Page 3 Profile: Yonas Admasu Kebede, trainee pilot

Yonas Admasu Kebede, trainee pilot (Susannah Ireland)

Something about high ambitions…

Sky-high, in fact. The 21-yearold is fulfilling his dream of training as a pilot through lessons costing up to £10,000. These are being paid for by Newcastle City Council after a ruling by the Court of Appeal.

Crikey! Why did my local council never fund my aspirations?

Yonas is a failed asylumseeker from Ethiopia who arrived in the UK in 2004 with his father and brothers. Although their application was refused, they were granted discretionary leave to remain until 2014. But then Yonas and his brother Abiy, 20, were abandoned by their older relations and placed in council care in Newcastle. When children have no parents, authorities are legally obliged to meet training costs, which will help them enter the workplace. So, Yonas is taking lessons at Flight Training London at Elstree, Hertfordshire, with a view to pursuing a degree in aviation, while Abiy is studying at Manchester Metropolitan University.

That’s bound to raise a few hackles

You’re not wrong there. According to the Daily Mail, critics called the decision a ‘blank cheque’ which is ‘deeply unfair’ on taxpayers, especially as the men are due to leave the country next year. Greg Stone, a Liberal Democrat councillor for Newcastle, also told the paper, “I can see why the council should support them going to a local college and so on but this seems over and above what people would expect.” Yonas will also be granted £10,000 in living expenses, alongside his £165 per hour flying lessons.

So what’s the other side of the coin?

First of all, Yonas and his brother plan to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK, rather than simply hotfooting it out of here in 2014. Their immigration status meant the pair couldn’t apply for a student loan, which is why they applied to Newcastle Council in the first place. However, if they are allowed to remain in the UK, they may be able to transfer to a normal student loan arrangement, which could see them repay some of the costs.