• Business
  • Life
  • Celebrity
  • Sport
  • Blog
  • Auto
  • Tech
Stories from SWNS
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
    VA Lawyer for Camp Lejeune Toxic Water

    VA Lawyer for Camp Lejeune Toxic Water

    Living The Fantasy: An Interview With The Serpent Calls Author Christopher Bramley

    Living The Fantasy: An Interview With The Serpent Calls Author Christopher Bramley

    Sharp As A Razor: An Interview With Atheist Author Harry Margulies

    Sharp As A Razor: An Interview With Atheist Author Harry Margulies

    Karim Tahseen Khayat: Seeds Training Services and Digital Services

    Dig into Temporarily Insane by Carl Borgen

    Dig into Temporarily Insane by Carl Borgen

    From HID to LED

    From HID to LED

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Business
  • Life
    • Celebrity
  • Tech
    Which elements should you have for a good landing page?

    Which elements should you have for a good landing page?

    4 IT Services Trends in 2022

    4 IT Services Trends in 2022

    Top 5 New Technologies in the Payment Industry For 2022

    Top 5 New Technologies in the Payment Industry For 2022

    Online casinos: A trend that grows daily

    Online casinos: A trend that grows daily

    Artificial Intelligence and Online Casino Games

    Artificial Intelligence and Online Casino Games

    What are the Latest Digital Marketing Trends?

    What are the Latest Digital Marketing Trends?

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
  • Review

    The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild gameplay on the Nintendo Switch

    Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun Review

    macOS Sierra review: Mac users get a modest update this year

    Hands on: Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 review

    The Last Guardian Playstation 4 Game review

    Intel Core i7-7700K ‘Kaby Lake’ review

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    VA Lawyer for Camp Lejeune Toxic Water

    VA Lawyer for Camp Lejeune Toxic Water

    Living The Fantasy: An Interview With The Serpent Calls Author Christopher Bramley

    Living The Fantasy: An Interview With The Serpent Calls Author Christopher Bramley

    Sharp As A Razor: An Interview With Atheist Author Harry Margulies

    Sharp As A Razor: An Interview With Atheist Author Harry Margulies

    Karim Tahseen Khayat: Seeds Training Services and Digital Services

    Dig into Temporarily Insane by Carl Borgen

    Dig into Temporarily Insane by Carl Borgen

    From HID to LED

    From HID to LED

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Business
  • Life
    • Celebrity
  • Tech
    Which elements should you have for a good landing page?

    Which elements should you have for a good landing page?

    4 IT Services Trends in 2022

    4 IT Services Trends in 2022

    Top 5 New Technologies in the Payment Industry For 2022

    Top 5 New Technologies in the Payment Industry For 2022

    Online casinos: A trend that grows daily

    Online casinos: A trend that grows daily

    Artificial Intelligence and Online Casino Games

    Artificial Intelligence and Online Casino Games

    What are the Latest Digital Marketing Trends?

    What are the Latest Digital Marketing Trends?

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
  • Review

    The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild gameplay on the Nintendo Switch

    Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun Review

    macOS Sierra review: Mac users get a modest update this year

    Hands on: Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 review

    The Last Guardian Playstation 4 Game review

    Intel Core i7-7700K ‘Kaby Lake’ review

No Result
View All Result
Stories from SWNS
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Syrian Refugee Family Now Living In The UK Reveal How They Paid £45 To Smuggle Their Baby Over The Border In A Suitcase

by
June 20, 2017
in News
0
Syrian Refugee Family Now Living In The UK Reveal How They Paid £45 To Smuggle Their Baby Over The Border In A Suitcase

Zak Al Halak, 34, his wife Ghaliya, 25, and their three children Amneh, 5, Omar, 3, and Zineddine, 1.

0
SHARES
97
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Zak Al Halak, 34, his wife Ghaliya, 25, and their three children Amneh, 5, Omar, 3, and Zineddine, 1.
Zak Al Halak, 34, his wife Ghaliya, 25, and their three children Amneh, 5, Omar, 3, and Zineddine, 1.

A Syrian family now settled in the UK paid £45 to smuggle their baby to Lebanon in a suitcase as they fled their war torn village.

Zak Al Halak, 34, his wife Ghaliya, 25, and their three children Amneh, five, Omar, three, and Zineddine, one, are just one of 15 Syrian families who have found refuge in the UK last year.

As part of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Programme, the family now lives in Brightlingsea, Essex.

As the country marks Refugee Week, Mr Al Halak spoke out about his family’s plight and their former lives in Syria.

Mr Al Halak said: “The shelling started in our town and it was like rain on us every day.

“They even bombed the staircase in our home.”

The family was living in rural Homs, in Talkalakh, just north of the border with Lebanon, where Mr Al Halak helped run his father’s garage and car washing business.

In March 2011, the Syrian Army started opening fire to disperse crowds of peaceful protesters.

It sparked armed rebel groups to form in the city and the army besieged the area with tanks before unleashing mortars while carrying out large-scale house raids.

So heavy was the shelling the family were forced to barricade themselves at home for more than a week, before the Syrian Army drove out the rebels and took control of the city using militia.

Mr Halak added: “It was unsafe and we couldn’t even go out of our house because we didn’t know if anyone was going to shoot at us at any time.”

Looters destroyed the family’s business, so Mr Al Halak had to travel back and forth to Lebanon every day to work in an aluminium business to support his family.

Amneh Al Halak, 5.
Amneh Al Halak, 5.

In early 2012, the insurgents again infiltrated Talkalakh, which sparked an armed response from the Syrian Army and strict new border controls meant the dad-of-three could no longer cross into Lebanon for work.

Increased tensions meant the family soon fled for Lebanon.

But they had to travel separately and Mr Al Halak had to wait almost two months to be reunited with his wife.

In desperation she had to pay smugglers £45 to bring their daughter Amneh across the border hidden in a suitcase.

During their four years in Lebanon, the family say they were harassed by the Lebanese military and Mr Al Halak was arrested twice.

Al Halak added: “Life in Lebanon was very difficult. Despite the fact we entered the country legally they didn’t allow us to bring young children, so we ended up paying someone to smuggle our own daughter in a suitcase.

“There was no work and life was so expensive and so difficult. As Syrian people we were stopped by the Lebanese army all the time.

“I was stopped at one of the checkpoints when my wife was in labour.

“She was pregnant with my youngest, and I was taken to prison for three days and didn’t even attend the birth of my third child. That was very difficult.”

The parents have now thanked the people who have welcomed them to the UK.

He said: “We would like to thank the UK and the people of Essex so much for welcoming us here. Everyone is very kind and friendly towards us.

“We are lucky to be here in this village because we have received a warm welcome and we thank God for that.”

Mrs Al Halak added: “Life is completely different here as I’ve got my whole family back in Syria, but here I don’t have anyone.

“But we are so grateful to be here in Essex where we feel safe and welcome.

“In Syria before the war, life was so good. We were quite well off, we had our own house and life was great.

“Life is a bit difficult here but this is only the beginning and we will get used to the UK.

“We are grateful to the Government and councils and the people who have welcomed us here in the kindest way.”

Mr Al Halak added: “Like all the other Syrian refugees here, we are hardworking people and are grateful for all the help and support that we are receiving at the time being.

“But we will take this only until we find our feet and then we will be working, integrating in society and giving as much as getting.

“I hope this happens quickly, it’s just a matter of time because we need to learn the language, but then we will be active in the society.”

David Finch, leader of Essex County Council, said: “The success of our SVPR programme is a fantastic example of partnership working at its best.

“Indeed it was one of the reasons Essex County Council received an excellent rating in a Local Government Association inspection last year – one of only two councils in the country to receive the highest score.

“The welcome the Al Halak family has received in Brightlingsea is heart-warming and testament to the people of Essex.”

Previous Post

Is This Britain’s Smallest Puppy? – Tiny Tim Was Born Smaller Than A Can Of Irn Bru

Next Post

WATCH – Awesome Video Of 70-Year-Old Elephant Taking First Ever Steps Without Chains After Being Rescued

Next Post
WATCH – Awesome Video Of 70-Year-Old Elephant Taking First Ever Steps Without Chains After Being Rescued

WATCH - Awesome Video Of 70-Year-Old Elephant Taking First Ever Steps Without Chains After Being Rescued

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Stay Connected test

  • 116 Followers
  • 60k Followers
  • 174k Subscribers
  • 23.6k Followers
  • 99 Subscribers
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Women love cheesy chat up lines, a study has revealed

Top 20 cheesy chat-up lines ladies really love

March 5, 2014
The top ten most well-known bingo phrases

The top ten most well-known bingo phrases

January 21, 2014
The horses thunder towards a jump at the Grand National

Amazing racehorse names which never made it

April 23, 2014
HGH Injections Brands: Which Ones Are Best?

HGH Injections Brands: Which Ones Are Best?

January 14, 2019
Chris Fear, 33, outside the Coral betting shop which is refusing to pay out on his 485/1 winning bet

Boycott Coral! Bookmaker faces protest after refusing to pay out on a football fan’s 485/1 bet

184
Women love cheesy chat up lines, a study has revealed

Top 20 cheesy chat-up lines ladies really love

147
Women feel invisible to the opposite sex at the age of 51, researchers found

Women begin feeling invisible to men ‘when they turn 51’

138
UKIP candidate claims Jews murdered each other in the Holocaust in masterplan to create State of Israel

UKIP candidate claims Jews murdered each other in the Holocaust in masterplan to create State of Israel

105
Best Activities for Adrenaline Junkies

Best Activities for Adrenaline Junkies

August 4, 2022
Trading indices is an easy way to trade for beginners

Trading indices is an easy way to trade for beginners

August 4, 2022
VA Lawyer for Camp Lejeune Toxic Water

VA Lawyer for Camp Lejeune Toxic Water

July 29, 2022
How To Create The Perfect Vaping Experience

How To Create The Perfect Vaping Experience

July 28, 2022

Recent News

Best Activities for Adrenaline Junkies

Best Activities for Adrenaline Junkies

August 4, 2022
Trading indices is an easy way to trade for beginners

Trading indices is an easy way to trade for beginners

August 4, 2022
VA Lawyer for Camp Lejeune Toxic Water

VA Lawyer for Camp Lejeune Toxic Water

July 29, 2022
How To Create The Perfect Vaping Experience

How To Create The Perfect Vaping Experience

July 28, 2022
SWNS

SWNS all rights reserved. Copyright 2020

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Auto
  • Blog
  • Business
  • Celebrity
  • Gaming
  • Life
  • Lifestyle
  • News
  • Pictures
  • Property
  • Review
  • Sport
  • SWNS
  • Tech
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized

Recent News

Best Activities for Adrenaline Junkies

Best Activities for Adrenaline Junkies

August 4, 2022
Trading indices is an easy way to trade for beginners

Trading indices is an easy way to trade for beginners

August 4, 2022
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

Real Fix is a trading style of South West News Service Limited.
Copyright © 2020 South West News Service Limited.

No Result
View All Result
  • Business
  • Life
  • Celebrity
  • Sport
  • Blog
  • Auto
  • Tech

Real Fix is a trading style of South West News Service Limited.
Copyright © 2020 South West News Service Limited.