A DCU graduate in direct provision is “anxious and depressed” after the government served her another deportation order.
Against all odds, Mehwish Saqib got her Early Childhood Education degree through DCU’s University of Sanctuary scholarship which allows refugees and asylum seekers to complete third level education.
She completed her course while living in Direct Provision with her husband Muhammad and their three children aged 10, 8 and 5.
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Her family faced deportation orders back in 2019 and with the help of DCUSU, they got it extended until 2022 but now, they are being forced to leave the country yet again.
Mehwish told Dublin Live: “The deportation is still active, it’s not a new thing. I have a degree and I can’t do anything with it. I’m just sitting at home. I’m facing a difficult situation, the stress level, anxiety and depression have been on and off.
“I’m living in direct provision, we go through so much everyday. There are so many people who have come after us and they’ve the right to work and they have their status, but we’re still facing deportation.
“We’re still struggling to get on with life, I don't have the right to work. It’s injustice, there’s so many families in similar situations. We’ve been here so many years. My youngest son was born here, my other two children are getting on at school. We’re still struggling to get status. As a parent, it’s hard.
“It’s hard for the children when they’re asking questions, they’ve been asking for a long time when we’ll have our own home. My son who is eight asks everyday if we have the papers when we get the post, he goes to the post box every day to check.”
Not only are her children suffering because of the deportation order, Mehwish and her husband have been mentally and physically impacted because of the stress involved.
She explained: “I’m having migraines because of the anxiety and depression. I’m on antidepressants and going to counselling. This is keeping me from my whole life, we’re struggling and stressing.
“It’s having a health effect too, my husband has high blood pressure. Emotionally, we’re getting weaker everyday, everything has hit me so hard. I’m not one to cry in front of anyone and now I’m so helpless.
“I frequently email Helen McEntee, like every month. She’s a mother and I hope she feels my pain and these things in my mind. It’s hard to cope sometimes.
“In direct provision, I eat less but I don't want to ask someone to help me. There’s charity toys coming and our children are running towards these things. As parents, we don’t like it because we want to give them to ourselves. We want to move out and work.”
Even though Mehwish is no longer a student, she is always welcome back to the community where she flourished so much.
She said: “The DCUSU have helped me, they campaigned in 2019, and now they’re helping again. We need them again, we need the support. I’m very thankful because it's a hope for us to secure a safe future.
“At the moment, I'm fighting for my children, anything I can do for them. If anyone gives me advice I take it. I’m not really one for socialising, I'm so nervous talking to anybody because my personality isn’t like that but because of the situation, I have to do these things for my children, our future and for my husband.
“My hope is to give my children the best life, get our own house, for my husband and I to work, and give everything to our children. If the government gives us the opportunity to work, we can afford everything by ourselves.
“When I started my degree, in the back of my mind I thought I'd have my residency and work straight away. But I’d no idea the deportation orders would remain.”
Speaking to Dublin Live, Bobbie Hickey, the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion at DCU SU said: “She has done her degree, she put in the hard work. She did Early Childhood Education for four years, she did it while living in direct provision with her husband and three children.
“Students have a lot going on as it is but she had that added stress on top of it. She’s a mature student, living in direct provision, has three kids and she still finished her degree.
"If that doesn’t show how resilient she is, and how much of a benefit to Irish society, I don’t know what will.
“She has worked through some horrific situations and she has strived through it all. But still, the government is still deporting her because they can’t understand that she’d be a value to us, we’re throwing away good work here.
“She’s been determined to finish her degree, she wants to work in Irish society and she wants to be a positive contributor to the country.
“But because she’s living in direct provision she can’t work and she has no choice but to just sit here and be stressed, it’s not fair.
“DCUSU is backing Mehwish and we’re supporting her all the way, until this deportation order is revoked.”
You can sign the petition to save Mehwish and her family.
Dublin Live has contacted the Department of Justice for comment.
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