Story of Faris

My name is Faris; I am 42 and an Iraqi refugee living in Turkey. I came here in April 2014, and I am based in Cankiri. The journey was so dangerous as I was terrified of the Assab Alhaq militia in Salah Aldeen, Baghdad. I was in management in Translation and Interpretation at GLS that supported Operation Iraqi Freedom. I would be kidding myself if I returned to Iraq. To them, I am a traitorous agent; I can never go back. It would be too dangerous.

I am not studying now, but I want to ensure I create a promising future for my children. My favourite hobbies are music and writing. I am trying to make my life better. I love to eat lots of vegetables and chicken soup when I cook!

My goal in life for my family is to get to a stable third country. I have been trying to do this since 2014. I like it in Turkey, it is beautiful, but only as a visitor. It is not stable. The rest of my family and friends are in the USA. While the living condition is not excellent for us, we still really thank the Turkish government and are very grateful for the people to have accepted us and for hosting us.

I have two children, my daughter, Maryam, and my son, Ali. They are my life and my heart. It is tough for them. They are tired and upset from discrimination at school. They often come home crying. I know some of my friends are suffering as much as me. It kills me and hurts so much. We try to talk when we get a chance. My wife never deserved to be here and suffer like this. Living in Turkey has made it so much harder.

We have been suffering since 2014 without resettlement or any rights. I have sponsorship from an American; we served together in Iraq. He has supported me until now, but I cannot get anything here without work. How can I pay what I owe for rent, bills, and food? It is impossible. The hurtful thing is when your kids ask for simple things, and you cannot afford them.

I want people and the world to know about me. I am just like others. I am a father in need of a better life for his family. I am looking forward to when that day comes. I am so tired from all of this, and I hope this year is the last year of suffering.

Written by Gigi