Brothers reunited

“The smugglers kept me in Libya for months. The beat us, electrocuted us, locked us up… sometimes they point a gun at my head and say “Maybe today we shoot you. Maybe this is the end.” One day I looked at them and said “Shoot me. It would be better than this life. Better than this.” I just wanted it to end.

My brother is not that just by blood, he is my best friend. We were always together in Eritrea but we were separated when we had to leave. When I was held by the smugglers in Libya I couldn’t speak to him for months, it was so hard. When I made it to Ventimiglia, I called him straightaway. He just said “Brother, I am so happy…I can’t speak right now, I can’t. I will call you when I can speak again.” It took him two days to be able to call me back and then he told me he was holding a party because I was alive, and we could be together again.

I made it from Italy to Calais, the same route that he did about a year before. But I can’t make it to the UK. My brother, he is there, the Home Office said he is a refugee and he has papers to stay because our situtation in Eritrea was too dangerous. But I am in Calais, trying to make it to him. He does everything he can to help me and we speak as often as possible. But he cannot help me reach him safely. And that is all we want – to have our new life together. Work hard and be together.”

My friend’s story broke my heart. This is why the family reunion rules need to be changed, and quickly. Why are we keeping these brothers apart? There should be a way for them to legally be together. We would all want to be with our loved ones after suffering the traumas that they both have. Please help more refugees like them to be reunited with their family members by calling on your MP to attend tomorrow’s debate and tell them that this is an issue you care about.

It will take just a couple of minutes to add your voice to help brothers and sisters be together. Please sign via the link below and share and ask everyone you know to as well.
https://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/savethedate