Name: Hassan Alizadah

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English skills, experienced and skillful constructor and carpenter.

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

After his father got killed by the Taliban, Hassan’s life was also in danger. To save his life, he fled to Indonesia at the age of 16. He now is 25 years old, and unfortunately, he still has been stuck in a state of limbo in Indonesia.

Despite being in limbo for almost a decade, he has been using his time learning English and computer skills. It is time for Hassan to resettle in a country where he can have access to his basic human rights. His hope now is to find a group of five Canadian friends who can bring him to Canada where he can get proper education, reunite with his family and live a new life with freedom.

Losing His Father

Hassan was born in January 1998, in the Malistan district in Ghazni province in Afghanistan. The Hazara people of the region have long been targets of persecution and massacres because of their culture, religion, and love for education. Hassan’s father used to work as local police with the Hazara Commander Hakim Shojaee. Despite being threatened by the Taliban to leave his job, his father had no way but to continue working because he had to support his family. In April 2014, Hassan’s father was on the way to Ghazni, and he was captured by the Taliban in a place called Dasht-e-Qarabagh.

After being tortured and killed by the Taliban, his father’s body was sent to Jaghori with a letter in which the Taliban had written that they would kill all those who had been working with the government, and they would kill their family members too.

Journey to Indonesia

“At my father’s funeral, my uncle said that he would send me to a safe country because I was no longer safe in Afghanistan.”

Hassan’s uncle arranged for a people smuggler who took him to Kabul. Then he was brought to New Delhi, India on May 30, 2014. From there, he went to Singapore and then on to Jakarta, Indonesia by plane on June 09, 2014. 

His Life in Limbo

On June 10, 2014, he registered himself with the UNHCR in Jakarta.

Since Hassan had no place to stay and he was under the age of 18, he was taken to an adolescent shelter by the CWS (Church World Service). After he turned 18, the CWS moved him out of the shelter and supported him financially for 3 months. With no right to work or way to support himself, he moved to the sidewalk in front of the Kalideres Immigration Centre to ask for assistance. In 2017, he was transferred to the immigration centre where he was detained for a couple of months. In May 2019, he was freed and transferred to a community house in Bekasi. Since then, he has been living there.

Present

After moving to the community house, he joined English, Bahasa Indonesia, and computer classes provided by the IOM. Also, he has been doing regular workouts and playing football to stay healthy.

His Concerns

Hassan has been very worried for his mother and two younger brothers who are left in danger in Afghanistan. He says:

“My family needs me now and they have no financial support. I feel hopeless that I cannot do anything for them.”

Hassan hopes to find a group of five Canadian friends who can bring him to Canada where he can reunite with his family and live with freedom.

It is possible! Since he 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 reach out to Hassan Alizadah directly on Facebook – or by email: hassan.alizada.111@gmail.com– or through WhatsApp: +62 812-2306-6384.

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

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