A refugee's long journey to Canmore

Rob Murray: I’m joined today by Waill Tatari. You and your partner Dana have made quite the journey to get to Canmore, thanks to the Bow Valley Syrian Refugee Project. How did you end up having to leave your country?

Waill Tatari: I had to leave Syria seven years ago. You know when you think these kinds of things will not happen to you? When you hear about war, it’s like it’s something we just see on TV. It’s happened in other countries, but not us. I felt like Syria was safe. Maybe I was just fooling myself, but things started to get worse and worse, and then suddenly I felt like I could die. Like, I could just literally go outside of my house and die. Once I remember I had to drive my friend to her house and I was followed. I think it was ISIS or something, like the guys had really big beards. I was just driving and then they started chasing me and started shooting at me.

RM: Wow.

WT: I escaped, I arrived at my friend’s house, and I started laughing like crazy. You reach point when you’re not scared, maybe because you get used to it and if you die, you die. I felt like I need to leave. So we went to Egypt for seven months. Egypt wasn’t very kind to us. We then moved to Malaysia. We applied for the UNHCR and they told us you have a case, so you’re not going to stay here for more than maybe seven months or one year. Life in Malaysia was really tough. We didn’t have any rights. We couldn’t do anything. We couldn’t open a bank account. I couldn’t work. And I remember we’re supposed to go to New Zealand, and seven hours before our interview they called to say “don’t come, we withdrew your files.”

RM: What? Why?

WT: I have no idea. They said “you’re not eligible to go to New Zealand.” I don’t understand why I’m not eligible. My mom is sick. I’m married. I just want to start a new life. I know there’s a lot of people and maybe someone else would deserve it, but it was hard.

RM: After that point, you must have felt pretty stuck. Where did you go from there?

WT: I remember I called Soulafa, my cousin, and I asked her if there were any programs to sponsor refugees in Canada. Soulafa called me in a week, and she said “I talked to people here and they say, yes, we are willing to help. Just send your story.” It took almost four years, but it worked. This project literally saved my life.

RM: How did it feel to finally touch down at the Calgary Airport and finally be in Canada?

WT: I was overwhelmed, but it all hit me when I arrived at the house. When I stepped inside the house, I felt like I wanted to cry. It was like, this is my house. I’m going to be staying here for one year. I’m not going to be moving. In Malaysia, I had this feeling that something’s going to happen. Someone might come and ask me to leave my house, or leave because also I stayed in hostels for very long amount of time. I didn’t feel stable until I arrived here. It was like, okay, so this is my home. I felt like, okay, I’m going to just like, hug this chair. I’m not moving out.

RM: We’re in the middle of a COVID pandemic right now. You see these beautiful mountains around you, yet you’re stuck inside for 14 days. Has it been tough, stuck in your own house?

WT: It’s so tough, but I can’t do anything about it. The other day I went outside. It was nighttime. I can go a little bit in the front yard and the back yard. I was just staring at the stars and I was walking and then I looked down, I was like, “Oh my God, I’m not on the pavement anymore!” I started to go back like I’ve done something.  I was like “Waill, just take it easy. It’s fine. It’s fine.”

RM: What are the first things that you and Dana are going to do when you’re finally able to leave the house?

WT: I’m going due west, I think? I don’t know. I’m just like, “Hmm, I want to go that way.” When the quarantine is over I’m just going to go for a hike. Just walk. Just keep walking. I can’t wait.

RM: The Bow Valley Syrian Refugee Project, you mentioned that they’ve been a huge help. Tell us about working with them.

WT: They made me feel like I have a family here. They were genuinely interested in helping on a really personal level. Even before I was here they were supporting me in all kinds of ways, financially, or emotionally, or anything I needed. I felt like I could talk to them and they would always reassure me, like, “don’t worry, it’s fine, you’re going to be here.” When I arrived I’ve never felt so welcomed before in my whole life. Everyone brought a welcome letter. Dana and I were just going through and reading, and it was wonderful.

RM: Did anyone warn you about how cold it gets here in the winter?

WT: Yes. The coldest I’ve witnessed in my life was -5, and they told me in winter time, -5 is like, “Oh, the weather is nice today. Let’s go out.”

RM: Pretty much! I guess it’s a small price to pay for finally coming to the end of your journey here, isn’t it?

WT: Yes. It’s fine. It’s nothing. I love winter. Especially at Christmas.

RM: When do you get to come out of self-isolation?

WT: Friday.

RM: We’re super excited to have you here in Canmore, and I really hope that the community welcomes you with open arms. Thanks so much for joining me in the show today and welcome to Canmore.