Name: Yasin Yaqubi

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English skills.

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

Yasin’s life was in danger because he had rejected the Taliban’s demand of joining them in fighting, so he fled to Indonesia by boat in early 2014.

Since then, he has been living in Indonesia as a refugee who cannot work, get proper education and even open a bank account. He hopes to find a group of five Canadian friends who can help him start his life again in Canada.

His Story

Yasin Yaqubi was born in January 1994, in Day Mirdad district in Maidan Wardak 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. On December 24, 2013, six armed members of the Taliban got into Yasin’s house and spoke out to his father with a loud voice that they would take Yasin to fight in the war against their enemy. His father begged them and asked them to let Yasin stay with him because he was his only son and he needed Yasin to help him in farming, but the Taliban did not listen to his father.

“I never wanted war. The Taliban said that Jehad is compulsory. After beating my father, they took me with them by force.”

Yasin was being taken on a motorcycle. When they arrived in the last area of his town, a sudden clash took place between the Taliban and their opponent. Yasin found a chance to escape from there and he ran away towards another village where his uncle was living.

After arriving there, he shared everything with his uncle.

“My uncle was shocked and afraid of losing me.”

Tragic News

In the next morning on December 25, Yasin’s uncle sent him to Kabul hiddenly by a car which had carried goods. In Kabul, a friend of his uncle picked him up and sheltered him at his home. He then was informed by his uncle that his father had been killed by the Taliban.

“After killing my father, the Taliban had told my mother that they would kill me too.”

From Afghanistan to Indonesia

Yasin was now at the risk of being captured and killed by the Taliban at any time, so the friend of his uncle arranged for a people smuggler to send Yasin to a safe country. On January 4, 2014, he flew from Kabul to New Delhi, India. From there, he went to Malaysia by plane and then on to Medan, Indonesia by boat on January 29, 2014.

Life in Indonesia

After arriving in Jakarta, Yasin registered himself with the UNHCR on January 30, 2014 and stayed in Bogor for 25 days. With no right to work or way to support himself in Indonesia, he went to Makassar Immigration Centre to ask for assistance. After sleeping in the yard of the immigration centre and facing many difficulties, Yasin was transferred to a detention centre there on March 27, 2014.

On October 9, 2014, he was interviewed by the UNHCR and was recognized as a refugee on March 9, 2015.

After spending a year inside the detention centre, Yasin was freed and was transferred to a community house in Makassar. Since then, he has been living there.

Only Option!

Refugees in Indonesia have been told by the UNHCR that they will most likely never be resettled. This is especially true for single men, as women and families are prioritized for UNHCR sponsored resettlement. Integration in Indonesia is also not an option. Indonesia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention so refugees’ rights are not protected, hence they cannot work or access formal education. They live in a state of permanent limbo: they cannot go back nor move forward

Yasin’s only option to work, study and pursue his dream is to resettle in a country like Canada.

As a UNHCR refugee, Yasin Yaqubi is eligible for Canada’s private sponsorship program. He needs a group of five Canadian friends to support him.

To help support him as a sponsor, please contact Stephen Watt on Facebook.

You can also reach out to Yasin 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!

Thank you for your support. And help spread the word by sharing this post!