A tedious journey of left turns and right turns, counting the bumps in the road to fall asleep each night.
It’s not exactly what you might picture when you think of Christmas but behind the glimmer of traditions lies a very different reality for some.
It’s a first Christmas in Cardiff for Aalim (not his real name). After two years of trekking he finally made it to Cardiff nine months ago. His journey started in Iran and from there it was hiding in the back of lorries and taking favours from people who were willing to help.
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On reaching Greece he was captured and arrested twice, stripped of his money, then deported back to Iran where he was forced to start all over again. Eventually he made it to the UK by dinghy. He thanks God that he made it to Cardiff alive. He will spend his first Christmas here as an asylum seeker.
Aalim didn’t like me at first. “Refugees think journalists are bad,” I’ve been told. And how could I blame him? “Refugee crisis” and “migration problem” have been plastered across the news in recent years – sometimes inspiring solutions but also motivating racism.
I reminded myself that Aalim has been travelling for two years. When freedom seemed so close he was sent back to the start. I was certain he did not want to let that slip for a third time.
But, after a while, Aalim decided to share his experience in the hope of raising awareness of others like him.
Telling his story in his own words he said: “I had to leave Iran. The police and the government are bad and I would have been killed if I stayed. I wanted a life chance for my family but I came on my own. I left my wife in Iran because it was too dangerous.
“She should be coming here to live with me if the Home Office allows her to come. I hope to God and I pray to God.
“When I made it to Greece I was in prison for five months. The police would not give me any chance at all. There I was beaten badly and taken to hospital.
“At the hospital a nurse helped me to escape but I was captured again and deported. I had broken my ribs and my chest but they still did not care. They just sent me back to Iran.
“When I finally made it to the boat I saw three people die. It was so sad but I thank God that I made it.”
Naima is also spending her first Christmas in Cardiff this year. Although she grew up in Kuwait Naima was labelled an illegal resident – or ‘bidoon’ – as her family were not registered as citizens after the country’s independence.
Her journey began in 2014 after her husband was arrested for attending a human rights protest. For fear of what might happen next Naima and her family fled to Turkey using fake passports after her husband’s release.
While they stayed in Turkey for five years this was in no way easy. They lived in constant anxiety of being caught and the pressure drove Naima and her husband to separate.
After some time Naima made a plan to escape to Greece. She and her four children climbed through the Marmaris mountains in the dead of night until they reached the coastline.
At the first sign of sunlight the family clambered aboard a small boat with three other families – one from Palestine, another from Syria, and the third from Egypt. Naima’s youngest child was only nine years old.
“Death would be better than to go through that again. It was very difficult,” said Naima. She found herself on a Greek island and from there she was shipped to Athens. On arrival she asked a hotel for a room to stay in. They charged her three times the normal rate.
Much like Aalim, Naima was also then arrested in Greece and thrown in a prison with a number of other asylum seekers. But she eventually managed to find a sympathetic lawyer. They helped Naima migrate to the UK.
“I arrived in the UK by plane in July. I don’t remember the airport but when the plane took off I just burst into laughter. People were looking at me like I was crazy but I have never smiled so much in my life. I was just so relieved and finally for a very long time felt a sense of safety for myself and my children. I do not want my children to suffer as I have.”
Naima and Aalim are just two of thousands of asylum seekers here in the UK. Latest annual figures show there were nearly 70,000 individuals awaiting an outcome on their asylum claim across the UK. Only 50 have achieved settled status in Wales this year.
Although moving to the UK has come with various challenges for Naima and Aalim they both remain hugely grateful for the support they have received from charities in Cardiff. Both Naima and Aalim named one person in particular who has gone above and beyond to help them adjust to their new surroundings.
Naima said: “The person who made me love Cardiff is Rose from Care 4 Calais. Rose is now like a sister and she is very precious in my life. She has given me and my children food, clothes, and gifts like make-up for my teenage daughter. It has really helped and made a difference. My family allowance from the government is £158 per week for five people.”
Aalim echoed this sentiment, adding: “Never have I seen before someone so welcoming to a migrant in a city. She brought me food and she still does sometimes. It’s not easy for me to ask for help because in my culture I am the man and I should be helping my family and my people. But I have now been given a safe home and a happy feeling.”
The Rose they mention is Rose Beardmore, a single mum from Cardiff, who has been volunteering for Care 4 Calais while looking after her 20-month-old daughter. She has been part of the organisation for less than a year but has evidently made a big impression. She said: “Volunteering for Care 4 Calais is amazing every day. It has given me the chance to learn so much.
“I was originally just a drop-off point for donations during Covid but now I am actually supporting individuals with a lot of different charities. I might not have a lot but I have far more than a lot of people.”
After Christmas Rose is helping to organise a special market for asylum seekers. There will be food, toys, and clothes up for grabs. Guests will just need to bring a bag to fill up and the rest is free.
But, to make this the best it can be, Rose is asking that people in Cardiff bear the charity in mind and donate any unwanted gifts or sealed food items.
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