanket, coat, sanitary products, diploma, teddy bear, 50€) 

You really have to leave this place and find shelter. You are not safe here anymore. The attackers might be back soon. You need to find a place where you are safe.

5. Escape and shelter                    20’

  • Each family gets 4 chairs, two bags, one rope, duct tape and one pair of scissors 

It’s time to find provisory shelter, so you can spend the night in safety. You have to build da lodging with the material you have here. Each family member has to be able to fit in.

  • Hand out an obstacle form to each family
  • Leaving the country -???
  • Terrorists arrive a first time just to frighten the participants (screaming, shaking the shelter, etc.)
  • Terrorists arrive a second time and destroy theirs shelters
  • The Game makers rush them to leave the place and to cross the border “Hurry, you have to leave, try to cross the border…)

6. Border                            15’

  • “Be careful, you are at the border”
  • The game makers who play the militaries at the border, block the passage and aske the families (in a foreign language) to fill in the papers (Forms in ancient Greek)
  • The families fill in the papers with their names and give them back to the border control. But they still refuse the passage.
  • They have to find a way to get trough (by offering money ore clothes)
  • Border control can refuse the passage as long as they are not satisfied  with the offerings

7. Immigration office / centre for asylum seekers        30’

  • The person who plays the Immigration agent is installed in the entrance. He takes the fingerprints of each family member and gives them a designation to the centre for asylum seekers
  • Le person who plays the social worker, will welcome the new arrivals in the centre.
  • The social worker shows the family their new room (blanket on the ground)
  • Give a         from to each family. They have 5 minutes to answer the question
  • The social worker will distribute water and snacks to the families (1 glass of water p/p, one waffle per kid and ½ waffle per adult).

8. The interview                        35’

“Perhaps you’ll have to stay in the centre for a long time. To receive the refugee status you have to pass an interview at the office of the commissioner general for refugees and stateless persons (CGRA). Each family has assign a spokesperson to hold the interview.”

  • Distribute the instructions
  • The social workers will pick a family at a time and bring them to the CGRA
  • 3 – 5 minutes per family
  • The CGRA agent is cold and distant. He interrupts the person who he is interviewing
  • He asks questions about the families’ situation, the hurt, their qualifications, the reason of leaving their country, etc.
  • Only 1 or 2 families will receive the refugee status
  • Once every family have received their answer the game is over

During the stages 7 and 8 all game makers are invited to join the group and be part of the exchanges

9. Taking off the roles                    5’
  • Build a circle
“The game is over. Before we will start the evaluation, we will take off our roles and take off our disguises an throw them in the middle. In 3, 2, 1…”

  1. Evaluation                      
  • Blindfolded – Bombing
What did you feel?
  • The luggage

Was it easy to choose the items to take with you? Did you all agree on which item to take?

  • Shelter

How did you feel, all together in such a small space? What impact did the “obstacle form” had on your family?

  • Border

How did you feel in front of the border control / military? Was it easy to fill in the form and to get passed the agents?

  • Red Cross center

How was your time at the center for asylum seekers? Waiting for the interview? Having so less food and drinks?

  • Interview

How did you feel during your interview? Did you feel respected? How did you feel when you received the answer?


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