Refugees tell of‘warm welcome’

Refugee charity Forth Valley Welcome celebrated the achievements of Syrians resettled in the area at their third annual general meeting last week.

Around 50 people, including a number of Syrian refugees who have resettled in the Forth Valley area, attended the event which took place at the Alloa campus of Forth Valley College lastWednesday.

The keynote speaker was Dr Sabir Zazai, chief executive of the Scottish Refugee Council, who himself was a refugee having fled Afghanistan in 1999.

Dr Zazai had come to Alloa following a graduation ceremony at Glasgow University, where he received an Honorary Doctorate for services to civil society.

The honour, Dr Zazai said, was secondly only being able to speak in public in front of his dad for the first time at the Alloa event. His father, who was initially denied a visa by the Home Office, was allowed into the country for the occasion.

During his speech, Dr Zazai contrasted his warm welcome in the UK with the government’s“hostile environment”for immigrants, which he said had unintended consequences for refugees legitimately seeking sanctuary.

A number of Syrians living in the area also spoke on the night, echoing the ‘warm welcome’they had received from those in the charity as well as the wider Forth Valley area.

As well as discussing the activities which the charity runs through the year, which include monthly‘snack and chat’ events, they also touted the recent success of a number of the Syrians such as passing driving tests and the setting up of a number of businesses in the area.

Forth Valley Welcome was set up in late 2015 to assist Stirling Council in welcoming Syrian families during the height of the refugee crisis. Donald Black, secretary of Forth Valley Welcome, said:“For me, apart from the obviously great teamwork on display, one incident said it all.

“A Syrian man, part of a panel of refugees answering questions, was speaking rather quietly. His wife, seated in the large audience, suddenly stood up and said‘My husband, speak up. We can’t hear you’. He did, once the laughter had subsided.You can’t overstate the significance of that.”