I am from El Salvador, and I’m here in the UK with my family – my wife and three daughters. We arrived here in March 2019 and were granted asylum in the same year.
It’s been good. Life is not always good, and there are a lot of things we’ve been through. But we are happy here.
At the beginning, coming from a Latin American country, the weather and the language is the first shock people have. Because it is completely different. The language was a barrier, especially as we settled in Glasgow, which has its own dialect. Sometimes, it’s quite difficult to understand.
But it is great to come to a country that offers us a different life, a better life in every sense, because security is better here compared to my country. You feel better, safe, and at peace because you know you can go everywhere and nothing will happen to you.
The journey to employment
We first arrived in London and stayed for three days before we came to Glasgow. I think in Glasgow, there is good support for refugees. There are organisations that help people find the right support. The Scottish Refugee Council was really helpful to us.
I think there is a lack of support for employment, and Breaking Barriers fills that gap, which is really good. Because I felt lost, you don’t know what to do or how to do it. Each country has its own way of doing things. But Breaking Barriers provides support so that you can be aware of what is necessary when looking for a job.
Some people might not be ready to go into employment because of language barriers. If you don’t speak the language, it is impossible to get work. Even for me, it was difficult to get into employment. But I think most people would like to find work.
Last year, I was working at a large high street chain. The job centre was pushing me to get more hours, but they never gave me more. I went to the job centre every week, and eventually, someone told me about Breaking Barriers. So, I sent an email, there was a waiting list for support, but then an advisor called Daniel called me. We started having regular appointments, talking about improving my CV, tips for interviews, applying for jobs and how to improve my customer service skills. It gave me a better understanding of how things work here. For example, here, you do everything online. So, you have to learn how to apply online and what to write that will be important for the employer.
Now I am working as a kitchen porter for a restaurant in the city centre. I wouldn’t have got the job if it hadn’t been for Breaking Barriers and a partner organisation called Only A Pavement Away.
I had no experience as a kitchen porter, so I am aware that they could have hired someone with more experience than me. I didn’t think I would get the job when I went for the interview. I went to meet the head chef, who asked me some questions, and he offered me the job on the spot. I was shocked.
It is a very good job and much better than my last job. In the store, the environment was not good. The managers would yell at me. But here, it is completely different.
They provided me with training. Now I come to the restaurant, and I know what I have to do. They never tell me what to do, they just leave me to do my job. My work and the environment are really good because everyone respects one another. It’s completely different and much better, which is good because before, I used to feel really stressed. But here I feel well.
Looking ahead to the future
My advice to refugees is never to give up on your dreams. But on the journey to your dreams, you have to be strong, you have to overcome a lot, always have a positive attitude, and be resilient. Develop a strong mindset because life is not easy, but you have to learn to overcome and never give up. I think that is the most important thing.
Baldomero
I was self-employed in my home country. I used to work for schools and companies printing ID badges. I also worked as a photographer for schools.
When I first came here, I worked in warehouses like Amazon. But I am getting older so I won’t be strong enough to do this type of work. So, I need to study and find a different kind of employment that requires less physical effort.
Now, I’m studying web development. I am doing a two-year course at college, and then I hope to go to university. I want to progress and go up. I feel like I can do well; I have the ability, I have the skills to do it. I think I have to improve my English further, maybe to get into another type of employment, and I have been taking many English courses since I arrived.
It’s good at work. It’s helpful because all the time I listen to English, and I listen to my colleagues. You get used to the language. To the accent. There are a lot of things to learn. A lot of funny things. For example, they say to me, ‘are you in the mora?’ or ‘are you in the mo?’ – they are asking me if I am in tomorrow.
Maybe most of us asylum seekers or refugees feel at some point frustrated, disappointed, or worried that maybe we won’t get a job. But when you come to organisations like Breaking Barriers, they help you and provide support. I think that changes everything. It’s really good. It’s really important. You do a great job, so don’t stop doing that because people really appreciate it.
My advice to refugees is never to give up on your dreams. But on the journey to your dreams, you have to be strong, you have to overcome a lot, always have a positive attitude, and be resilient. Develop a strong mindset because life is not easy, but you have to learn to overcome and never give up. I think that is the most important thing.
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