Archive for the ‘Somalia’ Category

[Terror man]

“Living at home with my family in Somalia I didn’t even know the word ‘refugee’. Then my husband was thrown in jail. The rest of my family were killed. Everything I had has been taken from me.”

Before their lives were devastated by civil war, Amina and her son Mustafa lived in a villa in Mogadishu. Her family owned property and several successful businesses. In April 2002, Amina and Mustafa, now five, were forced to flee persecution from ruling militia. They now live in a hostel in Bristol.

“Men and women live together in the hostel,” says Amina. “I have no privacy and I do not feel safe. The keys can open any room and the men tend to open the doors. I keep my son with me 24 hours a day, even when I go to the bathroom.”

When she steps outside of the hostel, Amina feels lost. “I feel isolated. I can’t say whether British people are friendly or not because we don’t intermingle. Mustafa needs to learn English and mix with other boys.”

Amina was very ill when she arrived in Bristol, but finding medical attention for herself and her son was a struggle. She was sent away from a local surgery several times because there was no interpreter available.

“I went to the GP about problems with my eyesight. He said, ‘We don’t treat eyes here.’ He was very rude. He could have sent me to someone who could help me. In the end I went to a supermarket. I don’t speak English so I just pointed at my eyes. They told me where to get help.

“One night my baby woke up screaming. A discharge was coming out of his ears. I went to the GP and the receptionist said, ‘Who sent you here?’ She said I needed documents from the Home Office. After an hour the doctor said, ‘We can’t do anything for you.’ He gave me antibiotics and sent me away.”

Amina’s application for asylum has been rejected by the Home Office. She is appealing against the decision