Kez
13th June 2002, 00:43
Scottish Daily Record
June 5, 2002, Wednesday
THE BRAIN GAIN
Annie Brown
THE ignorant brand them spongers - but the typical asylum seeker has
skills which would put many Scots to shame.
A new study has shown more than 60 per cent of refugees are
professionals and 40 per cent have a degree.
And organisations like the Scottish Refugee Council argue that asylum
seekers can now fill a growing skills shortage within the UK.
As part of our focus on asylum seekers this week - coinciding with
the North Glasgow International Festival in Sighthill on Saturday -
we met Armenians Asator and Rhoubina Ghazarians. Asator is a trained
architect and his wife is a qualified GP specialising in gynaecology.
But they cannot return to their home in Iran for fear of persecution.
More than 60 per cent of Armenians have fled Iran, where they are
discriminated against because of their Christian faith.
Armenia itself has been at the centre of decades of conflict and has
80 refugees per 1000 inhabitants, the highest ratio of any country.
The Ghazarians have now lived in Glasgow for two years and have two
children, 14- month-old Nareh and Naneh, who was born just last
month.
They have not yet heard whether their application for asylum will be
accepted. Their first was refused on the technicality that the form
had not been completed in English.
The couple reapplied in December last year but they have not heard a
word.
Rhoubina said: "Every day I go to check the mail. I so want an
answer, but at the same time I am scared of it. Sometimes the fear of
a refusal makes me feel very alone and depressed.
"Above all, if that happens I fear for my children."
The couple each have their own case for asylum and their children
could lose both parents if they are forced back to Iran.
Asator left Iran at the age of 12 knowing that if he had stayed that
he would have become fodder for the Iranian army, which recruits at
14.
He moved to Syria, Cyprus, and then to Armenia where he studied
architecture for seven years and also trained in classical guitar.
An accomplished musician, he will play at the festival in Sighthill
on Saturday.
It is almost impossible for him to return to Iran, where the
authorities will treat him as a traitor for escaping his call to the
army.
He said: "My brother faced the same problem. He returned and they
threw him in prison. I am not willing to take that risk.
"Armenians are treated like animals in Iran. We are expected to
convert to Islam.
"We can't go to university or get a proper job. We are considered so
unclean that even when we go in to a shop we must declare to the
shopkeeper that we are Armenians."
The couple met and were married while Rhoubina was studying medicine
in Armenia.
As a student doctor she answered a call to go to the front line in a
conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory
of Karabakh.
Iranian authorities discovered video tapes she had taken of the
conflict in her parent's home in Tehran and used it as evidence that
her father was a gun runner. They threw him in jail for six months.
If she were to return, she would be tried as a spy or gun runner.
Rhoubina would be imprisoned and because of her Christianity, would
never be allowed to practice medicine.
Now the couple consider Scotland to be their home.
Rhoubina said: "All I want is for us and the children to be safe.
Scotland provides that for us and we are so grateful.
"But we also want to give back to this society. It is my dream to be
able to practise medicine again and I hope I can eventually do that
in Scotland."
She has joined a scheme that hopes to integrate refugee doctors in to
the NHS but first Rhoubina must study English.
Asator also hopes that he can find work here and has qualified for an
HND in computer studies since he has been in Scotland.
He said: "We get very little money but I am not complaining. This is
about feeling safe. We want to earn our living but cannot do that
until we know if we are going to be allowed to stay."
Comrade Kamo
PS, the stuff on bad treatment of Armenian in Iran is bullshit, thats just to get their visa apllication in.
In Iran armenians and iranians get on well
June 5, 2002, Wednesday
THE BRAIN GAIN
Annie Brown
THE ignorant brand them spongers - but the typical asylum seeker has
skills which would put many Scots to shame.
A new study has shown more than 60 per cent of refugees are
professionals and 40 per cent have a degree.
And organisations like the Scottish Refugee Council argue that asylum
seekers can now fill a growing skills shortage within the UK.
As part of our focus on asylum seekers this week - coinciding with
the North Glasgow International Festival in Sighthill on Saturday -
we met Armenians Asator and Rhoubina Ghazarians. Asator is a trained
architect and his wife is a qualified GP specialising in gynaecology.
But they cannot return to their home in Iran for fear of persecution.
More than 60 per cent of Armenians have fled Iran, where they are
discriminated against because of their Christian faith.
Armenia itself has been at the centre of decades of conflict and has
80 refugees per 1000 inhabitants, the highest ratio of any country.
The Ghazarians have now lived in Glasgow for two years and have two
children, 14- month-old Nareh and Naneh, who was born just last
month.
They have not yet heard whether their application for asylum will be
accepted. Their first was refused on the technicality that the form
had not been completed in English.
The couple reapplied in December last year but they have not heard a
word.
Rhoubina said: "Every day I go to check the mail. I so want an
answer, but at the same time I am scared of it. Sometimes the fear of
a refusal makes me feel very alone and depressed.
"Above all, if that happens I fear for my children."
The couple each have their own case for asylum and their children
could lose both parents if they are forced back to Iran.
Asator left Iran at the age of 12 knowing that if he had stayed that
he would have become fodder for the Iranian army, which recruits at
14.
He moved to Syria, Cyprus, and then to Armenia where he studied
architecture for seven years and also trained in classical guitar.
An accomplished musician, he will play at the festival in Sighthill
on Saturday.
It is almost impossible for him to return to Iran, where the
authorities will treat him as a traitor for escaping his call to the
army.
He said: "My brother faced the same problem. He returned and they
threw him in prison. I am not willing to take that risk.
"Armenians are treated like animals in Iran. We are expected to
convert to Islam.
"We can't go to university or get a proper job. We are considered so
unclean that even when we go in to a shop we must declare to the
shopkeeper that we are Armenians."
The couple met and were married while Rhoubina was studying medicine
in Armenia.
As a student doctor she answered a call to go to the front line in a
conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory
of Karabakh.
Iranian authorities discovered video tapes she had taken of the
conflict in her parent's home in Tehran and used it as evidence that
her father was a gun runner. They threw him in jail for six months.
If she were to return, she would be tried as a spy or gun runner.
Rhoubina would be imprisoned and because of her Christianity, would
never be allowed to practice medicine.
Now the couple consider Scotland to be their home.
Rhoubina said: "All I want is for us and the children to be safe.
Scotland provides that for us and we are so grateful.
"But we also want to give back to this society. It is my dream to be
able to practise medicine again and I hope I can eventually do that
in Scotland."
She has joined a scheme that hopes to integrate refugee doctors in to
the NHS but first Rhoubina must study English.
Asator also hopes that he can find work here and has qualified for an
HND in computer studies since he has been in Scotland.
He said: "We get very little money but I am not complaining. This is
about feeling safe. We want to earn our living but cannot do that
until we know if we are going to be allowed to stay."
Comrade Kamo
PS, the stuff on bad treatment of Armenian in Iran is bullshit, thats just to get their visa apllication in.
In Iran armenians and iranians get on well