SYRIAN refugees, now living in Wrexham, have told their story about the dangers they faced day-to-day living in their war-torn homeland.

Sisters Yasmin, 36, Eman, 38 and Sanaa Sofi, 33, were born and raised in the West-Asian country, where war has raged on since 2011, before being offered a new home in Ruabon.

Speaking at the launch of Wrexham’s bid to be designated a “Town of Sanctuary”, the three sisters described just some of the terrifying experiences they would encounter on a daily basis.

The Leader:

Eman, the eldest, said, “It was terrifying. Every morning I woke up in fear and scared that if I walked to my job, then maybe I wouldn’t make it and maybe get shot or there would be an explosion, or something would happen to me, so it was really difficult to lead this kind of life. I was scared for my life and for my family.

“It was my decision to leave Syria with my parents and another sister to go to Iraq and then have the opportunity to resettle in the UK and then in Wrexham.

“It was a very difficult decision, but I made it after a big explosion happened in my home city. I was in my work in my job and the centre of the explosion was only about 10 minutes from my place.

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“I thought there was an earthquake and because I was working in a hospital as an accountant, I saw injured and dead bodies, coming inside the hospital and there were two of my colleagues who were doctors, who had been killed in that explosion and it was really shocking.

The Leader:

“Our lives were in danger every single day in Syria.”

They arrived in Wrexham on June, 6, 2017, and after living in Ruabon for nearly 2 years, they now hope to bring the rest of their family from the Asian warzone.

Yasmin said, “We met with the UN in Iraq and asked if they would resettle us in another country.

“The UK accepted us and told us we would be travelling to Wrexham, we didn’t even know where Wrexham was.”

The talk took place as humanitarians are coming together to launch a bid to make Wrexham a ‘town of sanctuary’.

The Leader:

Community groups and charitable organisations in Wrexham are leading the way as part of Wales’ effort to establish itself as a ‘nation of sanctuary’ with a campaign launched at Ty Pawb on Friday, February, 1.

Organisations including the British Red Cross, Together Creating Communities, the Association of Voluntary Organisations in Wrexham, Bawso, Family Friends and United to Assist Refugees UK joined together to spearhead the project, joined by Ian Lucas MP, Assembly Members Mark Isherwood and Michelle Brown and Wrexham Mayor, Cllr Andy Williams.

The Right Reverend Gregory Cameron Bishop of St Asaph, spoke at the event to highlight the importance of accepting refugees such as Eman, Sanaa and Yasmin.

The Leader:

“In welcoming refugees, in welcoming asylum seekers, by welcoming immigrants and diversities, we are making our country stronger.

“This initiative will help support that movement, that truth in our society.”

Godwin Akinyele, a refugee from Nigeria also spoke at the launch, reading a poem attempting to paint the picture of the pains of refuge.

He described the process as “horrible and barbaric” but went on to say that “I can safely say that in my first year in Wrexham, I and my family have found home and safety.”