Refugee crisis “Nobody leaves their country for no reason”
As the pandemic restricts legal routes to Britain, more refugees are risking their lives to get here. Closer investigates why they need support now, more than ever…
When Abdullah Kurdi boarded a dinghy in September 2015 with his wife, Rehan and sons, Ghaleb, four, and Alan, two, they were fleeing war-torn Syria, hoping to seek refuge in Greece.
But the overcrowded boat capsized, and Abdullah’s family drowned, leaving him the sole survivor. It was the heartbreaking picture of little Alan that shocked the world – his body, dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, lying face down on a Turkish beach after it had been washed ashore.
After the appalling image made headlines worldwide, there were calls for better treatment of refugees – and the UK government pledged to welcome 5,000 refugees per year, up from 750 previously.
HUMAN TRAFFICKERS
Now, five years on, there are believed to be 29.6m refugees worldwide, but under lockdown, the government has ceased offering routes into the UK – meaning not a single refugee has travelled here safely since March.
Louise Calvey, Head of Resettlement at Refugee Action, tells Closer, “Since COVID halted our work in March, we have been unable to safely get refugees to Britain under government guidelines.
“There are now no safe and legal routes to the UK for people forced to flee their home country, which means inevitably we will see a rise in people using human traffickers and dangerous routes to reach Britain. There’s a lack of understanding and compassion for refugees – they’ve left behind their entire lives to flee war, famine and genocide. All they want is a safe future for their family – and they need our help.
“And when they do finally reach Britain, they’re unable to work, and forced to live on just £5.66 a day until their asylum application is accepted, which allows them to live here indefinitely. Until they do, they’re stuck in temporary shared accommodation, without a place to call home, often for years.”
Tragic Alan’s father Abdullah paid smugglers £2,800 to help his family reach Greece, after their hometown, Kobani, Syria, was invaded by ISIS forces.
Reflecting on the current refugee crisis, Alan’s father, Abdullah admitted, “It feels like not much has changed since Alan died. Nobody leaves their country for no reason.”
Abdullah has now resettled in Iraq, with his new wife, Fayza, 24, with whom he shares a fivemonth-old baby named Alan in memory of his late son.
Abdullah said, “I will never forget losing my family. Not for a single day. I am lucky to have been blessed with another son.”
Abdullah had told his sister, Tima, who lives in Canada, about his plan to get to Greece and she offered to pay traffickers for his family to escape.
Now, Tima admits that she feels awful for paying for the fated journey. She says, “Every day I feel guilt that I gave him that money, but what can you do when your family is desperate and needs help?”
Now Tima runs a charity with Abdullah in Alan and Ghaleb’s names, raising money for refugees in camps.
She says, “I want British people to remember that day in 2015 and that picture on the beach. How did you feel then? I want them to remember that moment, then look at these
people at your border, asking for your help.”
She adds, “Nobody wants to leave a peaceful, beautiful life with their family to take advantage of another country. Nobody thinks that way. People need to remember refugees don’t leave their country by choice.”
FREEDOM
One person who knows Abdullah’s pain all too well is Kemi, 36, from London, who gained refugee status a month before lockdown. She had been forced to come to the UK from Nigeria by her abusive ex-husband, who insisted she work here illegally.
Kemi says, “I came here on a student visa, but my ex insisted I work 70 hours a week, cleaning during the day and taking on care jobs at night, while still studying accountancy at university during the day.
“It was tough but, after a year, I realised how much more freedom I had in the UK, and I told my ex I was never coming home. I met someone new and had a daughter in 2016. But the relationship with her dad ended and I became depressed and ended up on the streets – I seriously thought about ending it all.”
Eventually, Kemi, who was still living in the UK on a student visa, confided in a friend, who told her to seek the help of a charity. She explains, “When I told a charity worker about my past, they encouraged me to seek refugee status.”
Kemi spent the next four years going through the process. She says, “I went through multiple interviews with Home Office workers, some up to five hours long. I’d often break down in tears. But finally, just before lockdown, I officially became a refugee, allowing me to stay safely in the UK and now I can work, too. It’s a huge feeling of relief.”
Sadly, Kemi’s three eldest children still live in Nigeria with Kemi’s mother, but she hopes to be reunited with them one day – and says she knows how lucky she is.
She says, “I feel so sorry for the people who are making these perilous journeys. Their lives are already harder than most people can imagine.
They need our help.”