I was a teacher in Iran and my husband was a mechanical engineer. I had opinions about women’s freedom an unfortunately the government didn’t like it so I left my country to avoid being in prison for the rest of my life. When I left Iran I was one month …
In Iran Arash studied civil engineering and worked as a civil engineer, his wife Maaria studied computing. After changing his religion it was no longer safe for Arash to be in Iran and he fled to the UK. He and Maaria were apart for over two years; “We couldn’t live …
“I don’t know which one to hug first” Massoud has been in the UK for two years – when he left Iran his wife Mina was pregnant. His daughter Banu was born whilst they were apart and over the last 18 months he’s watched her grow from a baby into …
Abba ‘s wife and son stayed behind in Khartoum when he came to seek asylum in the UK and have only been in touch over the phone for the past year. “I am very happy to see them again. I missed my son for the long time I didn’t see …
Dabir and Faridah were students in their home town in Syria. Dabir also taught English. He travelled to the UK to find safety and they ended up being apart for almost two years. Their only means of keeping in touch during this time was through Whatsapp and other mobile apps. …
An Afghan refugee. Atal has been in the UK for eight years without his family. His wife and children lived in a refugee camp in Pakistan where he was at least able to visit them occasionally. He and his brother established a life for themselves in the UK whilst he …
Originally from Eritrea, Tesfay had been living alone in the UK whilst his wife Asmarina and son Semere were in Ethiopia. His sole source of income was a bursary giving him an annual income of less than £5000 a year. He applied for visas for his family to join him …
Kaden last saw his daughter Alima when she was 12 years old and a child he’d let help him drive by having her change the gears for him. Their life in Iran was very different to the situation they find themselves in now. Kaden lives in the UK and is …
Abdou was reunited with his wife and young son this month. He has another older child still waiting on a visa to the UK. “We had been apart for just over two years and it hasn’t been easy at all. It has been the toughest thing that I have gone …
I have no words to describe when I first saw them. I was separated from my family for 12 years. I left my country in September 2004 and exactly 12 years later I am reunited with my son and wife. I had tried to keep in touch with them more …
