The awful plight of a refugee family in Wales

Martin Shipton

A refugee from what has been dubbed the most dangerous city in the world has told of his family’s miserable plight, living in Wales with no income and no job.

Kochar – not his real name – was trafficked to the UK in 2017, Now 30, he comes originally from Aleppo in Syria, where there is recognised to be a constant high risk of terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping or hostage taking and armed conflict.

He came to Cardiff to join his older brother, and was granted settled status. For months Kochar has demonstrated outside the Senedd with placards, explaining to politicians and other visitors the nature of his family’s difficulties.

Study

He told Nation.Cymru: “After arriving in Wales I was able to get a place to study in higher education. I have a degree in Accounting & Finance from Cardiff Metropolitan University, graduating in 2021. I have been actively looking for a job since my first year at Cardiff Met, when I started engaging with the career service there.

“Since then, I secured several volunteering roles, I worked as a bartender, night porter, and in a few other jobs to prepare myself for life after graduation. I have submitted hundreds and hundreds of job applications every year since 2018 for anything within my discipline, but all my attempts have been unsuccessful so far.

“For six months I had a school leaver job but was unfairly dismissed because a supervisor didn’t like me, even though I was able to do the work. So, despite all my great efforts since 2018 to secure a job, I have been left jobless as we approach 2025. I am still looking for an entry-level job with a minimum income salary which seems to me completely unfair.

“I tried several not-for-profit organisations that help job seekers, but all of them directed me back to Cardiff Met University, saying they are best placed to help me. Unfortunately they haven’t been able to find me a job either.”

Kochar said that during his time at the university he came up with an idea that he thought would lead to a successful business, importing stone from Syria. He built a website and became registered as self-employed by the Department for Work and Pensions. Unfortunately the business did not take off, but he was saddled with the self-employed classification, and has been declined universal credit by the DWP. With the help of Citizens’ Advice, he has made a complaint to the Ombudsman about the DWP’s decision. He is also taking the DWP to a benefits tribunal.

Cardiff Met

He said: “My brother wants to study Dental Technology at Cardiff Met. He meets all entry requirements except reaching the required English language level in the IELTS exam. He scored 5.5 and they need 6.5 I think. He has been trying to secure a place at the University since 2017 but with no luck. When I started protesting at Cardiff Met before moving to the Senedd, a manager at the university told me the dental technology school should offer my brother a place because one of the main assessment criteria is that this course should make a real impact on the student’s life.

“I advised her that he is a refugee and a carer for our mother. I also said his financial circumstances are extremely difficult, and that he has been aspiring to study dental technology since he was in Syria, and brought this dream with him to Cardiff. She advised me to re-submit his application again for this current year which he did.

“I also received an email from another manager, telling me that ‘Cardiff Met supports refugees in a variety of ways, including mitigating circumstances for entry to our academic programmes”. Yet unfortunately the dental technology is insisting on a 6.5 score before they will consider my brother for the course. His English language is very good and is a lot better than many international students who score 7 in IELTS. My brother has been in the UK for around eight or nine years now. He submitted his application once again for this year and is waiting for their response. We fear that they will refuse it again.”

Schooling

Kochar said the fourth problem involved his sister, who arrived in Cardiff about eight years ago via the family reunification scheme. She was only 16 and tried to continue her schooling, but no school in Cardiff admitted her because there were no places available. So she is now an adult and is wholly excluded from the community, with no work, no state benefit and no income whatsoever.”

Kochar said he had paused his Senedd protest because its summer recess has begun. Members of the Senedd who spoke to him had shown various degrees of sympathy, but he and his family remain in limbo.

He said: “We are war refugees. We wouldn’t have left Syria unless our lives were at risk. Some people seem to think that refugees are living in luxury and having a good life, but we are struggling.

“We get our rent paid by the state, but the only personal benefit we get is child benefit for our three-year-old daughter. Otherwise we live on small amounts of money my mother is able to provide from her savings. I would love to get a job, but nothing turns up.”

Kochar asked us not to use his real name because of his family’s embarrassment at the difficulties they find themselves in.