Albanian refugee, Prendush Leshi

I arrived in Britain with my wife and son at Dover in 2000. We had travelled overland and by ferry and plane after fleeing Albania where I had joined the democracy movement.

In 1996 I discovered corruption in the local government of my home town and exposed it. As a result my life was in danger. We had no choice but to use our savings to pay people-traffickers to smuggle us out. I hate to think what would have happened if we had stayed.

The hard years

After claiming asylum, we were dispersed to Glasgow and given a flat in Sighthill. The first couple of years were hard. I was seeing a psychologist for counselling, because I had become very depressed, but in some ways the experience had toughened me up and we got through the worst. My wife Efstathia and I were not allowed to work, we spoke little English and we had been through a very bad time. It’s not something that life can ever prepare you for; leaving everything you have ever known and running for safety.

Help and support

What helped both of us was the welcome we were given. The two local churches, Saint Mungo’s and Saint Rollox in Sighthill were particularly helpful.

In them we found a ready-made community which welcomed us and gave us a lot of help and moral support. Saint Mungo’s runs a three-day a week mothers and baby group, which really helped my wife when Kevin was born and gave her an outlet.

Without this support I think things could have been very bad. I have always had a big interest in football and this helped me get to know the local people. I used to play a lot as a younger man and now I help coach a youth team. Having a common interest has really helped break down barriers with people.

Scotland as home

Scotland is very much our home now, especially for Kevin who was born here and has never known anything different. Now that I am on the way to learning a trade, I feel that we have really started to put down roots.

I will always miss Albania, but this is our home now.

The Scottish people welcomed us and have given us a chance to rebuild a normal life. You never really understand how good the simple things of life are, like work, home, family and friends, until they have been snatched away from you. Scotland has given them back to us.

Prendush Lleshi
Prendush, 38, a former teacher of language and literature, is now in the second year of an apprenticeship in plumbing and hopes ultimately to start his own business. He is married with two young sons, Geordie, 9, and Kevin, 4.