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The Documentary: Me, the refugee

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Sahar and sister in Denmark

18/05/2019 GMT

Me, the refugee

BBC World Service - The Documentary, Me, the refugee

The story of a 12-year-old girl seeking asylum in a strange county – told from the inside

The story of a 12-year-old girl seeking asylum in a strange county – told from the inside.

What is it like to be taken away from your childhood home, to be brought to a strange new country where you are locked away?

That is what happened to reporter Sahar Zand when she became a refugee from her home country of Iran at the age of 12. It was a devastating experience for Sahar, her sister and her mother. They had to leave after her father got into political trouble with the regime – but it was the three female members of the family who had to fend for themselves as they sought a new life.

In this powerful and intimate documentary, she portrays the experience of being uprooted from home and the effects on one family. She recreates her uncomprehending flight from Iran; the many months of limbo in a refugee holding centre in Denmark; life on the run, and on the streets of European cities, always at the mercy of people smugglers. Sahar eventually found refuge in the UK where she has lived ever since – but the effects of that profound experience will never leave her.

In discussion with her sister and mother, Sahar explores the complex and often painful role reversals, deceptions and sacrifices that the three of them experienced during those often desperate days.

(Photo: Sahar and sister in Denmark. Credit: Sahar Zand)

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