The Cost of Flight

The impact of becoming a refugee is experienced by people in many different ways – as unique as each situation. But sometimes leaving your own country is the only option you have, when your family is threatened and needs to escape to safety.

This was true for my guest, Bakr Jalil. His wife was an activist in Kurdistan, Northern Iraq, and because of her work, they had to make the heartbreaking decision to leave their homeland and family behind to seek safety in Canada in 2015. You can hear her story in the previous episode of this podcast.

An accountant by profession, Bakr had to start again in Canada. With little English, very few possessions and no knowledge of the country he was coming to, his journey has been a challenging one – and its impact continues to resonate today.