Refugee Sussex uni student one step closer to dream of being solicitor

Ahmad Ismaiel, 25, escaped his war-torn country in 2011 and later secured a place at a university in the USA, before heading to Harlaxton College, Grantham, as an exchange student on a temporary visa in 2017.

It was then that President Trump banned all Muslims from entering the States, meaning Ahmad was unable to return once his stay in the UK had expired.

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“I didn’t know what to do and had nowhere to go. It was like being lost in a foreign country,” says Ahmad.

“I remember applying for asylum to the UK, but the Home Office initially rejected my application. I couldn’t study, couldn’t travel, or work and just remember feeling helpless. I was completely on my own and because Syria was at war, I didn’t even have a country to go to.”

Ahmad appealed against the Home Office’s and won, before joining the University of Sussex to study Law in 2018.

READ MORE: Story of Syrian refugee comes to Brighton in installation

“Luckily, I did some reading around the law and remembered something I learned while volunteering at the British Red Cross and appealed my decision, which thankfully I won," he said.

"It was a huge relief for me and felt like I’d been given a new life."

Ahmad now works at Barings, in Manchester, in the data breach department, and wants to show others how understanding law can benefit people in their everyday lives.

He said: “I want to thank Barings Law for giving me the opportunity to fulfil my ambition of becoming a solicitor. It is my own experience of the legal system that inspired me to enter the profession and help others.

“Upon qualifying, I want to promote access to justice by working with Barings and organisations that support vulnerable and marginalised communities.

“I understand that certain groups may face additional barriers to accessing justice, and I am committed to using my skills, expertise, and personal experience to help them overcome these obstacles.

“I believe that it is essential for me to be an active advocate for the legal profession, and I am dedicated to promoting laws and reforms that advance access to justice and guarantee that the judicial system is just and equitable for all citizens of this nation.”

But Ahmad’s love for law is only beaten by one thing: his passion for seeing Syria bounce back after the recent earthquakes.

Ahmad Ismaiel as a child (Image: Submitted)

“My beloved Syria will always have a special place in my heart and what has happened recently is utterly devastating. I wish I could go back and help with the relief efforts,” he said.

“People are now beginning to see the immense suffering that my nation has experienced and the urgent need for relief, reform, and justice. Syria needed this help long before the calamity occurred.

“The country has been in war for 11 years. I was one of the lucky ones that got out, but sadly I’ve lost many friends in the conflict. When I see images on the news, it’s hard to believe that those places I used to play and walk, are now under rubble.

“I hope one day I will switch on the news and hear ‘the war has ended’.”