OPINION: It's a difficult life and a desperate situation asylum-seekers

At our charity, Maun Refuge, we do our best to welcome and support asylum-seekers who have been sent to Mansfield by the Home Office. Our hope is that when they tell their stories to the Chad, readers may find that their sympathy and understanding increase.

This story from Abdul (not his real name) describes his escape and the difficult journey he made from Mogadishu in Somalia to Mansfield. He plays down his suffering and doesn’t give us much detail about his journeys through war-torn countries.

Abdul writes: “I was born in Somalia, and I am 25 years old. During my time at school, I experienced discrimination and racism from the students I was studying with. They discriminated against and insulted me because of the ‘clan’ I come from. “I wanted to expose this treatment so as I grew older so I began studying journalism. In 2017, while I was still young but had gained a good understanding of journalism, I got a job at a television station called Kalsan TV, located in Mogadishu, the capital of war-torn Somalia. “During the time I was working in journalism, one of my colleagues who worked with me at the television station was killed. Another journalist who also worked with me at the television station was injured, and he later died from his injuries some years later. The worst thing was that my father lost his life because of my work. “Two visually impaired young men whom I interviewed for a programme spoke about how they were prevented from marrying women they loved because of discrimination against their clan and because of their disabilities.

“After the programme was broadcast on television, the families of the girls they had spoken about threatened both me and the two young men. My clan is known as the Madhiban. I had put up with the discrimination against my people for years but now it became too much for me and I decided I must leave Somalia. “In  February 2025 I travelled to Ethiopia, to Sudan and thence to Libya where, in a place called Kufra, I was arrest ed by members of the Libyan militia who demanded money from me. I was detained for approximately eight months. During my detention, I was beaten and mistreated. “In November, the militias began exchanging gunfire with each other. I took the opportunity to escape in different directions. While I was walking, I managed to obtain in a lift to Tripoli in Libya. I travelled towards the coast and eventually boarded a boat to Italy, arriving in Italy on 13 November 2025.

“After many months, I was able to travel by train to France in March 2026 and thence to Dunkirk. I met an agent who forced me to work for him. I remained in these circumstances for more than two months before getting across the channel to the United Kingdom on 16 June 2026. I am now grateful to be living in Mansfield where I feel a sense of peace and stability.”

To find out more about Maun Refuge email [email protected] or call 07564910983