THEY SPEAK ARABIC
I couldn't believe that I'm going to make it,
I'm going to leave,
to leave my family.
It's the hardest thing.
Especially my mum - when I left her,
it was like she was just with her eyes telling me, "Don't leave."
I had my own life in Syria.
I was studying English literature.
It was a beautiful life in Syria.
But the airstrike targeted my own home.
CAR HORNS AND SIRENS BLARE
Once I left Syria, a lot of people told me, "You can't make it."
I said, "After I get to the UK, everything will be fine.
"I will get relaxed."
But it wasn't at all.
Really, another journey started now
and other obstacles started to be thrown my way.
They brought us to the detention for 24 hours.
After that, we start to move from hotel to hotel.
Folkestone, Dover, Crawley,
Wolverhampton, Birmingham, and finally here, to Newcastle.
We are here, four people sharing the house.
The house isn't great.
When it's raining, lots of water comes in through the roof,
but I think it's better than moving from hotel to hotel.
You know, in the Jungle, I've passed in really bad moments.
I've suffered a lot.
But compared with waiting,
the Jungle was nothing.
It's almost one month since I did my interview.
Everyone in my family is waiting now.
They ask me about, "Your residency, what's happened?"
Once I get my papers here,
I want to start to study,
I want to start work.
My best friend, who travelled to the UK with me,
is in a different city now, so we talk a lot over the phone.
MESSAGE TONE BEEPS
BIG BEN CHIMES
BBC News at six o'clock.
REPORTER: As of now, Syria's neighbours have absorbed
most of the nearly four million refugees from the conflict
and all the projections are that in the coming months,
many, many more will arrive on the shores of Europe.
Cuts in aid are forcing them to attempt
the dangerous journey to Europe.
Every day in the morning,
I wake up and I look at my watch and just see the time.
The postman, he always used to arrive at half past 11.
Actually, he doesn't know that he has my life.
Everything I want, he has it in his bag.
I just keep watching him, keep watching his hands,
how it moves and how it's, like, taking the envelope,
just focus on the colour and if it's brown
I will jump from my bed till the door.
Leaving my family and leaving my mum just...
She's, like...
She was worried that I will be in risk.
I didn't want her to feel bad about me and to feel worry.
Finally, I am in the UK.
They felt, like, relaxed after that -
"Now he's safe, he doesn't have to suffer any more."
For my friend, housemate.
"Thank you for choosing Vision Express."
I know that it's not the day, I feel like it's not the day today.
The most difficult thing - I'm not allowed to work
and they are giving benefits,
£5 per day.
It's nothing.
People here, they work for £50 per day, at least,
and I am receiving £35 per week.
10, 20, 30, 35, 36.25.
Yeah, thank you.
There's your receipt.
Thank you.
Do you think if I call the Home Office and I'm telling them,
"It's not enough, what you are giving me, £35, it's nothing."
I can't just sit in a McDonald's or Starbucks.
I want to have a coffee,
but it's for £3 at least I should pay
and if I paid that, that means I have to cancel the food for one day.
DOG BARKS
Luckily, we are all Syrian.
We can speak in the same language, talk about our home.
Once I arrived here, I started to find halal stores
and actually, I was surprised.
I saw a lot of stuff I already was using in Syria.
After the airstrike targeted my building,
I decided that I have to leave Syria, I can't stay any more.
Why should I stay in the country?
It's already destroyed.
MAN SPEAKS ARABIC
LOUD BOOM, CAR HORN BLARES
I don't know if it's my right to be in the UK or not,
but it's my right also to not be in Syria.
It's my right to be in a safe place.
NEWSREADER: In Calais, police have clashed with migrants
after demolition teams moved in
to dismantle the camp known as the Jungle.
Two days ago, the Prime Minister said the humanitarian crisis
flowing from Syria would not be solved simply by countries
taking in more and more refugees.
MESSAGE TONE BEEPS
Today in the morning, I received my residency.
I received everything I was waiting for.
I've been waiting for seven months now.
I can study now and I can work.
I am allowed to leave now.
I don't know anyone in London,
but in London, maybe you start with the bad things,
but at the beginning, just the beginning, will be like this.
After that, I know that you can find work,
I can improve myself in London.