Name: Ruhullah Khairullah

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English skills, experienced welder.

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

Ruhullah Khairullah, a Hazara refugee from Afghanistan now residing in Indonesia, faces a severe threat from the Taliban due to his family's involvement in building a school. After his father disappeared at the hands of the Taliban in 2014, Ruhullah learned that he, too, was at risk of being caught and killed. Fearing for his life, he fled to Indonesia by boat in the same year.

Living in a state of limbo, denied basic human rights, Ruhullah, an experienced welder, seeks the support of a group of five Canadian friends to help him start a new life in Canada and enjoy the freedom he longs for.

His Story

Ruhullah was born in January 1997, in the Jaghori 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. Ruhullah’s father was the representative of their village. During efforts to build a new school in their village, his father took on the responsibility of delivering important documents to Ghazni. Unfortunately, someone had reported to the Taliban about his father, and on the way from Jaghori to Ghazni, members of the Taliban intercepted his father. They searched him and found the crucial documents from him. While checking the phone of Ruhullah’s father, they got pictures of Ruhullah and his father with the delegation and engineers involved in the school project.

Alarming Phone Call

The members of the Taliban then threatened the taxi driver and asked him to share details about Ruhullah in that picture. Fearing for his life, the taxi driver shared every detail about Ruhullah to the Taliban.

“After four days, my father called me from an unknown number and told me that my picture and detail were with the Taliban and I was at risk of being caught and killed by them.”

Following that call, there was no further information about Ruhullah's father. Since he was told by his father to leave the country immediately and save his life, Ruhullah fled to Kabul with the help of his uncle’s family members where he stayed at his relative’s home.

Journey to Indonesia

With the help of his relative, he arranged for a people smuggler. On September 30, 2014, he flew from Kabul to New Delhi, India. From there, he went to Malaysia by plane and then on to Pekanbaru, Indonesia by boat on October 05, 2014.  

Life in Limbo

With no right to work or way to support himself in the new country, he went to Pekanbaru Immigration Centre to ask for assistance. On November 05, 2014, he was transferred to a temporary hotel in Pekanbaru where he was registered with the UNHCR on December 03, 2014.

On October 16, 2015, Ruhullah was transferred to a detention centre in Manado. The detention centre was overcrowded and badly ventilated. Refugees there faced many challenges like, lack of food, water and proper medical care. After being detained for more than 3 years, Ruhullah received his freedom and was transferred to a community house in Makassar on November 15, 2018. Since then, he has been living there.

His Situation Now

As a refugee, Ruhullah cannot get a proper education, work, drive and even travel to another city. He says:

“My dream is to resettle in a peaceful country where I can work, support my family and live with freedom.”

Ruhullah has the possibility to fulfill his dreams. 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 Ruhullah directly on Facebook.

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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