This is Part Two of Hiba’s story. You can read Part One here.
Rainbow Migration has always been there for me. I have always felt so welcome, so cared for, and so respected. They listened to me from the moment I first met them. I have never been made to feel like a burden or a problem. Even if I needed some support outside work hours, someone always reached out, even if it was just a quick call to check in with me.
Once I met Rainbow Migration, I was less isolated. My amazing Caseworkers Laurie and Ro (pictured below) have given me so much emotional and practical support for my asylum case and the legal process. I went to the in-person trans support group and online sessions. We did lots of different activities together, like a picnic and cookery classes. I made Pakistani biryani rice in rainbow colours – everyone loved it! We all cooked and ate together, and then went for a walk in Soho, as a group, as a family. We took photos together and had so much fun. It was incredible to be with other trans people in public, who were also seeking asylum, just like me. We all felt so good!
“Trans Pride isn’t just a parade, it isn’t just a party, it’s a protest! As a trans woman and a human rights activist, Trans Pride is a very important moment for me. Being there with my trans family was beautiful. It gave us all more strength.”
I went to Trans Pride again in 2023. I felt even more confident this time, I had even more power! Trans Pride is such a big event, it’s wonderful to be part of it. I was so proud to be there, and I’m so proud of everyone else there. I took a placard which said, “My Body, My Choice!” It was fantastic to all march as one. It is so important to be vocal and visible about trans rights and asylum rights together. Trans Pride isn’t just a parade, it isn’t just a party, it’s a protest! As a trans woman and a human rights activist, Trans Pride is a very important moment for me. Being there with my trans family was beautiful. It gave us all more strength. We were able to give each other more support, more power, and along the way, we all made more friends.
I got granted refugee status in September 2023. It was a fantastic moment, and I was so happy, but it is just the start of the rest of my life. My future is very bright!
Before I was granted refugee status, I didn’t have many opportunities to do anything. There are very few things people who are seeking asylum can do. Once I got granted status, I had the chance to do something good. Now I’ve got the strength to study for a Law Master’s. I want to understand international human rights and combine it with my filmmaking. I want to give LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum visibility and give a voice to people who don’t have usually a voice.
In 2022 I started volunteering with Hassan Akkad, director of the Netflix film “The Swimmers”. I worked with him as an impact artist on “Matar“, a film about a Syrian man who is seeking safety in the UK but who is struggling with the increasingly hostile asylum system. We also made “First Drop of Rain” together, a short film I co-Directed, about my journey from Pakistan to the UK, and my experiences of the asylum system. We have worked on several other projects together, including with the British Film Academy of Arts in September 2023. We tell the stories of migrants in the UK; we want to put them on the screen, so people can see what it’s like to have to flee for your life and come to the UK for safety.
Alongside filmmaking, I have many speaking engagements and podcast appearances, sharing my lived experiences as a trans woman going through the immigration system. I want to get my voice heard wherever I can. Trans people seeking asylum need support. We get assaulted and bullied all the time. I want people to know how bad it is.
Being an LGBT+ migrant is so, so difficult. We get no special treatment. We are treated terribly. We all have so much trauma already, and the process just makes it all worse. Living in an asylum hotel was terrible, it was so traumatising. It wasn’t safe for me – lots of Home Office accommodation is unsafe for LGBTQI+ people. I was bullied by residents and even people who worked there. I have been assaulted so many times. There were so many untrained staff at the hotel; they had no idea how to talk to LGBTQI+ people, and especially trans people. They didn’t care, they treated me so badly.
“I talk so people know how harsh this government is, how transphobic their policies are. The system is so unfair for people who just want to live their lives without fear.”
I talk so people know how harsh this government is, how transphobic their policies are. The system is so unfair for people who just want to live their lives without fear. Trans people need much better health care and medical treatment. LGBTQI+ people don’t deserve the Rwanda plan; we don’t deserve to be treated as though we don’t have value. We are real human beings! The current asylum system lacks empathy, it lacks compassion. It should protect people, and respect everyone.
I still remember the day I left Pakistan. It was the most difficult day of my life. But I have come a long way since then. I have hope now. I have dreams. I am going to start my career. I am going to make films, make art, I want to be a voice for LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum. I will always be an activist. I want to challenge this government. I want to tell them how wrong they are and show them how the LGBTQI+ community is one full of love and value. I am a human being, and I want to contribute to this society as an equal.
Rainbow Migration has saved my life! They offer more than help and guidance. They give you love, compassion, and respect. They made me realise I am worth something. I felt so important to them. I couldn’t have survived without them. Thanks to Rainbow Migration, I have my life and my power! It has been an incredible journey.
