The visit took place at the Welcoming charity in Edinburgh.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) met with the chief executive of Scottish Refugee Council on a visit to Scotland this week – but their paths first crossed more than 30 years ago and 5000 miles away.
Sabir Zazai came to the UK in 1999 after escaping the war in Afghanistan. At the beginning of 1994, he was one of thousands of citizens forced to flee Kabul as war between rival factions spread across the capital city.
After fleeing east with his family as a young teenager, Sabir lived in a camp for displaced people near Jalalabad for years.
That camp was set up by a UNHCR team which included Filippo Grandi, a then-field officer who had been working at the organisation for just a few years.
When life at the camp became untenable, Sabir sought sanctuary in the UK and began a journey that would see him become one of the country’s most respected refugee rights campaigners.
Filippo went on to complete decades of UN humanitarian work across the world and has served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees since 2016.
Sabir said: “[When war broke out] I still remember the sounds of shooting and the bombing. My grandmother used to tell me: ‘People are just shooting in the air, don’t worry.’
“When we were forced to flee, we ended up in the desert with nothing. The aid trucks arriving with the blue UNHCR logo became a symbol of hope for me. That was my way of life for a long time.
“Life as a refugee is profoundly challenging for everyone, but for children and young people it can be soul-crushing. Those days were grim and I vividly remember my fear of the deadly scorpions in the camp.”
Speaking of his own journey to the UK, Sabir said: “My dream was not to cross a border – it was to return to my family home. My grandmother was so proud of her house and, when we fled, I was just glad that she would not have to see it destroyed.”
Seeking safety in the UK gave Sabir a chance to rebuild his life after spending much of his childhood living through war and displacement.
He was proud to become a British citizen and expressed his sadness and frustration that, due to new changes, others may not have the opportunities than he had.
He said: “I would not be where I am now without the chance I was given when I arrived.
“If I came today, I would not get to become a citizen due to recent changes in the UK applications process.”
The visit from UNHCR was an opportunity to reflect on four decades of supporting refugees across Scotland, and consider the challenges and opportunities currently facing people rebuilding their lives here.
The meeting took place at The Welcoming, a refugee and migrant charity in Edinburgh who Scottish Refugee Council works closely alongside to help provide practical and support and advice sessions.
A roundtable was also held in the Scottish Parliament, where the High Commissioner met with New Scot advisors to learn how people from refugee backgrounds are shaping the decisions which affect them.
Sabir added: “As Scottish Refugee Council marks 40 years of supporting refugees to rebuild their lives across Scotland, our work is needed now more than ever.
“A vital part of our work is making sure that people are given essential support and advice as soon as they arrive in Scotland, so they can start to find peace and stability after their lives have been uprooted.
“I listen to my colleagues having conversations with people who have just arrived and I still recognise myself in many of their experiences.”
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said: “I cannot begin telling you how moving it was to meet with Sabir in Edinburgh yesterday, three decades after our lives first overlapped in Eastern Afghanistan.
“I am so proud that our work at UNHCR, all those years ago, contributed in a small way to giving Sabir the opportunity to become the leader in Scottish society that he is today.”
