Name: Abbas Azimi

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, have bachelor degree in IT (Information Technology) , Excellent English and Computer skills, experienced as a volunteer teacher and interpreter, completed online courses of Social Marketing and Quality Translation

Risk: At risk of being killed by the Taliban and local enemy if returned home.

After the Taliban killed Abbas Azimi’s colleague, Abbas was their next target. Sensing danger, Abbas and his family fled to Pakistan, and from there, he fled to Indonesia by boat in 2014.

He has been deprived of his basic rights, but he has not given up. He has been teaching the English language and computer programs to refugees and the locals. Also, he has achieved two certificates from online courses.

His last hope is to find five Canadian friends who can help him start his life again.

His Story

Abbas Azimi was born on May 15, 1990 in a small village in Day Mirdad district in Maidan Wardak province in Afghanistan.

In 2008, Abbas’ father and Haji Aslam, his father’s friend established a small chalk mining company. Their business was with the local people and the Government which was against the Taliban’s Law. The company had two offices, and Abbas was a manager in the office which was in Maidan Wardak, and Haji Aslam’s son was also a manager in the other office which was in Kabul. Also, Abbas taught the English language and computer skills to Hazara students for 2 days every week.

In May 2012, the Taliban killed Haji Aslam’s son and started searching for Abbas.

As a result, on May 15, 2012 he and his family fled to Quetta, Pakistan where they started living without legal documents to stay there.

The Hazara people in Quetta, Pakistan have been targets of persecution and massacres due to their religious and political beliefs.

After two years, his father returned to Afghanistan to ensure the safety of returning with his family. Unfortunately, he was captured, tortured and killed by the Taliban.

“My father spent his life thinking about us. After I heard about his death, I felt hopeless and lonely in this world.”

Abbas had nowhere to go, so he arranged for a people smuggler with the help of his neighbors, and paid 7000 US Dollars to take him to a safe country.

The Way to Indonesia

On August 1, 2014 he went to Kabul and flew to New Delhi, India on August 2. He stayed in India for 6 days, then on August 8, he flew to Malaysia where he stayed for 3 days. On August 12, 2014 he arrived in Indonesia by boat.

His Life in Limbo

Abbas was registered at the UNHCR office on August 20. With no right to work or way to support himself, Abbas went to Makassar Immigration Office where he was transferred to Immigration Detention Centre in Balikpapan on September 23, 2014. He received his freedom on February 27, 2018, and was transferred to a community house in Tanjung Pinang.

In Tanjung Pinang, Abbas fell in love with an Indonesian girl.

“We were in love and we decided to get married, but it was another disappointment in my life to be a stateless person.”

The marriage office in Indonesia only accepts a passport or Indonesian ID Card to approve. He brought a letter from the UNHCR and Embassy of Afghanistan as well, and he was rejected because there isn’t any law about the marriage of a refugee to a local.

His Life Now

Despite all these difficulties, Abbas has achieved two online certificates of Social Marketing and Quality Translation from Coursera (an online learning program) and UNHCR. He has been teaching the English language and computer programs to refugees and the local students as well.

Refugees in Indonesia have been told by the UNHCR that they will most likely never be resettled. This is especially true for single men, as women and families are prioritized for UNHCR sponsored resettlement. Integration in Indonesia is also not an option. Indonesia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention so refugees’ rights are not protected, hence they cannot work or access formal education. They live in a state of permanent limbo: they cannot go back nor move forward. As Abbas says,

“We are stuck here for many years and we don’t want to live a life where we have been deprived of our basic rights.”

An opportunity

As a UNHCR refugee, Abbas is eligible for Canada’s private sponsorship program. He needs a group of five Canadian friends to support him.

To help support Abbas Azimi as a sponsor, please contact Stephen Watt on Facebook.

You can also reach out to Abbas directly on Facebook or by Email.

Reach out and discover how wonderful it is to privately sponsor a nice family to start a new life – with your help – in Canada!

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