Chau’s story

Chau is a 23 year-old Vietnamese national who came to the UK in 2013 to study but overstayed her visa. Chau wanted to return home but her parents who still live in Vietnam wanted her to remain in the UK. She was fearful about returning voluntarily as her parents were applying pressure for her to see a solicitor in attempts to legalise her stay in the UK. Chau had visited a local reporting centre saying she had overstayed and she was then placed in detention. Chau seemed petrified about her parents finding out she wanted to return home, but she could not afford to pay for her flight as she was financially dependent on them. Hibiscus maintained contact with Chau and her caseworker and, with our assistance, a flight was booked and she returned home within a month of engaging with us. Hibiscus assisted her by providing funds to cover emergency accommodation, so she was able to stay in a hostel while she began to resolve the situation with her family. With our support Chau was able to make the decisions she wanted.