Syria civil war refugee speaks out on new life in Brighton

Chadia Bchir, her husband Mazen and her two children Nour and Zain fled their home in Damascus, Syria, as rebel forces continued to clash with the army of dictator Bashar al-Assad.

Chadia recalled how she was forced to find a new place to live after her home was destroyed.

She said: “People were very exhausted, tired and sad. We used to have a good life in Syria before the war, but during the war, I lost my house and I had to move to find a safer place for my children.

“However, there wasn’t anywhere safe for my children and my family.”

Chadia and her family came to Brighton in 2016, where they were welcomed with open arms and supported by the local community.

She said: “Lots of people helped us and my children. They were very friendly and helpful and supported me a lot.”

Among the support Chadia received was help learning English so she could enter the world of work.

She said: “It was difficult to communicate with people and I was a little bit sad that I couldn’t help my children.

“It was hard to learn at first but a lot of people helped me along the way.”

Although she struggled to find a paid job and was unable to speak much English, she was determined to use her cooking skills to connect and support her community and volunteered as a cook during the pandemic.

For a year and a half, she cooked for vulnerable people who were unable to go out, while learning English in her spare time.

Chadia at her job as a dinner lady at Varndean College (Image: International Rescue Committee)

With support from the International Rescue Committee, Chadia was offered a job working as a dinner lady at Varndean College.

Chadia was delighted by the offer and said: “I was very happy because I could help my children and become more confident.”

Although the family have lived in Brighton for many years, Chadia said she still thinks of Syria as her home, with her mother, brother and sister still living in the country despite the ongoing conflict.

However, Chadia said that Brighton reminds her a lot of her home in Damascus.

“It has the same vibe as it had, with the same sort of friendly people and freedom. I feel similar here as I did back there,” she said.

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Chadia also expressed sadness at the lack of support given to other refugees fleeing to Britain as they search for a new life.

She said: “People don’t do this journey if they already have a good life. They think they need to leave or they will die.

“It is a very very hard situation.”

Chadia thanked those who had helped her over the years and vowed to help others in a similar situation in the future.

“I love those who helped me a lot, because they care about other people,” she said.

“They gave me the chance to help other people in need in the future.”