Rashid* is now 21 years old and lives in Australia, sharing a home with a group of young Afghan men. When he first reached out to our organization, the Refugee Rights Türkiye, he was only 16. We learn that his journey of displacement actually began when he was a baby. His family was forced to flee from Afghanistan to Iran before Rashid was even a year old. He explains that they never had legal identity documents in Iran, which ultimately led them to Türkiye. However, during this journey, he became separated from his family and lost all contact with them. Before continuing his story, Rashid takes a deep breath. We learn that he has not heard from his family since that day. Although he approached several institutions to search for them, none of the efforts yielded results.
By chance, he met a Turkish high school student in Istanbul who informed him that he might be able to stay in a shelter. This encounter helped him reach out to various institutions for support. At one of the shelters he stayed in, another boy from Africa told him about our organization and the services we provide to unaccompanied minors in Türkiye. That’s how Rashid contacted the Refugee Rights Türkiye. During conversations with our team, Rashid shared that his aunt and uncle were living in Australia. This marked the beginning of a new hope: the launch of a family reunification procedure.
Rashid told us that he lived in various cities and shelters, but especially liked Tekirdağ, where he started high school. Despite experiencing communication barriers due to language differences at school and in the shelter, he eventually overcame them. He recalls how much he wanted to attend university and learned about the entrance exam for international students. Although he prepared for the exam, his difficult circumstances prevented him from taking it. While working informal jobs to support himself, Rashid contacted our Child Protection Hotline (0 549 510 52 06)—a call that would change his life. He received the news that his family reunification process had concluded successfully and that he could travel to Australia to live with his aunt.
Now reunited with a family member after many years, Rashid is living in Australia — the country where his only surviving relative, his aunt, resides. He emphasizes that while he had long wished to be registered or naturalized in Türkiye, relocating to Australia also brought a meaningful new chapter in his life. Rashid says he hopes to pursue university education and improve his English, but notes that without working, studying is not financially feasible. This is because his visa status in Australia is based on family reunification rather than refugee status, making him ineligible for scholarship opportunities. He also shares that he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes while in Türkiye and feels fortunate to have continued access to treatment in Australia.
At the time of publishing this story, Rashid is close to completing his second year in Australia.
*The name has been changed to protect the individual’s privacy.
