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  • Why do refugees leave their country?

  • There is no question!

  • Oh no, there is.

  • Hello guys. My name is Mohammed Rahima.

  • I'm a refugee from Syria.

  • My name is Maya Ghazal.

  • I'm 20 years old and I'm an aviation engineering student.

  • I'm also a refugee from Syria.

  • So there are all sorts of questions floating all around the internet...

  • Let's clear the air.

  • Let's start with the first question. So here we go.

  • Refugees leave their countries because of danger of prosecution,

  • because of danger of conflict, danger of their lives,

  • because of climate danger as well.

  • But the main point is that when a person leaves their country

  • feeling that it's not safe for them to go back to their country,

  • that's what makes refugees, refugees.

  • It's a very difficult place to live -

  • tent shelters, cold weather, wet weather.

  • But good as well. We made friends. We met people -

  • they trust you, they know who you are.

  • Between - we have a difficult time, and happy time, at the same time.

  • I had to learn it myself, which was quite successful.

  • I can speak now English and understand well and write.

  • When I first time arrived to the camp, I never speak any English.

  • I was in a detention centre for a month and a half, so I have to get

  • dictionary from the library there, and because I get a letter from the

  • Home Office, I have to understand what this means.

  • Because you have to help yourself in a detention centre.

  • How are refugees treated?

  • Well that actually depends on you.

  • I'm treated very well. I meet very lovely people all my life here

  • in the UK, but it depends.

  • I only had difficulties being a refugee when I first came and wanted

  • to enrol to a school. It was very difficult actually for me

  • because I was rejected from three schools and a college.

  • I still can't understand why would they turn an eager student

  • to study, down?

  • Hopefully it's an easy question.

  • Yes of course they can work in the UK,

  • but they have to wait to get their refugee status.

  • So when my Dad came to the UK, it took him about 15 months

  • for his application to be processed, and to move from asylum seeker

  • process to a refugee.

  • And during that time, he was not permitted to work,

  • which made him really, really upset.

  • No, I was very disappointed.

  • I expected our neighbours to knock on our door and give us

  • a basket of chocolate, like welcome goodies.

  • I expected what I saw in movies. I mean marry Prince Charming,

  • or Prince Harry.

  • But he's married now, and he's got a baby.

  • That's what I expected!

  • I miss my teddy bears. I miss my room.

  • The house that I grew up in. The neighbourhood.

  • So we used to walk in the mountains, and it was the fresh air

  • and lovely.

  • It's just the smell - I still have it to this moment.

  • But I miss my family. They're still there.

  • I miss myself in my home country, because I changed massively

  • since moving to the UK. I had to.

  • Hopefully one day, I'm back.

  • I wish they asked me if I was OK.

  • What is my dream?

  • But I'm not going to say it in the camera right here and now.

  • So I wish people focused more on who I am, rather than my background.

  • And on my ambitions and dreams, rather than my past.

  • See you later guys.

Why do refugees leave their country?

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