Refugee stories: 'The suffering in our country is unbearable'

Those stories have been of hope despite adversity and the unknown fate that awaits refugees escaping for their lives.

Al-Araby al-Jadeed met Hamad (not his real name), a 40-year-old Syrian refugee in the UK, who said he feared speaking to the press under his real name because it might affect his application to allow his family to join him in the UK.

"We've experienced hunger and indignity and we saw death with our own eyes," said Hamad.

He spoke of how shrapnel had torn into his back as he tried to escape from the bomb that destroyed his house, leaving him unable to move.

A family separated

Hamad wanted to save his family from the death and destruction that surrounded them in their Damascus suburb, so he arranged for them to move to Lebanon and onto Egypt, while he stayed behind, fighting for his life.

After the ousting of President Mohamed Morsi in Egypt, like many Syrians in Egypt, Hamad's family suffered harassment, which prompted him to ask his wife, six children and mother to move to Turkey.

After regaining his mobility, Hamad made the journey from Syria to Turkey on foot, aided by some good Samaritans who provided him with a wheelchair for a part of the journey, finally reaching his destination after a 15 day journey, after which he was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery.

Hamad did not want to endanger his whole family on the dangerous journey to Europe, so he set off alone, crossing from one country to another until he reached the UK four months later, where he applied for and was granted asylum after six months.

He later applied to be united with his family, his twins from his first marriage and four other children from his second marriage - but his application was rejected.

British authorities did not believe that all six children were Hamad's and accused him of forging a number of documents dated 2015, while he has been in the UK since 2014.

Hamad explained that he paid large amounts of money to bribe people in Syria to get the documents because when he left he did not think of taking official documents with him, as his main concern was to save himself and his family.

British authorities also asked Hamad to provide photographic evidence to prove that the children were all his, but all his old photos were destroyed, along with his home and everything he has ever had.

Hamad currently suffers from depression as he awaits the result of his latest application to be united with his family. If his application is rejected again, he intends to return to Turkey to be away from his family no longer.

Still struggling

Ziyad arrived in the UK about a year ago with his brother and previously shared his story with al-Araby al-Jadeed.

He now plans on travelling to Turkey to visit his mother who has not been able to get approval to join her sons in the UK.

Ziyad had attempted to enter Europe by boat - along with his mother, brother and sister-in-law - but the flimsy vessel capsized and the whole family nearly drowned.

The two brothers went on alone.

The brothers could never return to Syria, after the regime accused them of treason and imprisoned them.

"I would never go back," said Ziyad of the Syrian regime's jails. "Death is easier than the torture that I would suffer."