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Strangers in a Strange Land

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Factual: Life Stories

Uncovering the reality of life for immigrants who come to Wales to try and build new lives

Documentary series uncovering the reality of life for immigrants who come to Wales to try and build new lives

Simulcast of BBC One Wales in high definition. From 29/01/2013

BBC One Wales HD

Strangers in a Strange Land: Series 1

Chris Rushton

Christina Macaulay

Strangers in a Strange Land: Series 1: Episode 1

strangers-in-a-strange-land_ep1_0617_e_stephen-morgan.jpg

Episode 1

Series 1

BBC One - Strangers in a Strange Land, Series 1, Episode 1

The stories of a Syrian refugee, a Portuguese economic migrant and a Newport-born man.

Uncovering the reality of life for immigrants who come to Wales to build new lives. Following the stories of a Syrian refugee, a Portuguese economic migrant and a Newport-born man.

Strangers in a Strange Land uncovers the reality of life for immigrants who come to Wales to try and build new lives. They're much-talked about but rarely heard from. Aged just 21, Syrian refugee Bashar left his home, setting off on a perilous journey to come to Wales. In an attempt to escape the war in Syria, he took a desperate and dangerous journey across Europe to the UK, riding on the axle of a lorry. He's one of the lucky ones and has been given the right to stay for five years. But Bashar will need to find a way of making a living - speaking no English when he arrived, is he likely to succeed? In Merthyr, Carlos is a member of the town's Portuguese community. He left Portugal because of a downturn in the economy, but in Wales he now enjoys a better standard of living and is happy to do the jobs that he says others won't touch. With tougher border controls, some families face heartbreak - especially when children are separated from a parent. Newport-born Suhil fell in love with Risa on holiday in Pakistan. The couple married and within a year they had a baby called Umair and were hoping to settle in south Wales. However, for the moment they are separated because of immigration rules. Now a toddler, Umair is living with his dad in Newport while his mother is stuck in Pakistan. She's been refused a visa enter the UK twice. For three years, mother and child have been forced to live 4,000 miles apart. They are one of 15,000 so-called 'Skype families' whose only daily contact is via internet video calls.

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