Exclusive:'I will destroy my children's future': Syrian refugees fear returning home from Scotland

Syrian refugees have raised fears over their children’s future if they return home from Scotland.

Syrian refugees who have settled in Scotland have warned it “will destroy my children’s future” if they are required to return home following the collapse of the Assad regime.

Syrian refugees who have resettled in Glasgow, Perth, Aberdeen and Dundee have spoken out after calling on First Minister John Swinney to challenge the UK government after the Home Office “paused” decision making for people seeking asylum from Syria.

Syrian refugees met with First Minister John Swinney at Bute House | Scottish Government

Concerns have been raised that refugees could return to Syria, despite the complex situation in the country meaning it is unclear whether it is safe to do so.

In recent days, Syrians seeking protection in Scotland have reported feeling “scared and in limbo” after the move to suspend the processing of their claims. An estimated 650 people from Syria have outstanding asylum applications in Scotland.

READ MORE: Syrian refugees in UK need time to decide whether it's safe to return home

Khloud Ereksousi, a storyteller and educator who lives in Aberdeen with her two daughters, said: “My country is not ready to return to. It is not ready for schools, universities, particularly for my children who were born here in Scotland.

“My oldest daughter, who is 13, has just started second year of high school. She is building her future here. She is studying and starting to think about her future at university.”

Adnan Shamdin, who lives in Glasgow, is chairperson of the Kurdish House Community, an organisation that supports Kurds in Scotland.

Syrian refugees raised concerns with John Swinney | Scottish Government

He said the future was “very unclear” and he did not know if it would ever be possible for him to return to Syria.

“The problem with Syria now is the organisation who came and destroyed the Assad regime,” he said. “Syrian people, particularly Kurdish people, have a really bad experience with that organisation – so we don’t know what will happen in the future.

“Even if Syria becomes a democracy with benefits and social security for people, we can’t go back. My children go to school here, they go to university here. If I go back to Syria, I will destroy my children’s future.”

READ MORE: 'It feels like a dream coming true': The Syrian refugee who fled to Scotland on Assad's fall

Adnan has five children, the youngest of whom was born in Glasgow. They named him Iain, which he says is a Scottish and a Kurdish name.

He said: “When we came to Scotland, we built a new life. I didn’t speak any English. I learned it all here. I started my own business, like many other Syrians have done.

“I am also a musician and recently, while playing a gig, someone described me as a Kurdish-Glaswegian musician. That brought me so much joy.”

Since 2011, more than 14 million Syrians have been forced to flee their homes in search of safety. It is the world’s biggest forced displacement crisis.

People celebrate in Umayyad Square, Damascus, after the fall of the Assad regime (Picture: Louai Beshara) | AFP via Getty Images

In that time, thousands of people from Syria been granted refugee protection and began to rebuild their lives across Scotland.

The Syrian refugees were joined at their meeting with the First Minister by Scottish Refugee Council chief executive Sabir Zazai and regional community integration coordinator Marwa Bushnaq.

Mr Zazai said: “It’s clearly a hugely uncertain and chaotic time in Syria. It is particularly uncertain for those Syrians in the UK who have been told that their asylum applications are now suspended.

“Each asylum application must be considered on its own merit and on its own evidence. Any suspension on decision making should only be for a strictly limited time.

READ MORE: The growing pressure to fix Scotland's 'hidden humanitarian crisis'

“The UK government must prioritise this and it can’t be used as an excuse to leave even more people in limbo, especially those who have fled the horrors and suffering of the previous Syrian regime.

“This is a time to show solidarity with people from Syria, to support the individuals and families here in the UK as they come to terms with a new transition, and to stand alongside them in hope for a peaceful and stable future.”

Mr Swinney said: “I have been deeply troubled by events across the Middle East and know that many Syrians in Scotland and around the world will be feeling uncertain about what the future holds.

“I join the international community in calling for a peaceful and inclusive political solution that puts the Syrian people first and for humanitarian aid to reach those most in need.”