Name: Ali Naqi

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, excellent English skills, very talented volleyball player.

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

Ali Naqi was sentenced to death by the Taliban because he was in love with a girl. Fortunately, he was informed before the Taliban could capture him and he fled to Indonesia by boat in 2014.

He is a talented volleyball player and he loves education, but he cannot pursue his dreams while living in Indonesia as a refugee. His only hope is to find a group of Canadian friends who can help him start his life again in Canada.

incomplete Love Story

Ali Naqi was born in January 1991, in a village in Nawur district in Ghazni province in Afghanistan. In May 2013, he met a girl named Zakia. They both deeply fell in love and decided to be life partners for a lifetime. Zakia’s father had confidential coordination with the Taliban. Unfortunately, her father came to know about the love story of Zakia and Ali Naqi, and he appealed for justice from the Taliban for their occult relationship. The Taliban announced in October 2014 to stone Ali Naqi for the death penalty and they started searching for him to process the death penalty.

“I was informed by my maternal uncle who then told me to hide somewhere to save my life. The situation was horrible for me”

Ali Naqi’s relatives helped him hide in a cottage for some time. Since his relatives knew that he would be captured and killed by the Taliban at any time if he stayed in Afghanistan, his relatives helped him arrange for a people smuggler.

Leaving Home

“I had to leave my family and the love of my life behind to save myself from the Taliban.”

Ali Naqi went to Kabul hiddenly and flew to New Delhi, India on November 5, 2014. From there, he went to Malaysia by plane and then on to Indonesia by boat in December 2014.

His Life in the Detention Centre

After arriving in Jakarta, he registered himself with the UNHCR on December 9, 2014. With no right to work or way to support himself in the new country, Ali Naqi went to Tanjung Pinang Immigration Centre to ask for assistance. Since there was not enough place in the detention centre, Ali Naqi and 45 other asylum seekers waited for months in a wide yard of the immigration centre where they were deprived of basic needs like, food and proper space to sleep.

On December 23, 2015, Ali Naqi was transferred to a detention centre.

“Life was terrifying there. We were locked up and treated like prisoners.”

Ali Naqi could not say a single word of English or Indonesian language, but he had a burning desire to learn them. While facing many restrictions inside the detention centre, he dedicated his time to learning English and practicing volleyball which he was very enthusiastic about.

Life Now

In February 2018, he was finally freed and was transferred to a community house in Tanjung Pinang. Since then, Ali Naqi has been attending a few English and Bahasa Indonesian classes which have been conducted by IOM and refugee volunteers. Also, Ali Naqi is a good volleyball player. He has a coach, and he and other refugees have been practicing volleyball regularly. They have participated in many tournaments as well.

Ali Naqi has been living in Indonesia for nearly 8 years and he has been deprived of his basic human rights. As a refugee, he cannot get proper education, work, drive and travel to another city. The restrictions cause him anxiety and trauma.

“I feel like being tortured by having such restrictions.”

His Hopes

Ali Naqi hopes to resettle in a peaceful country where he can hopefully reunite with his family and be able to enhance his volleyball skills. He is looking for a group of generous Canadian citizens who can sponsor him to Canada.

Since Ali Naqi is officially certified as a refugee by the UNHCR – unlike the vast majority of the world’s refugees – he qualifies for Canada’s private sponsorship program.

If you would like to sponsor him – or if you’re just interested in helping to bring him here – please contact his friend Stephen Watt on Facebook.

You can also reach out to Ali Naqi directly on Facebook – or by email: ali.naqi88a@gmail.com - or through WhatsApp: +62-831-6451-0271.

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