The Life of a Refugee

The war in Somalia was getting worse and worse by the day. Somalia had even been declared as the most unsafe country in the world. For decades, the political parties had been fighting and trying to come into rule but it had become completely out of control. Innocent people were being robbed, kidnapped, and killed for no reason at all. That was why Nasira decided she had to leave. She had already lost too much. Her husband had been kidnapped 1 year ago because of his wealth and physical strength. One of the political groups took all his money and forced him to fight with them. There was no way he could escape and come back home. Her eldest son had been shot dead while walking to school 6 months ago. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it took his life. And now, just a few days ago, the same political group that kidnapped her husband had kidnapped her second eldest son too. The pain in losing yet another family member was too great. Kidnapped or killed, she was permanently losing them and would probably never see them again. But at least now her husband and son may be together, despite their horrid circumstances. But it was too much. Nasira couldn’t bare the thought of losing anyone else in her family. She still had three girls and two sons and knew she had to get them out of Somalia. And what is life when you’re constantly worrying about your safety? They weren’t living meaningful lives when they were constantly watching their backs and fearing the worst. After all, it had become a country where the worst was a daily norm. So she made the decision, as hard, yet easy, as it was. It was time to leave. But this in itself was more difficult than imagined. She prayed to Allah, the Muslim god, that she could find a trustworthy smuggler. Hiring a smuggler was the only way they could escape the dangerous country. She had heard from a friend of a smuggler who was supposed to be a good one. Yet it was nearly impossible to know because once Somali people escape the country, all communication is cut off. A smuggler was also very expensive to hire, but thank God her husband had had a good job and saved lots of money, and his kidnappers didn’t know where the money was hidden. So the plans were settled. There was no other choice if she wanted to save her children’s lives and live without fear. So Nasira hired the smuggler who promised to take them to Europe, gathered all the hidden cash to help start their new lives, and packed all the suitcases for herself and her children.

The next morning Nasira woke her five children quite early. She told them to get dressed because they were going to take a little trip. She couldn’t tell them the truth, because she new they’d refuse to leave their friends, school, and life here. Luckily they did as she said. They were all ready and out the door before the sun even rose. Nasira looked back one last time, hardly able to bare the thought that she might never see this home again, both the physical house and the country. She would probably never get her son or husband back, and didn’t even have a way to let them know that she was leaving the country. This wasn’t the life she had wanted, but she had no other choice. They met the smuggler and started their journey. He seemed nice and trustworthy. Fortunately the children were too tired to ask too many questions. And she said goodbye to the life she loved yet hated, and to the hope of her entire family ever being together again. She entered a new life where she would be called a “Somali refugee”. At the same time she felt a deep relief at the thought of not having to live in fear any more that another one of her children would be kidnapped or killed, and loved the possibility of a more hopeful future.

The smuggler had arranged everything. They just followed behind him and did everything he said. It would take about a week to get to Europe because of taking multiple flights and layovers. They first flew from Somali to Dubai. They stayed in a cheap hotel for one night and the next day got on a plane to Mumbai. Here they stayed for 2 nights. The smuggler came and went, and they even had a chance to see a little of India. Then they flew from Mumbai to Kathmandu. They were to stay 2 nights again, and then fly from Kathmandu to Europe, but he hadn’t said which country yet. They were starting to get excited to finally arrive in Europe! They had heard that the education was much better than Somalia’s and they could also find jobs that paid well. So far they had enjoyed seeing some other countries, but they were ready to settle into their new lives. While they were in Mumbai, the children had asked Nasira when they were going back to Somalia. She had decided she couldn’t lie to them anymore and told them the truth. They all showed mixed emotions, but were mostly angry with her for taking them away. But after a day they had accepted it and even started seeing it in a positive light. Now they were looking forward to tomorrow’s flight to Europe.

The smuggler had gone out for dinner but said he would come back to the hotel before nighttime. It was late and he still wasn’t back. But they had come to trust him and even made friends with him, so they knew he’d come back. They went to sleep after packing their bags for the morning flight. The next day they woke up early, but still the smuggler wasn’t there. They waited and were getting anxious that they would miss their flight, but still he never came. They waited a few hours, and a few more hours. He never showed. They thought maybe he had meant the next day instead, and so they didn’t lose their hope quite yet. At the same time, they couldn’t help but let the thoughts creep in that the smuggler had permanently left. He still didn’t come the next night either. And the next morning he still wasn’t there. That’s when Nasira realized her worst fear. The smuggler had gone. And he wasn’t coming back. Oh, the tears that fell from her eyes. But at least they still had money and their passports. They were out of Somalia, so they could still get plane tickets on their own and fly to Europe. But when she frantically searched for their passports, she couldn’t find them. She couldn’t believe it: the smuggler had also taken her family’s passports and about ¾ of their cash. Now the tears really poured. She and her children were stuck in a foreign country with no way of leaving and only a little money to last them a few days. Even worse, their identities had been stolen. What were they supposed to do now? They all just sat there. Nasira wept uncontrollably. She had only been trying to find a better and safer life for her family, and now they were stuck in a foreign land with no identities, money, or guidance.

The next day, Nasira decided she had to gain control of herself. She had to be the strong one in the family so her children wouldn’t realize how bad the situation really was. She remembered that the United Nations (UN) supposedly helped refugees. But would Nepal have a UN? It’s such a small, poor country. She asked around, in the very little English she knew, and found that there was. But how would she get there? They could hardly afford a taxi and the public transportation was too much to handle. She decided on the taxi and they all piled in to head to the UN. They walked in, suitcases in hand, tears in their eyes, and explained to them what had happened and that they needed help. Nasira shared her story about her husband and two sons who she had lost to Somali’s war and how she just wanted to protect her remaining family. When they had left Somalia, they had changed from Somali citizens to refugee status. And now in Nepal, they had changed from refugee status to illegal immigrant status according to Nepali government. Without their passports, they were illegal and Nepal didn’t want them there. Luckily though the UN had power in the country and was able to slide some help to refugees. Nasira was warned though- this wasn’t going to be easy. Nepal doesn’t give them any rights and it would take time to be resettled to a country where they are given rights, so she must be patient. But at least for now they were much safer than they were in Somalia. Nasira wanted to know what they meant by it taking time. Oh at least a year, they said. And what did they mean by no rights? They said that refugees were not allowed to work or earn money. The kids could go to school if they were able to find a school that would take them, although it’d be difficult since they don’t know Nepali language and aren’t sure when they’ll be resettled. The UN would provide them financial support to live on and a flat (apartment) to live in until they are resettled. Nasira was so grateful to them. This was far from what she imagined would happen one week ago, but at least they weren’t living in fear now.

So then they did all that they could. They found a small basic flat that could hold the 6 of them and just waited. The life of waiting was far from pleasant. They missed going to school, working, hanging out with friends. They knew no one, other than some other Somali refugees they had met whose smugglers also left them high and dry. The Nepalis seemed to hate that they were around, which probably came from American movies that portray black people as bad and dangerous people. So they spent their time cooking meals, wandering around the city, and trying to learn some English and Nepali so they could communicate with others.

A year passed and there was still no word on resettlement. They hadn’t even been accepted by a foreign embassy yet. This was going to take a lot longer than they thought. Nasira hated that her children weren’t learning, especially because they had so much potential. They had learned quite a bit of English the past year in Nepal, so she thought it’d be okay to enroll them in an English-speaking school until they were resettled. She searched and searched and finally found a school that would take them in. All the children were tested and placed in grades. But the results were not as expected. Because they knew only some English, they would have to enter earlier grades and relearn everything in English. So her oldest daughter, who was 15, would be put in grade 6 because of her language skills rather than grade 9 because of her age. It was like that for each child. Nasira knew it’d be difficult for the child’s emotional well-being, both because it is embarrassing when you’re older than your classmates and because you can’t connect as well. But there was no other choice. So they all enrolled and started school. The children complained about going back grades and not knowing anyone, but it turned out alright. The Nepali children surprisingly treated them nicely and even took a liking to them. They were able to still play football (soccer) which they loved in Somali and had even taken up the new sport of basketball. After awhile there were some more Somali refugees that joined and even some Pakistani refugees. They made friends and started a new “normal” life, as they must since they’d be in Nepal longer than anticipated.

Waiting was the hardest. And it was difficult to keep hope alive. Nasira felt strong for the first two years, but then it just got hard. She wasn’t able to work and financially support the family. She got tired of being dependent on the UN and just wanted to have her own independent life. She also missed her friends and even more her husband and other sons. It was difficult for her to learn English or Nepali so the only people she interacted with were other Somali women who had similar smuggling stories. She was glad that her children were in school again, yet ached at the thought of these schools being worse than Somalia’s. The education just wasn’t as good, so what would happen when they moved to another country? Would they be too far behind to ever go to college or get a good job? She was also concerned about their maturity and social interactions since they were all in grades with students much younger than them. And what about when her children finished these schools but couldn’t work? Would they become too used to not doing anything that they’d become lazy? She was concerned that once they move to another country and are allowed to work, that they wouldn’t have the motivation or discipline to work every day. She also struggled with depression and hopelessness, as did many of her Somali refugee friends. When the smuggler had robbed her of promises, passports, and money, he had also robbed her of her hope of a bright future. Her life in Nepal, because of the government, was miserable. And it didn’t look like it was going to change any time soon. But she had to hold on and remain hopeful for her children. And after all, at least they were in a safer country without that daily fear of being kidnapped or killed. And at least most of her family was still together. She often wondered about her husband and son and if they were still alive. Maybe one day the war would end and they could all go back home and be reunited. It was hopes like this that she clung onto. And the joy in her children that also gave her heart enough joy to make it through each day.

After 5 years, Nasira and her children had finally been accepted by the Canadian embassy! They were all so exited, relieved, and filled with a new hope! Finally their lives would move on. They could have a better education, go to college, and work again. They could become independent and financially support themselves. She would feel purposeful again. So they began the steps to resettlement- medical checks, UNHCR meetings, interviews to make sure they weren’t terrorists, along with many other meetings. But even after being accepted, they knew it’d still be awhile. It took nearly a year after acceptance because, of course, of the Nepali government. Since they are seen as illegal immigrants Nepal charges them $6 per day as a “visa charge”. With 6 family members over 5 years, that bill is just impossible to pay! Many of Nasira’s days were spent at government offices begging for this fee to be waived. Eventually the officials were kind enough to waive the fees and soon a plane ticket was booked! After 1 year of acceptance and 6 years in Nepal, Nasira and her family finally had the promise of being resettled to a country that would recognize them as they are- refugees, not illegal immigrants. Nasira and her children, who were 6 years older now, were filled with so much more hope again. The waiting period was finally over, the waiting period that had turned into 6 years. They would finally go to a place with better education and work opportunities, but even better, no war and a safe place to live. Nasira’s heart was overjoyed and her eyes were filled with tears. But unlike 6 years ago and the years since, they were not sad, hopeless, depressed tears. They were excited, joyful, hopeful tears for the more meaningful and purposeful life to come for her and her beloved children.

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This story is a compilation of numerous stories that I’ve had through conversations with Somali refugees in Nepal. They have had such unfortunate circumstances when all they were trying to do is save their families and get away from war. Somali refugees started coming to Nepal (always by lying and cheating smugglers) since 2006. The UN also supports about 300 refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Myanmar (Burma). The urban refugees and asylum-seekers from these countries are considered “illegal” and “un-recognized” by the Nepali government. The government doesn’t want them here, despite these people either being abandoned here (like in the case of this story) or just trying to stay alive by escaping from their warring home country. The UNHCR (United Nations Higher Commission for Refugees) works to provide these “un-recognized” refugees with their basic needs of shelter, food, education, and medical needs. But as mentioned before, they are not allowed to work or make a living on their own. The UNHCR also works to help them resettle to another country where they are able to work and are eventually independent from the UN. Hopefully in the next several years most of them will be resettled to the U.S, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Netherlands, U.K., and Norway in which they will be able to live independent and purposeful lives.

Nepal also holds refugees from Tibet and Bhutan. The Tibetan refugees have been coming directly to Nepal since 1950s because of the Chinese insurgency into their land. Many stay in Kathmandu and many transit to India or another country. There are about 22,000 Tibetan refugees living in Nepal with around 900 new arrivals each year. Even though many Nepalis are pro-“Free Tibet”, Nepal has agreed to not allow “Free Tibet” movements in Nepal against Chinese authorities.

The Bhutanese refugees came to Nepal in the 1990s when Bhutan kicked them out because they have Nepali genetics and are not recognized as Bhutanese. There are around 68,000 Bhutanese refugees in Nepal that reside in seven refugee camps in Eastern Nepal. Since 2007, 46,000 Bhutanese refugees have been resettled to other countries and many are currently in the same process.

Nepal has become a refuge for Tibetans, Bhutanese, Somalis, Afghanis, Pakistanis, and Myanmese. The level of quality of living is different for each of these groups, but none of them receive what they deserve. It is truly unfortunate to be born into a warring country while holding personal peace values and just wanting safety and protection for your family. While I have hopes for the refugees from each of these places to be resettled into a country where they are given more rights and opportunities, my ultimate hope is that the world will become a place of peace so no one will even need to seek refuge from their countries.


The statistics from this blog post came from UNHCR Nepal. For more information and other personal refugee stories, check out these websites:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1936578,00.html
http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e487856.html
http://www.bartamaha.com/?p=17998

“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” –Deuteronomy 33:27

“My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. My shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and savior- from violent people you save me.” -2 Samuel 22:3

“Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” –Psalm 2:12b

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” –Psalm 18:2