Working as a war zone surgeon in Syria, Dr Murhaf is no stranger to conflict but arriving in the UK in 2019 as an asylum seeker, he was faced with "complete chaos". Arriving in Cardiff with for the first time, he was "unaware of everything here - it was a new country to me and I was very disorientated".

“I felt safe here with these people around me.”

In this unfamiliar and alien environment, he was directed to Oasis where he attended English classes and was encouraged to integrate. "When I arrived in the UK I didn’t know anyone but I felt safe here with these people around me. I got involved in many activities which was a nice way to get involved in the community – I got to know many people and made friends. One of the attendees at Local Welcome was a broker, when he came to know my story he said he knew many doctors at Heath and he put me in touch with them."

With Oasis’s help, he was referred to DPIA and WARD, the Wales Asylum Seekers and Refugee Doctors group, where he accessed support to complete his English and medical conversion exams. Through hard work and dedication, he completed his GMC registration and now works as a surgeon in the NHS.

Reflecting on his life he says, “it is a privilege to have been able to work in two extremely different situations: having worked in a war zone in Syria and now for the NHS in the UK. I am happy to transfer my knowledge and use it here, upskill myself and learn new things. I get the opportunity to share with other refugee doctors and also British doctors about my experiences."

"I’m really thankful to Oasis, I can’t thank you enough. I was confused when I arrived, I didn’t know anything about the country – Oasis helped me to integrate, get involved and get back onto the right track on my journey."

We are so proud to have been a part of Murhaf's journey and to celebrate his success. It was lovely to see him back at Oasis to see the work we continue to do - and he brought cake with him!