Help Bring the Azizah family to Safety

More than twelve years ago, the war started in Syria. People went wild, killing each other for no reason. I had to hide in the washroom for three days because the bathroom was the safest place to be. After the fight settled for a bit, we had to walk for five days to go to Lebanon to fly from there to Dubai. We slept in the street, saw dead people at the crossroad, and people burning in front of us, and we couldn`t do anything.

I left Syria with my brother having only a bag on my back. My Mom went to Saudi Arabia with the other two siblings running away for safety. We flew to Dubai, wondering what the future was hiding from us. After a few months, we had to leave to Egypt because Dubai was not the best refugee place.

My brother wanted to try a different thing when he left for turkey in 2014, where I went with him and planned to reunite with our family. I had to return to Egypt, where I was working, and send my family money to support them. In 2015 Turkey closed its borders, and I couldn`t see my family since then.

I applied for the UNHCR and was lucky to get approved to go to Canada for resettlement. I arrived here in 2017, and since then, I have been trying to get them here.

While living in Turkey, my family has experienced displacement, homelessness, and difficulty accessing refugee services. The Turkish government broke off its agreement with the UNHCR. As such, my family has been registered as refugees, but neither the UN nor the Turkish government currently recognizes them as refugees. They have Temporary Protection Cards (kimlick) issued by the Turkish government. This has prevented them from living a decent life or applying as refugees to leave Turkey.

At this time, they are stuck in Istanbul and have no way to leave. In addition to not leaving Turkey, my family has recently been targeted by possible mafia connections and is receiving threats against their lives.

Many incidents of danger, threatening behavior, and harassment have occurred. Although my Mom has tried to talk with ASAAM and Farah organization, they were insulting and didn`t do anything.

They asked my Mom to file a police report and bring them a copy of it, but when she told the police about the situation, they did not file a report and told her to call 155 if anything happened. This becomes a bit of a catch because if she can’t get a police report, the organization will not help her. She has also approached the PDMM in Turkey but was told to wait for a call from them and no other help. I am working here in Canada to find organizations to help them immigrate here, but so far, it has been a long and challenging process. I hope to move them from Turkey to Canada, as this would be the best solution.

However, at this point, I want them to be safe, and if not in Canada, then anywhere else in the world. I am concerned for their safety, and we are not sure if the police or the Turkish Government will be able to help them or ignore them because they are Syrian.

Based on the information provided, I am asking for your help to aid my family and offer them safety. This amount is going to the IRCC to work on the group of five sponsorship plan.