I AM SO PROUD OF MY CHILDREN | CELEBRATING THREE YEARS OF ELMBRIDGE CAN
28 January 2020
Karim moved to the UK just over 3 years ago. He was the lead neurosurgeon at a large hospital in northern Syria. Like many others, he and his wife and 3 children were forced to flee when ISIS took control of the area.
Karim had to leave his wife and three children on the war-torn Turkey/Syria border while he travelled overland to the UK. He was granted asylum here in June 2016 and, after a long family reunion application process, his wife and children joined him here in January 2017.
His was the first family Elmbridge CAN helped to resettle in the area.
To celebrate our anniversary, we caught up with Karim, his wife Betoul (a consultant obstetrician) and his youngest son, Jan at their home in Hinchley Wood to find out what the last few years have been like, how settled they feel now, and what their hopes are for the future.
Karim had to leave his wife and three children on the war-torn Turkey/Syria border while he travelled overland to the UK. He was granted asylum here in June 2016 and, after a long family reunion application process, his wife and children joined him here in January 2017.
His was the first family Elmbridge CAN helped to resettle in the area.
To celebrate our anniversary, we caught up with Karim, his wife Betoul (a consultant obstetrician) and his youngest son, Jan at their home in Hinchley Wood to find out what the last few years have been like, how settled they feel now, and what their hopes are for the future.
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When I walk into Karim’s house I’m immediately struck by how warm, welcoming and hospitable they are. I chat to Jan about school and football and how good he is at maths while he kicks his ball around. “See that mirror?” he exclaims, gesturing to a mirror with a giant piece of glass missing. “I did that! Last week, with my football!” It all sounds very familiar – I’ve just discovered a broken lamp at home, also the victim of a football kicked too hard in the wrong direction.
Karim has 2 other children, daughters, Jian and Rawan – who has Cerebral Palsy. He offers me some strong coffee and we start to chat... |
Image © Elmbridge CAN
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Interview by Katie McIntosh
How did Elmbridge CAN help when you first came to the UK?
When I first came to England, Refugees at Home found me somewhere to live in Esher. I was there until 2017 when my family were finally allowed to join me in the UK. When they came, Elmbridge CAN helped with everything – arranging school places for my children, furniture, food and money. They even supported me in finding a family home so that we could rent and be together, as the place I was living in wasn’t big enough for us all.
Was it hard getting your family from Turkey to the UK with limited English?
My Refugees at Home host, Steve Wells (who is now Chair of Elmbridge CAN), found me a solicitor. She wrote letters to the Home Office to support my application for the Right to Remain, and arranged for the family’s visas so they could join me. South East Turkey is particularly hard to move from – so Elmbridge CAN helped with hotel bookings and flights.
Your English is exceptional. Were you already able to speak English?
RefuAid helped by arranging an intensive English course at Kingston and Wimbledon School of English for me, my wife and daughter, Jian. But my eldest daughter, Rawan, is disabled and couldn’t go to the same college. Elmbridge CAN arranged tutors for her at home. Jan has grown up here (he’s now 8) so speaks fluent English.
What about work – have you been able to practice neurosurgery here, and your wife obstetrics?
My wife is unwell at the moment, so is focusing on her health while also continuing to learn English.
I hope to start working as a neurosurgeon again very soon. I have a contract with St George’s Hospital in Tooting, to observe in theatre and on ward rounds and to make sure my career English is as good as it needs to be. I’m trying to get my General Medical Council certification so that I can accept a full-time role there, but it’s a very bureaucratic process.
I established the neurosurgery and spinal department at the hospital I worked in back in Syria. It was awful leaving my patients – terrible things made me do that.
I’m talking about my experiences – at universities, colleges and Elmbridge CAN events. I’m proud that talking about what’s happened to me and my family has helped people to donate money [that in turn] helps others.
I still have friends and family in Syria and I often can’t sleep at night thinking about them – my people are suffering and it’s very hard. Jan still has nightmares about our time squeezed into a boat trying to find safety. It’s important for me to talk about this.
Do you feel part of the local community now?
Yes. They are brilliant people… sociable and welcoming. It helps that there are good bus links so we can get around easily too. Jan plays football all the time, he’s part of a team and that means we’re travelling all over the place and meeting new people along the way.
What do you hope for your children?
I am so proud of my children. They’re doing so well. Jeannie and Steve, from Elmbridge CAN, helped us to get disability status for Rawan so she is able to get the support she needs to do well here. She loves music and is working on her English. Jian is working towards her GCSEs and would like to go into medicine, and Jan is so bright, and mad about football. I want them to be happy.
When I first came to England, Refugees at Home found me somewhere to live in Esher. I was there until 2017 when my family were finally allowed to join me in the UK. When they came, Elmbridge CAN helped with everything – arranging school places for my children, furniture, food and money. They even supported me in finding a family home so that we could rent and be together, as the place I was living in wasn’t big enough for us all.
Was it hard getting your family from Turkey to the UK with limited English?
My Refugees at Home host, Steve Wells (who is now Chair of Elmbridge CAN), found me a solicitor. She wrote letters to the Home Office to support my application for the Right to Remain, and arranged for the family’s visas so they could join me. South East Turkey is particularly hard to move from – so Elmbridge CAN helped with hotel bookings and flights.
Your English is exceptional. Were you already able to speak English?
RefuAid helped by arranging an intensive English course at Kingston and Wimbledon School of English for me, my wife and daughter, Jian. But my eldest daughter, Rawan, is disabled and couldn’t go to the same college. Elmbridge CAN arranged tutors for her at home. Jan has grown up here (he’s now 8) so speaks fluent English.
What about work – have you been able to practice neurosurgery here, and your wife obstetrics?
My wife is unwell at the moment, so is focusing on her health while also continuing to learn English.
I hope to start working as a neurosurgeon again very soon. I have a contract with St George’s Hospital in Tooting, to observe in theatre and on ward rounds and to make sure my career English is as good as it needs to be. I’m trying to get my General Medical Council certification so that I can accept a full-time role there, but it’s a very bureaucratic process.
I established the neurosurgery and spinal department at the hospital I worked in back in Syria. It was awful leaving my patients – terrible things made me do that.
I’m talking about my experiences – at universities, colleges and Elmbridge CAN events. I’m proud that talking about what’s happened to me and my family has helped people to donate money [that in turn] helps others.
I still have friends and family in Syria and I often can’t sleep at night thinking about them – my people are suffering and it’s very hard. Jan still has nightmares about our time squeezed into a boat trying to find safety. It’s important for me to talk about this.
Do you feel part of the local community now?
Yes. They are brilliant people… sociable and welcoming. It helps that there are good bus links so we can get around easily too. Jan plays football all the time, he’s part of a team and that means we’re travelling all over the place and meeting new people along the way.
What do you hope for your children?
I am so proud of my children. They’re doing so well. Jeannie and Steve, from Elmbridge CAN, helped us to get disability status for Rawan so she is able to get the support she needs to do well here. She loves music and is working on her English. Jian is working towards her GCSEs and would like to go into medicine, and Jan is so bright, and mad about football. I want them to be happy.
I leave full of chocolate and coffee (Karim and Betoul are generous hosts) and complete admiration for this incredible family, who have been through so much and yet continue to give so much.
Karim leaves me in no doubt that the support Elmbridge CAN offered in those first days of resettlement has made a huge difference to him and his family, helping them not just to be safe but also settled and active member of the community.
To everyone who donated to our first crowd-funder campaign for Karim or has supported our work to resettle other families since then – from the bottom of our hearts, thank you.
Karim leaves me in no doubt that the support Elmbridge CAN offered in those first days of resettlement has made a huge difference to him and his family, helping them not just to be safe but also settled and active member of the community.
To everyone who donated to our first crowd-funder campaign for Karim or has supported our work to resettle other families since then – from the bottom of our hearts, thank you.
Karim often speaks at Elmbridge CAN events alongside Steve, our Chair and Karim’s original Refugees at Home host. If you’d like to hear him speak, please keep an eye on our events page for details of upcoming events.