Name: Ishaq Ali

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia since 2014.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English skills, knows computer skills, FULLY FUNDED.

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

After the Taliban killed Ishaq’s father, they started looking for him. Fortunately, he saved his life by fleeing to Indonesia by boat in 2014.

He spent 3 and a half years of his life inside a detention centre and he kept himself busy attending English and computer skills classes. His hope now is to find a group of Canadian friends who can help him start his life in Canada.

The Incident that Made him Escape

Ishaq Ali was born in January 1998, in 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. Ishaq’s father was a teacher at Zardak School in his village, and he used to help his father with the school work.

At night of August 26, 2014, the Taliban attacked his home and killed his father. Since Ishaq had been helping his father, the Taliban were looking for him as well.

“I was very scared and I hid inside the straw.”

His Journey

In the morning, Ishaq’s mother and uncle decided to send him to a safe place because he was at the risk of being caught and killed by the Taliban. Ishaq was sent to Kabul by car. With the help of his uncle, he arranged for a people smuggler, and on September 10, 2014, he flew to New Delhi, India where he stayed for 5 days. From there he went to Malaysia by plane and stayed there for 4 days. Then he was sent to Indonesia by boat on August 29, 2014.

“The sea was very stormy that night. On the way, our boat got broken and everyone was crying. I thought it was going to be the end of my life, but the people smuggler fixed the boat after an hour.”

Life in the Detention Centre

After arriving in Jakarta, Ishaq registered himself with the UNHCR on September 8, 2014. Ishaq had nowhere to stay. Due to not having the right to work or way to support himself in Indonesia, he went to Tanjung Pinang Immigration Centre to ask for assistance. On July 1, 2015, he was transferred to a detention centre there.

Despite being under the age of 18, he was being treated like a prisoner. The detention centre was overcrowded and badly ventilated, and refugees faced many challenges, like lack of food, water, and proper medical care. While facing such difficulties, Ishaq attended English and computer skills classes in order to stay positive.

“Those years in the detention centre were very hard and stressful.”

Life Now

After spending about 3 and a half years in the detention centre, Ishaq was freed and transferred to a community house in Tanjung Pinang in January 2018.

He thought he had got his freedom and his life would get better, but soon he realized that he was still in a big prison. As a refugee, he cannot work, get proper education, drive and even open a bank account. Ishaq’s dream has been to be a footballer one day.

It is Possible!

It is possible for Ishaq to resettle in a safe country like Canada where he can live his life with freedom.

Since Ishaq Ali 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, another good thing about him is that he is FULLY FUNDED.

“I hope to get out of this uncertainty and I want to be a useful person in society”

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 Ishaq directly on Facebook – or by email: ishaqali332233@gmail.com.

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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