Perseverance and Belief: The Woman Who Finally Made it to England after 30 Tries
“It was really hard and dangerous for me, but I finally made it here, thanks to God,” says Heivin, an 18-year-old woman who faced a series of hardships as she crossed Europe on her way to the UK.
In the migrant boat disaster in which five people died, Heivin was standing in a car park next to a shabby hotel near London, smiling and joyous.
After numerous unsuccessful attempts, she has finally achieved her long-held desire to visit England.
“It was really hard and dangerous for me, but I finally made it here, thanks to God,” she said.
“I am very happy to be here because I think it is a safe country and it is very suitable for me. But part of me is still in shock that the journey is finally over.”
She is a slight young woman, just 18 years old but blessed with a confidence that allowed her to persevere when others might have given up.
She left Kurdistan around a year ago, crossing Europe to France and living in camps, woodland, and underpasses along the way.
“It was very hard,” she said.
“Especially when you’re on your own and a young woman. It can be very dangerous.”
Kurdistan
Kurdistan is a region that straddles Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq and whose people have historically faced ethnic and political persecution from the governments of those countries.
Heivin tried 30 times to reach England from the coast of northern France, with her penultimate attempt seeing her take a place on a boat that was wildly overcrowded after it was violently hijacked by a rival group of migrants.
In the ensuing melee, five people died, including a young child.
Survivor recalls ‘hijacking’ of migrant boat
After the trauma, it was only a short time before we met Heivin for the first time. She was in the process of recovering from the ordeal of that boat at the time.
The memories of seeing people crushed still haunt her.
Even then, Heivin said she would be trying again and, in the early hours of Saturday morning, she made it.
Her boat left a French beach in the early hours and chugged towards Britain.
The people smugglers who arranged the crossing, she said, were “good with us.”
“We only had to wait for three to four hours, then we went down to the beach and boarded the dinghy,” she added.
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French coastguard shipped
A French coastguard ship approached a boat in distress in the water. The boat was having difficulty crossing due to insufficient equipment.
Of the nearly 60 people on board, 33 were taken off, but the others, including Heivin, remained at sea, determined to get to Britain.
Heivin said, “This time I went, but I always had the feeling that I would not make it and have to return like the other times.
“It was also extremely cold that night, and my clothes were soaking wet. I kept saying to myself, ‘I won’t make it’, but thank God, I did make it.”
The dinghy entered British waters, marking the decisive moment. A Border Force vessel intercepted the passengers and transferred them to the mainland.
I asked her, “How did you feel when you saw the British boat?”
With a shake of her head, Heaving was filled with emotion. “I’m so happy,” she declared, beaming with a broad smile.
She added: “I felt overjoyed. I didn’t expect that we would make it to Britain. I thought we would just end up back in France again, like the other times.
“When I saw the British boat, I was extremely happy—I just can’t explain it. I’m so happy.”