Name: Daniel Qasemi and Naseba Qasemi.

Profile: Hazara refugees from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English skills, Daniel is an experienced driver, and Naseba is a skilled tailor.

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

After escaping from the Taliban, Daniel and Naseba made it to Indonesia in 2018. Unfortunately, they were detained for months in Indonesia, and they have been deprived of their basic human rights.

Daniel is an experienced driver and Naseba has the skill of tailoring. They are looking for a group of Canadian friends who can help them come to Canada where they can live with freedom, work and contribute to society.

His Story

Daniel was born on January 15, 1982, in the Jaghori district in Ghazni province in Afghanistan. He married Naseba, a Hazara girl on January 21, 2016.

The Hazara people of the region have long been targets of persecution and massacres because of their culture, religion, and love for education. Daniel had a car, and besides bringing passengers from Ghazni to Jaghori, he used to bring items to shops too. One of his customers was a Christian stationery shop owner. On February 18, 2018, he was taking 2 books of the Bible and a few bottles of wine for his Christian customer to Jaghori. Unfortunately, someone had already reported to the Taliban about him, and on the way, he was stopped by the Taliban.

“When two members of the Taliban started searching my car, I understood that I was in real danger.”

Daniel then saw his friend’s car that was done searching and was about to go. He hiddenly hopped in his friend’s car and told his friend to move quickly. They were just moving when members of the Taliban opened fire on the car. Luckily, no one was shot and they reached Jaghori safely. After he contacted and shared everything with his Christian customer, his customer told him to leave Jaghori immediately and be careful of the Taliban and local police too. At the midnight, Daniel and his wife Naseba went to Kabul where they stayed hidden. Daniel learned from his friends that he had been recognized as an infidel by the Taliban, and he was on their target list.

“I had no choice of living in my country anymore. So, I decided to seek a safe place to save my and my wife’s life.”

Their Journey to Indonesia

With the help of his friend, he arranged for a people smuggler, and on March 1, 2018, Daniel and Naseba flew to New Delhi, India. From there, they went to Malaysia and then on to Surabaya, Indonesia by plane on March 14, 2018. The people smuggler then brought them to Bogor where they were given shelter for about 13 days. Since Daniel and his wife Naseba, did not know what to do in the new country, the people smuggler was misguiding them. They were then brought to Manado from where the people smuggler sent them again to Jakarta by plane. After arriving in Jakarta, they were captured by a local police officer who handed them over to the immigration centre where Daniel and Naseba were detained for months. In August 2018, they were registered with the UNHCR while being detained at the immigration centre in Jakarta.

Situation in Indonesia

In October 2018, Daniel and Naseba were transferred to a detention centre in Tanjung Pinang. The detention centre was overcrowded and badly ventilated. Daniel, Naseba and other refugees faced many challenges like, lack of food, water and proper medical care.

After about 4 months, on February 6, 2019, Daniel and Naseba were freed from the detention centre and were transferred to Jakarta. Since then, they have been living there and learning the English language. As refugees, Daniel and Naseba cannot get proper education, work, drive and travel to other cities. Daniel says:

“We are very worried for our future. Since the day we entered Indonesia, we have faced many hard days, and knowing that we cannot have any future in this country makes us more concerned.”

There is a Way!

Daniel and Naseba are high school graduates. Naseba has the skills for tailoring and Daniel is an experienced driver. There is a way for this couple to live their life in a peaceful country like Canada.

As UNHCR refugees, they are eligible for Canada’s private sponsorship program. They need a group of five Canadian friends to support them.

To help support Daniel and Naseba as a sponsor, please contact Stephen Watt on Facebook.

You can also reach out to Naseba directly on Facebook – through WhatsApp: +62 895-1676-8088.

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

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