Young Refugees in Portsmouth Share their Stories

 by Jiali Hicks

Three young refugees talked about their personal experiences during a Christmas party for young asylum seekers on Friday 16th of December.

Arshia and Rozhina, twins from Iran, moved to Portsmouth in February with their mother from a country where they felt they had “no freedom.”

“In Iran, our lives were very hard. The government had full control of everything and even though I was a boy, my freedom was always restricted,” said Arshia. “My clothes had to cover my full body, I was always separated from the girls and I felt like I was in prison.”

“Iran is an Islamic republic country and everyone has to be Muslim. My mum rejected this strict way of life and converted to Christianity,” he continued. “Although she and the other Christians were very careful and kept their location secret, eventually she was discovered and we were in extreme danger.”

Rozhina gave voice to the women and girls in Iran. She spoke about the severe constraints that are faced, how they have no freedom to walk with a male friend, dress how they want, or love who they want.

“Because men and women are totally segregated, my dad never got to watch me do sports and feel proud as I know he would have done.”

The Iranian government has now shut off the internet, so people like Arshia and Rozhina are not able to contact their loved ones. “I have no way of knowing if they’re ok or not,” Rozhina said.

They are currently staying in a hotel, provided for by the Portsmouth City of Sanctuary, a charity which helps local asylum seekers, refugees and migrants to Portsmouth. 

Hirina moved to England in June this year. She is an asylum seeker from Afghanistan, but also a member of the Portsmouth Youth Cabinet, a group of young people with a vision to encourage active student voice within Portsmouth.

Before she came to England, she had “never spent a day in school”, but was homeschooled by her parents. 

“When I came to England, everything changed. We were welcomed by the hotel staff and finally, I was free to study in college. My life has changed in every way and the small freedoms you all enjoy like speaking freely, getting the bus alone and walking along the beach are now a reality for me too.”

Hirina said that being a part of the Youth Cabinet has been an extraordinary experience. “Bringing my voice to this group has been so empowering and I really feel like I can contribute good ideas and make a real difference.”

The party was a joint collaboration by Portsmouth City of Sanctuary and Portsmouth Youth Cabinet, which several MPs attended, including Cllr Suzy Horton.

“I think that these events are very important. First, to extend a Portsmouth welcome to refugees of all ages but it is also an opportunity to hear stories from young people to understand why they are here and how different the world is but, at the same time, how much all young people have in common.”

When speaking with her, she expressed the value there is to listening to refugees and asylum seekers to truly understand their circumstances, as well as recognising them as individuals. “When we know that, then we as individuals can offer friendship, help and understanding. We can do that through direct contact, like the Youth Cabinet are doing or through donations or by speaking out. Most importantly is the understanding that we have so much in common as fellow humans.”