through the eyes of a refugee © UNHCR/ Andrew McConnell
His passion reignited, Hany heard that some of his friends who had also fled Syria were now beginning their university studies in places like Germany and Sweden. Hany applied for asylum. A year
later, Canada
called, offering the Al Moliya family resettlement in Regina through the government-sponsored program.
refugee
“We didn’t choose any country,” Hany says. “It was only Canada receiving new files at
the time. But I was so
happy for that. I wouldn’t choose any country over Canada. It was very good for us, especially because I spoke English.” Hany also thinks that his eye condition played a part in his family’s Canadian acceptance, based on the fact
that Canada prioritizes refugees with certain medical needs. © UNHCR/ Andrew McConnell
Hany immediately started learning
about the Canada. immigrant the multiculturalism; “I
a lot,” he says. “I read about the weather,
system; it’s a very big
country.” They arrived in Canada in June of 2015.
read
We are people like you—just
interrupted With help from Regina’s Open Door Society, a community agency, and financially supported for the first year by the federal government, Hany and his family are now living in a modern bungalow in a Regina suburb. His mother and father are currently attending English classes and his siblings are in school. Thanks to the University of Regina, whose president heard about Hany’s story, Hany is taking English as a Second Language (ESL) courses at
the
university that also accommodate his visual impairment.
At first Hany’s family was one of only about
Regina. Now that
10 Syrian refugee families in the government
has increased the number of Syrian refugees to 25,000 for 2016, Hany says there are over 40 families in the city. Now experienced newcomers, Hany and his family are helping the
20 / UNHCR
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