"I was born and raised in Dubai. I am originally from Lebanon. We just came on holiday in August 2016; it was a one-month holiday. We had a hotel booked in London and wanted to experience the London life. I was 11 years old. While we were on holiday, we got a call from the Dubai authorities that our visa had been cancelled and we had to return to Lebanon. But because of the problems in Lebanon we couldn’t go back. What do you do then? As tourists, you have to come to the UK with money in the bank, a hotel booked and a flight back. My dad had a fairly large amount of money in the bank. Within a year and a half, my dad spent all of his money on our expenses. He spent £60,000 on rent, bills, clothes, whatever. He spent it all.
It’s been a tough journey because it’s not what we thought would happen. We didn’t come here to live here, we just came as normal tourists, and we got stuck. We didn’t have any guidance as to what to do, and what options were available to us. It was hard because my dad was a very successful businessman in Dubai. He’d been working since he was 13 and spent 40 years in the workforce. For him to come here and not be able to work, or even do simple things like open a bank account or drive a car—basic rights he had back there—was a huge blow. That was not him.
We lived near London, in the Northampton area. It was rough. It was not diverse, there were no Muslims, no halal food. We were stuck in a house paying £1,200 rent per month. The house had no double-glazed windows, and despite having the heating on, it was always cold. We stayed until we ran out of money and reached out to the council and Migrant Help. We were told “We might be able to put you in a hostel, we’re not sure, we’ve got a car that’s going to take you.” My mum asked, “Where are they going to take us?” and they responded, “None of your business.” She kept asking the driver, “Are we going far?” and he said, “The only thing you need right now is a roof on top of your head, nothing more nothing less, do not ask too many questions.” It was like they were taking us to prison.
You don’t know where they would put you. They could throw you anywhere. We know people who ended up in Newcastle, Huddersfield, Hull. Just anywhere. In there, it’s like a prison. Especially because the hostel that we went to, opposite was Wakefield Prison. Literally, our view was the prison wall. I would never wish anyone to live what we lived. I just think like, someone like me, young, why do I have to live this, why do I have to remember this? I wish the government could make it like maybe single people, ok, maybe I would understand putting them there, but people with families, people with children. Why do I have to remember that? I do not wish it on anyone.
When we moved to Harehills in 2018, things got better, we got help from the government, and support started coming through. It’s like we forgot what happened before then. We felt part of the street and the neighbourhood we lived in because it is very diverse. There are people from Arab countries, Africa, Europeans, British people. Everyone. There’s literally everyone. Especially in our street. One of our neighbours, a British woman in her 60s, lives alone. Over the years we’ve become very close to her. She’s always kind and welcoming, inviting us to her home and offering food. Sometimes she’d call us to pick up milk or bread for her. Our African neighbours opposite us, every time they went to Costco they would get us a box of croissants, bananas, in the summer they would bring us a pack of 24 bottles of water. We have Arab neighbours as well, we share food. We’ve built family just around us. It’s very nice and comforting.
It took 8 years of seeking asylum before we finally received a decision, granting us the right to stay. It’s been a tough journey but I’m grateful. I’m very grateful. You hear horror stories about how some people came by boat and lost someone on the way – you hear more horrific stories than mine. I’m just grateful for the way I came. Even though it’s not what we anticipated and it’s not what we wanted, we’re grateful. When people see me and my family, we’re always smiling and radiating positive energy. From the outside, you’d never guess what we’ve been through. We don’t seek sympathy, and we don’t share our story for that reason. We share it to show that, no matter what challenges we face, we still wear a smile. Keep pushing forward. Appreciate everything and everyone. Hold your family close. Live for today, because you don’t know what tomorrow holds."
