Former Syrian refugees celebrate life in Saint John

About 18 months after arriving in Canada from Syria, Mustafa Al-Jumaili says World Refugee Day holds a special meaning for his family.

As World Refugee Day approaches on Saturday, Mustafa and Slafa Al-Jumaili say they hope people remember refugees are just like everyone else.

They say refugees have dreams, and come to new countries to build a future for themselves and their kids.

"I just want to live with my family, safe," Slafa Al-Jumaili says.

Mustafa Al-Jumaili his wife, Slafa, and his children left Iraq for Syria in 2005.

Slafa Al-Jumaili told Information Morning Saint John that life was very dangerous in Syria and the family was afraid to go shopping or go to school.

In fact, she says, bombs exploded near the walls of their daughter's school, twice.

"My daughter didn't go to school for a week [after the first explosion]," Al-Jumaili said.

"After that I said, 'OK, the situation is good, you can go [back] to school.' My daughter said, 'I am scared when I go.' Then it happened again."

Mustafa Al-Jumaili says that's when he and Slafa knew they, and their five children, had to leave Syria.

Family hoped Canada would be calm

His wife says the family was given a choice by the United Nations office they dealt with, to go to Canada or the United States. She says they chose Canada because they felt life here would be quiet and calm.

The couple say it was strange for their children to come to a new country, but it's given them a new start and the opportunity to focus on their futures.

"In Syria and Iraq, for these kids, [there's] no future for them," said Mustafa Al-Jumaili.

Slafa Al-Jumaili says she doesn't worry in the same way about her children now and when they leave, she doesn't have to wonder if they'll come back.

"In Syria, my son, when he went to bring something — bread or shopping, I feel scared. Maybe my son [would] not [come] back [to] my home. Maybe my husband [would] not [come] back."

The pair say they don't have jobs in Saint John yet.

Mustafa is studying for his high school equivalency and taking classes at Saint John College, although he was a teacher of Arabic in his home country 25 years ago.

Slafa is taking classes through the Saint John YMCA's Newcomer Connections.

On Thursday, the United Nations' refugee agency said Syria overtook Afghanistan to become the world's biggest source of refugees last year, while the number of people forced from their homes by conflicts worldwide rose to 59.5 million.

The agency counted nearly 3.9 million Syrian refugees in 107 countries last year, the fourth year of the country's civil war.

In January, Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said Canada will resettle 10,000 more Syrian refugees over the next three years in direct response to the United Nations Refugee Agency's global appeal to resettle 100,000 refugees worldwide.