In March 2025, I began a placement at Asylum Welcome, a local Oxford charity that provides vital advice and support services to asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants across Oxfordshire. The organisation’s work is inspiring and essential, and I felt genuinely privileged to join their team for three months.
During my time there, I contributed across several areas of the charity. From working in frontline advice services and assisting with outreach in local asylum hotels, to helping run the weekly youth club, every day brought something new. These diverse responsibilities offered much-needed perspective and became a constant source of motivation and learning.
A significant part of my placement was spent supporting Asylum Welcome’s research and advocacy team. One highlight was contributing to the final stages of a regional report on the intersection of domestic abuse and immigration abuse. Collaborating with stakeholders across the Thames Valley, I helped bring this important research to completion and supported the organisation of a public launch event featuring a panel of insightful speakers. Seeing the final report published and publicly discussed was incredibly rewarding.
The placement equipped me with a wide range of new skills. Through daily interactions with clients and community partners, I developed greater confidence in communication and interpersonal engagement. Shadowing the charity’s legal team, who have deep experience in immigration advice and advocacy, was particularly illuminating. I also honed practical skills such as adaptability and time management—especially important in a fast-paced, small organisation where urgent cases shift priorities at a moment’s notice. The collaborative and welcoming team made it easy to immerse myself in the charity’s day-to-day work, and I’m grateful for their generosity and openness.
Before starting the placement, I had already begun to consider career options beyond academia. This experience not only reaffirmed that interest but also gave me concrete examples to draw on in interviews and applications. I would wholeheartedly recommend a placement to any OOC DTP student who is thinking about exploring alternative career paths after their DPhil or PhD. It’s an invaluable opportunity to apply academic skills in real-world contexts, expand your experiences, and learn from practitioners on the front line.
I am so thankful to the staff and clients at Asylum Welcome for sharing their time and stories with me. Thanks also to the OOC DTP for making this experience possible.
