Welcome to voices

Part of the mandate of JRS is to share the voices of refugees. On this World Refugee Day, this section is dedicated to those whose lives and voices we'd like to share. Here you will find stories from refugees, their joys and sorrows, hopes, successes and the challenges they face rebuilding their lives. 

Thailand: Leaving the refugee camp for a Czech university 03 avril 2013 Brno, 4 April 2013— My name is Ni Ni Win. I fled from Bago, Burma, in 1999 when I was 26. My family feared for our safety because my uncle, a politician, was imprisoned. We sought asylum at the Thai-Burma border in Mae La refugee camp. I lived there for three years, before finding Erasmus Mundus, a scholarship programme, at Mazaryck University in the Czech Republic. Read more >>

Thailand: Voices from the factory 01 janvier 2013 Mae Sot, 31 December 2012 — Thailand is home to hundreds of thousands of Burmese migrant workers, and more than 100,000 of them are employed in Mae Sot's factories. Read more >>

Cambodia: searching for a state to belong to 12 décembre 2012 Phnom Penh, 12 December 2012 — Ibrahim, a young man of 32, has been in Cambodia for nearly three years. His home is Myanmar, more specifically Arakan state— he is Rohingya. He is part of a Muslim minority from Myanmar, which has faced persecution for decades. Many consider this population to be stateless, as Myanmar does not recognise people of this ethnicity as citizens. Read more >>

Indonesia: Escape from Rakhine state 12 novembre 2012 Cisarua, 13 November 2012 — Eight years ago after we celebrated Eid Al-Adha, a four-day Islamic religious holiday, my family was swimming in the seaside when suddenly the army came and took the men away. For three days we were forced to porter, carrying heavy loads of up to 60 kg on our backs for kilometres at a time. Read more >>

Papua New Guinea: Reaching potential against the odds 08 novembre 2012 Port Moresby, 9 November 2012 – Like any other young girl, Anna grew up with a love for fairy tales – princes and princesses, people in dire situations and a hero coming to save the day. But Anna’s life has been anything but a fairy tale. As a West Papuan refugee born and raised in Papua New Guinea (PNG), she realised growing up that without citizenship her life would be more difficult than others'. Read more >>

Indonesia: carving livelihoods through handicrafts 26 août 2012 Bogor, 26 August 2012 – I met Mahani* in her home in Indonesia. She was cooking lunch with her three children, aged 13, seven and six. In her modest home, she spends her days making handicrafts to support the family, taking care of her children, and waiting for the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) to decide whether or not she is a refugee. Her hope for the future rests on resettlement. Read more >>

Canada: starting fresh after fleeing Cambodia 09 septembre 2012 Vancouver, 3 September 2012 — More than 165,000 refugees reside in Canada, according to the latest UNHCR statistics, and yet many of their stories are left untold. Read more >>

Thailand: my journey from Burma 23 avril 2012 Mae Sot, 20 April, 2012 – After making it through to Thailand, Ma Yu is still wondering when she will be safe. Read more >>

Timor Leste: leaving a better land for our children 22 avril 2012 Dili, 16 April, 2012 – When Anita Maria de Jesus and her husband finished their education, they decided to do something different with what they learned: make the land better for their son. And that's what they did. Through new traditional rules and education efforts, they are hoping their land will remain fruitful for generations to come. Read more >>

Philippines: carpentry in a post-conflict and post-disaster community 16 avril 2012 Bubong, 16 April 2012 – Fortunato is the carpenter JRS hired to build permanent houses for the 50 Muslim families who lost their homes during the typhoon Sendong that hit Bubong, Lanao del Sur in December 2011. Read more >>

Cambodia: veteran landmine campaigner seeks concrete results from UN conference 22 novembre 2011 Geneva, 21 November 2011 — The International Campaign to Ban Landmines recently interviewed Sr Denise Coghlan, Jesuit Refugee Service Cambodia Director – and member of the Cambodian Campaign to Ban Landmines. Sr Denise has been based in Cambodia and involved in the landmine issue and the campaign for more than 20 years. Read more >>

Thailand: young and alone in Bangkok - a story of survival 07 novembre 2011 Bangkok, 08 November 2011 – Nikou is 28. She fled Iran after being arrested during a protest and imprisoned without a trial for over a year. Now she is seeking asylum in Bangkok, waiting and hoping the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will declare her a refugee and resettle her to a new country. Read more >>

Thailand: Friends in detention 10 octobre 2011 Bangkok, 10 October 2011 – I have been living in Bangkok’s Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) with my wife and three small children since December, when we were arrested while sleeping in our home. We were considered illegal migrants after overstaying our visa while we were seeking asylum in Thailand. Luckily, since our arrest we have finished our refugee status determination and have been accepted as refugees. Read more >>

Thailand: 'My destination is peace' 18 août 2011 Bangkok, 18 August 2011 – My name is Sadi. I’m from Pakistan. I’m an Ahmadi Muslim and I’m an asylum seeker. I’m in Bangkok with my wife and two kids for 16 months. Read more >>

Thailand: Preparing for resettlement and starting over 28 juillet 2011 Bangkok, 28 July, 2011 – "I won’t believe I am truly leaving until I am sitting on the plane," Az said, just days before leaving Thailand for resettlement in the United States. Read more >>

Australia: 'Like a fish out of water, dying every moment,' life in detention 21 juin 2011 Australia, 20 June, 2011 – We thank you all in the world who for remembering us, noticing us, for becoming our voice and raising it to the world outside of immigration detention and imprisonment. Read more >>

Thailand: Arriving with nothing but giving everything 17 juin 2011 Mae Sot, 20 May, 2011 – Marlar sat on the bamboo floor of her home that serves as a shop, safe house and sometimes medical clinic. She prepared betel nut, a mixture of tobacco and areca nut and lime wrapped in a betel leaf, for the visiting JRS staff to chew while she told us about her work. Read more >>

Australia: Why we are here - one detainee's poem 16 juin 2011 Sydney, 16 June 2011 – Dunia loves to write. Dunia in Arabic and Indonesia means "World". When asked whether he is still writing in detention, and this was his reply: Read more >>

Thailand: Beyond the playground - young girl makes the most of education 03 juin 2011 Bangkok, 03 June 2011 – We first met Khin Chor Su at her elementary school. Her teachers were impressed with her dedication to her studies and thought we should meet her to hear about the importance of education for Burmese migrants in Ranong, Thailand. Read more >>

Timor Leste: Village chief sees a path for community's future 13 mai 2011 Becora, 13 May, 2011 – Mr Antonio, is the chief of Becora village. Becora is one of four villages where JRS is implementing housing and capacity building programmes. Mr Antonio, reflects on the challenges faced in his Village. Read more >>

Timor Leste: A new home leads to a new future 10 mai 2011 Dili, 11 May, 2011 – Ms Angelina Fernandes was born in 1970 in a district near Dili. When she got married she and her husband moved to Suco Camea, Dili. Not long after that, her husband died, leaving her alone with her three children, 15, 13 and two. During the 2006 fighting with Indonesia, she fled with her kids and took refuge at the parish of Santa Teresinha in Camea. Read more >>

Thailand: Mother hopes to give her ‘precious gift’ a better life 29 mars 2011 Bangkok, 29 March, 2011 – Anyone looking at Zena would want to be friends with her. With a background in law and language, she radiates self-confidence and has a magnetic warmth. Her fun, youthful style could easily be misinterpreted as carefree. Read more >>

Timor Leste: Raising children into old age 10 mars 2011 Dili, 17 March 2011 – After raising ten children, Teresa Alves, 65, is not thinking of relaxing. Instead, she works every day caring for her grandson. Read more >>

Timor Leste: Family enjoys a new home late in life 15 mars 2011 Hera, 15 March 2011 – After 67 years, Mr and Mrs Simão said they have a second chance at life. After receiving building supplies for a new home, the husband and wife, along with their daughter began working on not only a new house, but a new vision for their future. Read more >>

Timor Leste: Neighbours come together to remember a friend 17 mars 2011 Hera, 10 March, 2011 – While João was never able to enjoy the home he was going to build with his neighbours, the entire village came together to build in his honour. He died before construction was able to begin, so his friends used the supplies to build him a coffin and grave marker. Read more >>

Indonesia: Anywhere but home 04 mars 2011 Medan, 7 March – My name is Mohammed. I am a Hazara Afghan from the Kandahar province. I am 21. During the Taliban rule in Jaghori the situation was very bad. The Taliban didn’t allow distribution of food so my father and my brother opened a restaurant in the Kandahar province, which is the capital of the Taliban government. Read more >>

Thailand: Mary's House is home to many 31 janvier 2011 Wiang Hang, 31 January, 2011– Mary shuffles slowly through her home. At 75-years old, it takes her longer to get around than it used to. After running her orphanage – modestly named Mary’s House – for 11 years, she admits that she feels her age. Read more >>

Mary's House is home to many who need her 31 janvier 2011 Wiang Hang, 31 January, 2011 -- Mary shuffles slowly through her home. At 75-years old, it takes her longer to get around than it used to. After running her orphanage -- modestly named Mary’s House-- for 11 years, she admits that she feels her age. Read more >>

Thailand: From fear to future – becoming a leader after persecution 16 décembre 2010 Mae Hon Song, 16 December 2010 – As Khu Bue Reh sits at his desk in the corner of a dusty classroom in Northern Thailand’s Ban Mai Nai Soi refugee camp, the responsibility of his new position ways heavily on his slight shoulders. Read more >>

Thailand: Spending teen years detained 13 janvier 2011 Bangkok, 14 January 2010 – Looking at Divea, she seems like an average 18-year-old girl. Wearing a fashionable denim skirt with a t-shirt and long, black hair, she could easily fit in at her high school back in Sri Lanka. But after speaking with Divea for a few minutes, you may forget that she is only 18. Unfortunately, she seems to have forgotten as well. After spending over a year detained in Bangkok's Immigration Detention Centre, she says she has been forced to grow up fast. Read more >>

Thailand: Surviving for the sake of her baby 12 janvier 2011 Bangkok,13 December 2010 – Amina came to Bangkok looking for a new life for her and her baby. “(I hoped for) a free life compared to Djibouti,” Amina said. "Freedom on what I want to eat, where to go to church, etc. No one to control me". Read more >>

Timor Leste: Returnees find hardship at home 26 juillet 2010 Dili, 26 July 2010 – Helena is a 50-year-old widow living in the Timorese village of Becora. Her day starts early. By 6am she is washing clothes for a local laundrette. The small amount of money she receives is just enough to feed her four children and keep three of them in school. There simply isn’t enough money to pay the fees for her 8-year-old son. Read more >>

Timor Leste: Ageing couple receive new home 26 juillet 2010 Dili, 26 July 2010 – Maria Simao and her husband live with their 40 year-old daughter, Jacinta, in the hamlet of Moris Foun, about an hour’s drive, along a mountainous and pot-holed road, from the capital, Dili. Read more >>

Thailand: Sri Lankan refugees left languishing in Bangkok 23 juillet 2010 Bangkok, 23 July 2010 – Nathan and his family are recognised refugees. They fled Sri Lanka after Nathan was kidnapped and held for ransom by an armed group. Now residing in Thailand, Nathan and his family face a daily struggle for survival in a country that refuses to acknowledge their status as refugees; leaving them exposed to the risks of arrest, indefinite detention and removal to a country where their lives or freedoms would be threatened. Read more >>

Cambodia: Without rights and opportunities, integration is an illusion for urban refugees 23 juillet 2010 Phnom Penh, 23 July 2010 – Htin and his wife, Myaing, are recognised refugees from Burma. They managed to escape persecution from the Burmese junta for their pro-democratic activities, only to find themselves struggling with day-to-day life in Cambodia. Read more >>

Cambodia: Somali refugee resettled in the US 23 juillet 2010 Phnom Penh, 23 July 2010 – Omar came to the JRS office the day he was about to leave for America. He brought with him a piece of paper with ‘St Louis’ written on it. He sat in my office and we looked at a map of America and found St Louis. He asked me if it was very cold there. Read more >>

Thailand: Living in fear of detention and deportation 20 juin 2010 Az Bhatti fled Pakistan due to religious persecution in September 2008. He is one of an estimated 2,600 urban refugees and asylum seekers living in Bangkok, Thailand. Az Bhatti is from a religious minority group called the Ahmadiyya who are considered heretical by orthodox Muslims in Pakistan. A number of laws have been passed that make it a criminal offence for Ahmadis to profess, practice and preach their faith. “We can’t use Muslim verses. We can’t even say salaam alaikum,” says Az sadly. Read more >>

Philippines: Etre charpentier dans une communauté sortant des conflits et d'un désastre 16 avril 2012 Bubong, 16 avril 2012 – Fortunato Anggot, âgé de 56 ans, exerce le métier de charpentier depuis son apprentissage avec son père à l'âge de 16 ans. Lire la suite >>>

Thaïlande : vivre dans la crainte de la détention et de la déportation 20 juin 2010 Az Bhatti a fui le Pakistan suite à des persécutions religieuses en septembre 2008. Il est un des quelque 2.600 réfugiés urbains et demandeurs d'asile vivant à Bangkok, en Thaïlande. Az fait partie d'une minorité religieuse appelée les Ahmadiyya, qui sont considérés comme hérétiques par les musulmans orthodoxes au Pakistan. De nombreuses lois sont passées qui rendent délit pénal pour les Ahmadis de professer, pratiquer et prêcher leur foi : « Nous ne pouvons pas utiliser les versets musulmans .Nous ne pouvons même pas dire salaam alaikum » dit Az tristement. Lire la suite >>>

Filipinas: una carpintería para después del conflicto y del desastre 16 avril 2012 Bubong,16 de abril de 2012 – Fortunato Anggot, de 56 años, ha trabajado como carpintero desde que, a sus 16 años, empezó a viajar con su padre como aprendiz. Leer más >>>

Tailandia: viviendo con el temor a la detención y la deportación 20 juin 2010 Az Bhatti huyó de la persecución religiosa en Pakistán en septiembre de 2008. Él es uno de los 2.600 refugiados urbanos y solicitantes de asilo que viven en Bangkok, Tailandia. Az forma parte de un grupo religioso minoritario llamado los Ahmadiyya, considerados herejes por los musulmanes ortodoxos de Pakistán. Se han aprobado leyes que convierten en delito punible que los Ahmadis profesen, practiquen y oren de acuerdo a su fe. "No podemos usar versículos musulmanes. Ni siquiera podemos decir salaam alaikum," dice Az con tristeza. Leer más >>>

Filippine: falegnameria in una comunità sopravvissuta al conflitto e al disastro 16 avril 2012 Bubong, 16 aprile 2012 – Fortunato Anggot, oggi 56enne, è sempre stato un falegname: fin da quando a 16 anni, da apprendista, seguiva il padre nei suoi spostamenti. Segue >>>

Tailandia. Vivere nel timore della detenzione e della deportazione 20 juin 2010 Az Bhatti è fuggito dal Pakistan a causa della persecuzione religiosa del settembre 2008. E' uno dei circa 2.600 rifugiati urbani e richiedenti asilo che vivono a Bangkok, in Tailandia. Az appartiene a una minoranza chiamata Ahmadiyya, considerata eretica dai musulmani ortodossi del Pakistan. Segue >>>