Help Lorelai Survive in Glasgow

Hi, I'm Adrian, a student in Glasgow, and I'm fundraising on behalf of Lorelai who is a friend of mine. She is a trans woman (she/they) from India and an asylum seeker living in Glasgow. She left India to gain some freedom in Glasgow, away from her transphobic parents who pose a significant threat to her life and would have made it impossible for her to live her life as a trans woman. She's currently a student at the University of Glasgow, but her degree will finish in September 2022.

 

Having come to Glasgow for her studies, Lorelai has been able to find a sense of community and it has allowed her to finally live as herself, which is why she decided to apply for asylum in the UK as that would allow her to escape her transphobic parents and transphobic society in India permanently. The Home Office have made the asylum-seeking process increasingly difficult for her, as they deprived her of her right to work after her screening interview on the 7th of May.

 

Having lost her right to work, she no longer has a source of income to survive in Glasgow after her university accommodation lease terminates in September. This lack of income will severely restrict Lorelai's ability to access housing and pay for food and she would be at risk of becoming homeless. We are worried about the impact these conditions will have on Lorelai's health and safety, which is why we are trying to raise funds ahead of time so Lorelai can get a roof over her head and have some financial stability until she can get her right to work back. The most likely outcome is that she can only get her right to work back in May of 2023 at the earliest, which means she will be without an income for at least 9 months.

 

With the funds we are attempting to raise, we would be able to allow Lorelai a £600 budget to cover all housing (rent + bills + council tax) and food expenses. We have set the target higher than what Lorelai will definitely need for monthly expenses in order to ensure that money is available for a flat deposit and potential non-guarantor charges when looking for housing, and also to have a buffer in case Lorelai doesn't get her right to work back as early as possible. Any excess amount raised would also go towards paying for Lorelai's transition, but the focus of this fundraiser is to cover cost of living.

 

 

Note: Lorelai's face is obscured in any pictures we add for safety reasons.