Glasgow art exhibition sheds harsh light on asylum process
As she navigated the system over six years she went from having a job, a car and a home to being unable to work and made homeless, before finally being given refugee status in July last year.
Ms Sikandar now advocates for reform of the asylum system through her work as an artist and photographer, with her latest exhibition 'Unwritten Milestones: The Silent Talent Trapped in Limbo' opening at Glasgow's Gallery of Modern Art on Friday.
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She tells The Herald: "I faced a lot of challenging times in the asylum system so today's exhibition is all to raise awareness of the asylum backlog.
'Asylum seekers don't have the right to work and there are a lot of mental health problems faced by asylum seekers on their journeys.
"I think that (not being able to work) leads to all the problems, when you have limited money you have limited ability to travel and meet friends or organisations.
'Every person has different needs, families have different needs because they're responsible for their children. So everyone is in the same boat, but facing different challenges.
Unwritten Milestones The Silent Talent Trapped in Limbo photography exhibition by Sadia Sikandar at Glasgow GOMA, part of Refugee Festival Scotland 2025 (Image: Colin Mearns)
'The government doesn't understand, or doesn't want to understand, how important it is to give them the right to do work.
'The money that they receive isn't sufficient for them, I'm not saying they should raise the money I'm just saying at least give them the right to work.
'They've changed the rules a little bit, after a year you can apply for the right to work, but there are limited occupations to apply for.
'People are still facing a lot of difficulties, a lot of racism, while applying for those few occupations.'
The exhibition coincides with Refugee Festival Scotland, which began its 25th edition on June 13.
It features black and white photos of people currently in the asylum system.
One, Gabriel (Jibrīl in Arabic) R. Hattan, has recently exited the system and talks about the 'forced dependence' of having to rely on friends and community groups to survive.
He laments that his ARC card, issued by the Home Office, tells everyone who sees it he's an asylum seeker.
Mr Hattan says: "I'm probably one of the most talked-about people on the BBC as a result of being an asylum seeker."
The 24-year-old's story is printed below his portrait - The Herald asks what he thinks of it.
He laughs: "I think it's f*****g sick."
Sadia Sikandar with Gabriel R Hattan, with his portrait in the centre (Image: Colin Mearns) Ms Sikandar previously lived in north-east England, where she had a successful exhibition at The Baltic Centre in Gateshead.
The ones she's displaying at GoMA, and later Refuweegee, are simple, yet striking.
One of those pictured is a footballer who is permitted only to play at amateur level while he awaits a decision on his asylum status.
In the profile that accompanies his portrait he says he knows he can play at a higher level, but is conscious that the older he gets the more his value drops.
Another came from Sierra Leone with his sister after losing both of their parents - she has been granted asylum while he has not, despite them arriving at the same time and under the same circumstances. Both are victims of trafficking.
Ms Sikandar explains: "To show the dark side of the system, I chose black and white to show the sadness.
'There is no charm and colour and sparkle, and I also chose the veil to hide their identity so they'd be confident to say anything they wanted and didn't have to hide anything.
'The most important thing for me was to show the audience the suffering, pain and mental health issues – all the negative aspects of the system.
"These are the really powerful stories, and while I was working with them it made me really sad but making a decision isn't in my hands, all I can do is raise awareness.
'The system which badly affected me and many other young people should not continue, so it's really important to keep raising awareness – more people should know about the system, more people should show solidarity so there's less of a gap between the community and asylum seekers.'
Having been through the asylum process, Ms Sikandar knows better than most the conditions it creates, and is a fierce advocate for change.
Unwritten Milestones at Glasgow GoMA (Image: Colin Mearns) As well as being barred from working, those in the system are not eligible for benefits and receive £49.18 per week, or £9.95 if they're in accommodation which provides meals.
The reality is very different to the narrative of asylum seekers being put up in 'cushy' hotels, a narrative which has real world consequences.
In 2024 rioters took to the streets of England, with some trying to burn down hotels housing asylum seekers. Recent days have seen violence and arson in Ballymena after an alleged sexual assault by Romanian men, while far-right figures gathered outside the Muthu Hotel in Erskine to menace those inside between January 2023 and 2024.
Ms Sikandar says: "A lot of people I've met were living in hotels, they faced more trauma than you can imagine.
"I hosted a radio show which will be on Radio Beuna Vida on June 22 where I recorded their experiences and gave them a space to talk – most of them were crying.
"Most of the organisations cover the basic necessities – do you think it's only the basic necessities that it's important to give them?
"Most of the people who talked to me said it wasn't about food and basic necessities, they talked about how they could understand the system and get out of it.
"Most of the journalists include the politicians' statements about asylum seekers, why do you not approach those who are facing the system to talk about what these politicians are saying?
'Ask them if they're happy or living a life of luxury. 'Please, tell us how much of a luxury life you're receiving?' – does anyone ever ask that?
Unwritten Milestones The Silent Talent Trapped in Limbo photography exhibition by Sadia Sikandar at Glasgow GOMA, part of Refugee Festival Scotland 2025.. Pictured is Sadia with her work (Image: Colin Mearns) "People just want to be treated with respect and dignity. No-one is asking to be given donations, they all came over here to be safe.
'Whether it's Scotland or anywhere else in the UK they all want to live over here in safety, peacefully, and use their skills to collaborate and work to contribute.
'People should create a space where they feel safe and welcomed, every community and every culture brings a unique environment and a unique joy which we can adopt and celebrate together – it can create a beautiful space for everybody.
'The system is already very harsh and there are some things which are not in our control, but something that is in our control is how we welcome asylum seekers, how we show compassion to them, and how we show solidarity with them.
'Talk to the politicians, talk to the journalists and say this is not right and it's really upsetting me. That's how we can work together to bring a change in the system.'
Unwritten Milestones: The Silent Talent Trapped in Limbo is at Glasgow's GoMA on June 13, 14 and 15. It will then move to Refuweegee, 24 George Square, from June 16 to 30.
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