The long journey to Citizenship
We are delighted that our dear friends, Ammar and Samar Hammoud have completed their long journey to British Citizenship since their arrival with their children in December 2017 as part of the Vulnerable Peoples Resettlement Scheme.
The Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) was launched in January 2014 and has helped those in the greatest need, including people requiring urgent medical treatment, survivors of violence and torture, and women and children at risk. The then Prime Minister announced on 7 September 2015 that the scheme would be expanded to resettle 20,000 Syrians in need of protection by 2020. Three families came to the North Dorset area for the sanctuary they desperately needed at this time.
Citizenship is very, very important for people displaced from areas of the world like Syria because, although under VPRS people have an indefinite right to remain in the UK, they do not have the same rights as British Citizens, must renew their right to remain regularly and have greater difficulty travelling abroad.
Play the audio below to hear Samar and Ammar describe their journey and its importance to Keri Jones.
As the audio explains, the journey to citizenship is a long and difficult one with significant tasks and hurdles to cross including cost.
The journey begins if you are over 18.
1. You need to prove you were in the UK exactly 5 years before the day the Home Office receives your application.
2. You need to prove your knowledge of English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic with a test of speaking and listening.
3. You need to have passed the life in the UK test based on a 160 page text book.
4. You need to intend to continue living in the UK.
5. You must be of good character - and be able to have referees confirm this
6. You must be able to meet the cost of £1500 per adult application
Checks are made against you at every stage and on numerous occasions you give your biometric details.
Each step is of course stressful and costly and, because children gain citizenship through naturalisation, following the parents’ citizenship, there is a lot riding on a successful application.
Over the last 6 years, all the Syrian families have been on this journey, and are, step by step, getting closer to the security of citizenship.
On Wednesday 29th May, Ammar and Samar and their nephew, Salah Atif Hammoud took the final step, and at a Citizenship Ceremony in Dorchester they swore allegiance to King and Country and received the certificate that confirmed they are finally British Citizens.
Ammar, Samar and Salah received their certificates from the Sheriff of Dorset and the Leader of the Council.
Within a few days Ammar and Samar’s children received their naturalisation certificates. Ammar described the day as the happiest of his life because it was a day that brought security to his whole family.
As a group of Trustees of Shaftesbury Refugee Group, we were delighted to be at the ceremony as guests of the families and to see our dear friends become complete members of our country and community in Dorset. It was a wonderful, joyous occasion and one we hope will soon be repeated with the adult members of the two remaining Syrian families.
