Adel Golan fled from Syria last year and spent days in an outdoor camp in Calais before boarding a lorry to seek asylum in the UK.
Mr Golan, who now lives in Basford, describes his journey to the UK through Calais as ‘more dangerous and scary than crossing the Mediterranean in an overcrowded boat.
The 26-year-old, who was studying English Lit at a university in the Golan Heights in Syria, left his parents and three brothers to escape war torn Syria three years ago.
Since leaving his family he has struggled to stay in contact as they have been displaced.
Mr Golan spent 3 weeks in an outdoor camp in Calais before boarding a lorry to seek asylum in the UK. He then had to pay a people smuggler to get him on a boat to the UK.
The boat was only designed for 50 people but almost 300 people were packed into it.
He said: “It wasn’t an easy journey, it was more difficult than the war itself. ”
“To come to England you must find a lorry. I had to find a lorry to hide myself under. It was very dangerous and it was a sacrifice. But its a sacrifice worth paying as there is bigger chance of life in England than there is at home.”
On arriving in Calais Adel hadn’t eaten for days.
“The situation in Calais is not a good one. There is a lack of food and water. People are sleeping anywhere. It’s a difficult situation and one too hard to explain.”
– Adel Golan, a Syrian refugee who now lives in Basford
In order to get through the border he climbed a four metre security wall and then boarded a lorry bound for the UK. On being found he boarded a second lorry which got him to Dover, where he then claimed asylum.
Adel has now been in the UK for a year after the Home Office accepted his case, he has now been given five years refugee protection in the UK.
However, at the age of 26 and now a volunteer at the Red Cross, Adel says he is sorry for coming to the UK illegally but only ever wanted to claim protection.
“I love England, I watched Robin Hood as a child, I studied English and speak it as my second language. This is the main reason for me to come to this country.”
The Home Office have said its supporting the French government with more security in Calais.
It also says the UK can be proud of the contribution it has made to dealing with crises around the globe and that £800 million is being provided to deal with the Syrian crisis, assisting hundreds of thousands of people.
