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Infovault

REFUGEE VOICES - SAY IT WITH FEELING

At the very heart of our RAP sessions are the refugees and asylum seekers who talk about their experiences. Their words can change minds. Often it’s only when people hear these first-hand accounts of the terrible circumstances that force folks to flee, that they understand these complex situations more clearly.

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Therese

From Democratic Republic of Congo to the UK and USA

Thérèse is the daughter of one of the founders of the main opposition party in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). She lived in the capital city, Kinshasa. While there, she trained at university in international law, spent time as a trainee magistrate and worked in a developmental charity.

However, after taking part in a demonstration, Thérèse was targeted by government-backed secret police who kidnapped her and interrogated her for three days. She was beaten and raped but kept her real identity from them.

She was freed but discovered that the police had found out who she really was. She could not even go to work in her solicitors’ office for fear of being caught. She was forced to flee, as were many of her brothers and sisters.

After paying an agent, she arrived in the UK and claimed asylum. She was refused at the first hearing but an appeal court judge granted her asylum. However, the Home Office challenged this. She eventually won the right to indefinite leave to remain at the end of 2005.

“I received the letter confirming my refugee status on Christmas Eve. I was so happy. When I opened the letter I screamed and shouted and I phoned my family to tell them and they were so relieved.

“Many of my family have been forced to flee too and are in various countries, but my father remains in the DRC. I was going to a party that night with other people from my country, and for me it was also a celebration of my status as well as Christmas.

“I am currently studying English for Business level 2 at college. In the next five years I hope that I can continue my career in law. To become a solicitor in the UK I need to study for a further two years, and to become a barrister I need to study for four years. I hope to become a solicitor in family law. What I have to look at now is how to finance this. I may find work in a shop or a similar job so I can save money. I also want to take an IT course, which will improve my skills.

“Before I had to flee I was married to my partner in a traditional wedding. We were planning our religious wedding when I had to leave. We have managed to keep in touch but have now been apart for two years. I want to be reunited with him so we can marry and start a family. I also want to be reunited with my brothers; this is the most important thing to me as I look to the next five years.

“It is not easy to integrate into the UK, and I would like to become fluent in English. I have not experienced racism but I have experienced some hostile attitudes, for instance from people in the street when you ask directions, and from staff in the hospital.

“This is a very different culture. For instance, I have been out at night and find people drink more alcohol and shout on the buses, which can be scary. I want to feel more a part of Britain, I want to gain more confidence and build a future.”

UPDATE:

Thérèse recently had a joyful reunion with her husband in the USA where they are now living.

Please don’t reproduce this story in any other format without prior permission. Some names have been changed.

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