Lucy speaks to Abdulrahman Bdiwi, Lived Experience Involvement Officer at Breaking Barriers, about his experience of starting a new life in Britain after coming here via the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme. In a remarkably honest and revealing conversation, Abdulrahman describes the many challenges he and his family have lived through and how he has set about successfully building a new life.

You can find out more about the organisations Abdulrahman mentions by following the links below. To learn more about Haringey Welcome’s work please visit our website at https://haringeywelcome.org/ or follow us on Twitter @HaringeyWelcome. You can also drop us an email at refugeeswelcomeharingey@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you!

Organisations mentioned by Abdulrahman
Breaking Barriers
https://breaking-barriers.co.uk/
Safe Passage
https://www.safepassage.org.uk/
British Red Cross
https://www.redcross.org.uk/
Citizens UK
https://www.citizensuk.org/
Voices Network
https://www.redcross.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/how-we-support-refugees/voices-network

Further information
Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) for Syrian refugees (now closed)
https://www.unhcr.org/uk/news/latest/2021/3/6059f1fd4/the-uks-syria-resettlement-progamme-looking-back-and-ahead.ht
The Hostile Environment explained
https://www.jcwi.org.uk/the-hostile-environment-explained
Right to Remain toolkit
https://righttoremain.org.uk/toolkit/
Refugee resettlement facts
https://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/information/refugee-asylum-facts/refugee-resettlement-facts/
‘What Would a safe, accessible, effective asylum system look like?’
https://www.jcwi.org.uk/what-would-a-safe-accessible-effective-asylum-system-look-like
Amnesty International Syria report 2022
https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/middle-east-and-north-africa/syria/report-syria/