20 to 26 June is Refugee Week – a national week of awareness highlighting the struggles faced by refugees.
To mark Refugee Week, the Telegraph & Argus has spoken to people who were forced to flee their homelands and have since found sanctuary in Bradford.
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Today, we hear from Mohammed Amin, co-founder of charity AROUK. He lives off Leeds Road and moved to Bradford 10 years ago.
In December, Amin saw his mother and his siblings for the first time in almost a decade.
Persecution tore his family apart, denied him education and gave him trauma which he thinks about every day.
“I cried when I saw them. I was so happy to give them a big hug,” he says.
“But it was also heart-breaking to see them in the same situation they’ve been in for over 30 years.”
Amin’s family live in Nayapara Refugee Camp, Bangladesh, where he spent the first 23 years of his life.
They are Rohingya – one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.
The Rohingya maintain they are indigenous to Myanmar, but have been killed and forced out by Buddhist extremists.
Amin is one of between 600 and 700 Rohingya who, since the Gateway Protection Programme began in 2008, have found sanctuary in Bradford – home to the largest Rohingya community in Europe.
“I’m lucky to be in Bradford, and I’m so happy I can give back,” says Amin, 33.
“I’m proud to be Rohingya, proud to be British and proud to be a Bradfordian.”
Amin runs AROUK, a charity off White Abbey Road which supports the Rohingya and people of all backgrounds.
AROUK has given food parcels to Bradfordians in need, tablets to children from low-income families to study during the pandemic and translated vaccine and Covid-19 advice for local Rohingya and Bangla speakers.
Amin was named the Covid Community Star at the T&A’s Community Stars 2021.
He also studies computer science at the University of Bolton, and his story is even more impressive as he grew up with no education and couldn’t speak any English when he got here.
“I am proud, because I started with nothing,” he says.
His journey was far from an overnight success, however.
“The trauma I’ve been through is unimaginable,” he says.
“I’ve carried it all my life. Sometimes I cry.
“In the camp, there isn’t enough food, clothing or access to education – I only learned letters and numbers.
“You live in shelters, made of bamboo. If you go to the British countryside, you’ll see sheds where animals live, which are stronger.
“I was one of 12 people in one 10x10 shed. In bed, me and my siblings were stacked together, like how you would file books or something.
“I constantly think about it. Even though I have so much here, I can’t be happy. I miss my family so much.
“I speak to my mum every day, she’s poorly, so I’m stressed as Bangladesh doesn’t have adequate healthcare.”
Amin was unable to share pictures of his family, as he was worried about repercussions from authorities.
He wants them to join him in Bradford, but says the process is difficult.
“It’s always been hard, but it’s getting harder,” he says.
“I made an application, it’s been two years and I haven’t heard back. People at the top are making it harder for victims to seek safety.”
Although grateful to be in Bradford, Amin admits moving to the UK was bittersweet. He came alone, leaving his family, and struggled to adapt.
“I couldn’t speak the language and I had no friends,” he says.
“It took me two years to feel confident enough to speak to people in Bradford. I was scared, I didn’t know how to shop, how to use transport.
“But I made friends at college, worked part-time in a warehouse and volunteered with Refugee Action and the Red Cross.
“I’m grateful to everyone, including Horton Housing, Shipley College and Bradford College, who always support refugees.”
Amin added that there is more to Refugee Week than just celebrating success stories.
“It’s also about taking action,” he says.
“Everyone has a right to safety. Nobody chooses to flee, it’s the perpetrators of persecution making this happen.
“When I support someone, it makes me happier than receiving support.
“I want to improve the lives of others.”
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