‘People like me would rather come safely and legally - we have no other choice’
This World Refugee Day, read a blog from former asylum seeker *Ahmad, who describes the horrors of travelling by small boat and calls for the government to implement safe and secure routes for those seeking international protection.
I was born in Afghanistan, where I completed both primary and secondary school and later studied geography for one year at university. My family and I were always happy because we were together.
After one year at university, I decided to join the army to support the coalition forces (American and British) to defeat the Taliban and other terrorist groups. I wanted to better serve my family and homeland.
My British and American superiors were kind, noble, and dedicated individuals. I am truly grateful for their efforts, support, and cooperation. They showed us true friendship and stood by us in the fight against terrorist groups. They trained us with great care, and some of them even sacrificed their lives or were wounded for our cause.
If ever the situation requires it, I will stand beside them without hesitation - even give my life for them, just as they did for us. I will never forget their bravery and sacrifice.
Unfortunately, a political failure in 2021 led to the collapse of the Afghanistan government. Our capital city, Kabul, was captured by the Taliban.
There were several days of evacuations but they were not able to bring everyone to safety. Once the evacuation days ended, I kept changing my location. Me and my family, including my wife and my one-year-old daughter, slept in a garage one night.
After the Taliban took over, I stayed in Kabul for three months, hoping that our foreign advisers would help us, but that never happened. The situation became so dangerous for me that I decided I had to find a way to save myself before I fell into the hands of the Taliban.
Luckily, my cousin’s friend was working at the Iranian Embassy in Kabul and helped get me an Iranian visa. After three months in Iran, I tried to extend my visa, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to.
To keep my family safe, I made the difficult decision to leave them behind and travel illegally to Turkey. There, I applied for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme, which was meant to help those who had worked with British forces in Afghanistan to relocate to the UK.
But within a few weeks, I received a rejection. According to their assessment, I was not eligible and was “not in danger” in Afghanistan. I was completely shocked and disappointed, especially after serving and working so closely with British forces. I felt like I had no options left.
I tried to leave Turkey but was arrested and put in a detention camp. But it was not a camp - it was more of a jail. Downstairs there were ISIS prisoners, which was shocking. I spent a month there, but was thankfully helped out by a solicitor, who didn't allow them to deport me.
But because I had no legal status to stay, I knew I had to leave or I'd be arrested again. The next thing, I was on a small boat to Italy from Turkey. I was tired of it all and was constantly worried about my family that l had left behind. The boat was created to fit 10 people but there were about 70 men, women and children crammed together for five days and four nights.
After arriving in Italy, I came to Switzerland, where my brother lived, to apply for asylum. I had been through so much, and my mental health was not in a good state. My brother was the only one who truly understood me and could support me. I wanted to stay close to him.
After four months, I was informed that, because of the Dublin Regulation, I had to return to Italy since my fingerprints were taken there. Italy was responsible for processing my asylum application.
Because of my service with the British forces in Afghanistan, I believed that the UK would understand my situation better and give me the protection I needed.
Eventually, I arrived in Calais. The conditions there were absolutely terrible. Migrants were sleeping under trees, on the streets, exposed to the cold, rain, and hunger. Unfortunately, there was no support for migrants from British and France governments: the only people who were helping, like saving angels, were the volunteers from Care4Calais. They provided food, clothes, medicine and other essential supplies.
The smugglers - the criminal gangs - did not care about us. They took our money and then forced us into unsafe boats, risking our lives.
At the Iranian and Turkish borders, I witnessed unimaginable horrors. Smugglers took innocent people hostage, including women and children, and brutally tortured them. I saw some women who had been raped by smugglers and also saw some people whose bodies had been cut and tortured by smugglers, who filmed these scenes and sent the videos to their families, demanding ransom money in exchange for their release.
In my opinion, people who travel illegally have good reasons for doing so. They choose these dangerous routes because they have no other choice - it is their last and only option. I don’t believe anyone would willingly take such a terrible journey, leaving behind their homeland, loved one unless they were truly desperate.
Fortunately, I stayed in Calais for only two nights before I crossed to Britain in a small boat. There was no guarantee that I would survive the journey across the English Channel. Like many others who lost their lives, I could have easily drowned. But I had no choice - I had to do it. It was November, and the weather was freezing. People in Calais were living in awful conditions, without enough food, warm clothing, or proper shelter.
Finally, I arrived in this country exactly after a year of illegal and dangerous travel. After crossing the channel, I claimed asylum and waited four months for a response from the Home Office. When it finally came, they said I would be sent to Rwanda.
I started to think that maybe working with the coalition forces in Afghanistan was the biggest mistake I had ever made. My family had once lived together in peace but now we were separated. They were forced to live in hiding in Afghanistan because of me. We lost everything we had - all because of me.
After about three months, my wife and daughter also left Iran and returned to Afghanistan. I lied to my wife; I told her that everything was going well, that everything would be resolved soon, and that we would be together again. I gave her false hope because I couldn’t tell her the truth: that I was going through the most difficult and painful moments of my life.
After that I found a telephone number on Instagram for Care4Calais. They were looking for people who had received notices about being sent to Rwanda.
Fortunately, they helped me a lot. They got media coverage of my situation. After five months, I was given refugee status and granted a resident's permit.
Last August I was reunited with my family. We are now living together here. Because everything that we had is gone, we have to start from the beginning. We are trying to stand on our feet again to rebuild our lives here in the UK.
It was very important that the UK Government introduces safe routes for those seeking asylum like me.
There is no reason why people should die every day trying to make the journey. I’ve met lots of highly skilled migrants from different countries. These people are not criminals. They cannot return to their countries and they need help and shelter. Their voices must be heard - they are human beings.
It is a shame that governments allow people to die on their territory when they have the power to provide safe routes. I don’t understand why they refuse to do so. Safe and legal routes would allow people to come without risking their lives.
People would much rather come safely and legally. But they have no other choice, they are forced to risk everything - crossing in dangerous small boats or hiding in the backs of lorries, where many have died.
PCS members and other trade unionists can put pressure on their government to provide safe routes. Then the government will have to listen to the people and try another way to save lives.
My message to the government - and to those who feel unhappy about immigrants - is this: these people are human beings. They are not criminals. They deserve the chance to live, work, and build their lives here without fear or discrimination.
Some people complain that immigrants stay in five-star hotels paid for by taxpayers. That may be true in the short term but the reality is that thousands of immigrants are already working hard in this country, in hospitals, transport, social services, and other important sectors. They pay taxes to the government every month, just like everyone else.
I myself work, pay taxes and contribute to national insurance every month. I follow the laws and regulations of this country. I try to understand its people and culture because I want to be part of this society.
*Ahmad is a pseudonym to protect his identity.