From Afghanistan to the UK: one family's story of success

In 1999, Nooralhaq Nasimi and his family fled Taliban-held Afghanistan for the UK, in a journey that included 12 hours locked in a refrigerated lorry.

Now, 22 years later, 54-year-old Nasimi is helping a new generation of Afghans to play a vital role in the UK’s politics and culture.

Despite struggling with the administrative process of starting a new life, Nasimi founded the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA), a London-based charity dedicated to helping refugees integrate. He is supported in this by his wife, Mahboba.

The centre now has several branches and has become a home for Afghans and other migrants in need of social support.

Travelling in perilous circumstances where death was possible at any moment “was one of the most difficult decisions of my life,” Nasimi says, recalling his journey from Afghanistan. “But I had no other choice.”

Nasimi says that ACAA “has provided services to thousands of Afghan families and immigrants from other countries, in the area of capacity building, legal support, and the establishment of cultural and political discourses on the situation in Afghanistan."

He adds that working in the charity sector is not an easy task for newcomers as they “have to start their works with the minimum resources”, but now his family has established a foothold in British society. “Without the support of my family, it would not have been possible for my dream to become a reality.”

Dr Nooralhaq Nasimi, 54, founder of The Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA), a charity based in Hounslow, helping migrants and refugees to reintegrate in the UK.

Dr Nasimi, 54, founder of The Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA), a charity based in Hounslow, London. He poses in his office holding a photograph of his father, an educator influencer who played a key role in getting children back into school in Afghanistan.

Dr Nasimi poses in his office holding a photograph of his father, an educator influencer who played a key role in getting children back into school back in Afghanistan.

Nasimi’s daughter Shabnam, 30, is a prominent British Afghan political and social activist.

She is the founder and director of the Conservative Friends of Afghanistan (CFA), an organisation which aims to strengthen the relationship between the UK and Afghanistan and supports a thriving democratic culture that is inclusive, collaborative, and encourages participation by the British Afghan diaspora. She is becoming a familiar face on television screens.

Shabnam is also a women’s rights activist who works to protect girls and women from forced marriage, domestic abuse, and cultural and religious oppression in Afghanistan and around the world. She is an ambassador for the 50:50 Parliament campaign.

Shabnam Nasimi, arrived to the UK at the age of 8 with her family who fled the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Shabnam says that one of the reasons she has entered politics is because “the voice of the Afghan people has not been heard globally.”

“The voice of the Afghan people has not been heard globally”

At first it was not easy for her to enter British politics, but then she got a job as a caseworker for her local MP.

“You contribute to society, and you should take advantage of everything available, whether that is being in politics or working for the civil service.”

“What I gained and experienced, I want to be able to pass to others to show them that no matter where you are from, you have a responsibility and you have a position in British society”, she said.

“No matter where you are from, you have a responsibility and you have a position in British society

Shabnam Nasimi during an interview in her office based in Hounslow, London.

Sheekeba Nasimi, currently a student at the University of Law, works at the charity overseeing the legal clinic as the legal and development coordinator.

Sheekeba Nasimi, currently a student at the University of Law, works at the charity overseeing the legal clinic as the Legal and development Coordinator.

Nasimi has three other children.

Rabia, 27, is currently working at the Department of Health and Social Care as a social researcher, focusing on the the impact of Covid 19. Her team provides analysis to help ensure government policy is robust, inclusive, and shaped by data and research.

Darius, 23, is studying philosophy at King's College London. He is an entrepreneur and human rights activist who wants “to erase the stigma surrounding refugees in the UK, and show that they can have a positive influence on our society”.

Sheekeba, 20, works with the rest of the Nasimi family to help integrate immigrants into British society.

Although the Nasimi family has been able to become successful and influential, there are still many families who have immigrated to the UK and have not yet found a foothold.

Further government support in the integration process, helping people find work, resolving administrative problems, and raising awareness to combat the misconceptions about immigrants could put an end to such problems.

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