We don’t want to ask for help. But we have no choice!

We are a strong, resilient family of six (mother and five adult children) who fled the war in Iraq when ISIS invaded. We have made our home in the UK after being granted an initial five-year stay. Now, to apply for permanent residence we have to pay £2,800 for each application – with legal fees that is over £17,000 in total.

We come from the Iraqi Christian community and when ISIS invaded our town in 2014 we faced an imminent threat to our lives. We had to leave everything behind and flee; our mother and us five children managed to escape the clutches of ISIS; our father was not so lucky - and mum has continuing health problems.. We reached the safety of London in 2017, after a perilous and terrifying journey. We can never express how grateful we are for this country’s offer of sanctuary and a future. Since we arrived, we have been busy building successful lives in the UK; we became fluent in English and we have all excelled at school and college.

We want to stay, we want to work hard and give back to a country that has given us stability and security.

But we now face an obstacle that threatens this dream: the cost of obtaining citizenship in the UK. Three of us are still university students, our mother is too poorly to work – and the income that the two of us make is barely enough to cover our rent and living costs.

So, we’re humbly turning to you for help. We need compassionate individuals and organisations who may empathise with our story and want to help give us the chance to continue our lives in the UK. By supporting our cause, you are not only helping a family in need but also contributing to the values of compassion, inclusivity and the protection of vulnerable individuals. Every donation, no matter how small, makes a significant difference in our quest for safety and belonging. We are eternally grateful for any support you can provide and remain hopeful that, with your help, we can secure a brighter and more secure future for our family in the UK. Thank you for considering our plea and for being a beacon of hope in our lives. Your kindness and support mean the world to us.

Thank you, and God Bless you.