Refugee Week is being celebrated from today. Will Ramsey talks to Yaseen Mohammed, who is originally from Sudan and was forced to flee chaos in Cairo before making his home in Hull.
WHILE the Egyptian revolution raged in Cairo, Yaseen Mohammed and his family hid in their home.
They spent ten days behind closed doors as the city was engulfed in chaos.
The prisons had been broken into, freeing the inmates onto the streets.
Police officers, long known for corruption, were killed by vengeful mobs.
"People could do what they wanted because there were no police," said Yaseen.
"Because the police had killed some people, police stations were attacked and officers were killed.
"People broke into the jails and freed prisoners, so dangerous people were let out.
"We were frightened to leave the house. For ten days I didn't go out.
"When my dad went out he brought a lot of food back so we had enough for a few days.
"The people of the area tried to protect it. They stood outside the homes and searched anyone who came down the street.
"They were good people to us."
The 2011 overthrow of Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's long-standing president, is now little more than a memory for Yaseen – as is Egypt itself, which the 22-year-old called home for a decade.
Now living in west Hull with his parents, Mohammed and Salma, and his brother, Mosaab, 24, Yaseen is looking ahead in life.
After arriving in England in December 2012 as a refugee, he is now a volunteer with British Red Cross in Hull.
Alongside his studies – Yaseen's aim is to take an engineering degree – his voluntary works sees him translating for Arabic speakers who live in the city.
British Red Cross, along with Asylum Seekers and Refugees of Kingston upon Hull (ARKH) has, Yaseen says, helped him make the transition to life in England.
"It is great for me because it has helped me improve my language and meet new people," said Yaseen.
"Red Cross and ARKH have one goal, which is to help people.
"At first I was not good enough at English and I was shy about speaking to English people.
"As my brother has good English, I would ask him to come with me and translate when my case worker came to see us.
"Through her, I found voluntary work with Red Cross.
"At first I found it was difficult for me. I would sit there quietly.
"But now I do ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) at Hull College. Without the voluntary work, I wouldn't have improved my English.
"Before, I needed an interpreter but now I interpret for other people."
Yaseen and his family left their homeland, Sudan, in 2002, two years before the start of the civil war.
He remembers his early years in the west of Sudan, the family lived in the cities of El Fasher and Nyala, with fondness.
Mangos and berries grow wild in the hot, dry climate, where summer temperatures regularly reach 42C.
Some of the basic services could be intermittent. He remembers the electricity would sometimes randomly shut off for hours at a time, but there was a kinship with those they lived alongside. Yaseen said: "In Sudan, your neighbours are like one family. If you need something you can go to them, and they can come to you, too".
His parents had made the decision to take their sons to Egypt in the hope it would provide a better chance of education and opportunity.
After living in Egypt's second city, Alexandria, where they had relatives, the family moved to the capital.
Yaseen got used to life in this chaotic and sprawling metropolis, which is home to some 16 million people.
He had settled into school and made friends, but then came the popular uprising against Mubarak.
"The Government took control of all communications. There was no mobile, landline or internet," said Yaseen.
"I couldn't speak to friends of mine to see if they were OK.
"If you watched the Government TV channels, you were told everything was safe, but if you watched the BBC you saw it was not like this at all.
"After the Army took control of the streets it became safer and then Mubarak said he was not going to be president anymore.
"The situation got worse in some ways after Mubarak because everything became very expensive, as it was not safe to send some shipments into the ports.
"You could not find some things in the supermarket, such as sugar.
"Clothes and food became more expensive – sometimes things would double in price."
Society also started to change after the overthrow.
"If someone had problems with someone they could pay the police and get them arrested," Yaseen said.
"Now I think it is better. They are trying to build trust between the police and people."
Having applied to the United Nations for refugee status, the family were called to interview in 2012.
Granted refugee status in Britain, they were flown to Manchester in December that year, before travelling on to Hull.
"We were the first group from Egypt to Britain through the UN," said Yaseen.
"For me it was a surprise because I had not heard of others coming here but I was very happy, it was exciting.
"I knew some things because of the football teams and I knew about landmarks such as Big Ben and the Tower of London.
"For me it is better than going to the US. I have heard from friends who went there and it is not safe.
"They have gone to Chicago and Missouri, where there a lot of gangs."
He keeps in touch with his friends, who increasingly know about Hull through the Premier League status of the football team.
"Before I came here my favourite team was Arsenal but now I support Hull. I was sad when they lost in the final of the cup," Yaseen said.
"If I moved from here, I would continue to support Hull.
"I've been to watch them play at the KC Stadium and it is a great atmosphere.
"I like the way the fans support the team through good times and bad times.
"I feel I am part of this community now". • Refugee Week runs from today until Sunday. Visit www.refugeeweek.org.uk
