Raza's Print Shop

Raza went to Ireland with his wife and child in 2006 to apply for asylum. During his time as an asylum seeker he had no permission to work, but he sometimes took a part-time job delivering pizzas to earn a little money for his family. Raza and his family waited for three years in the asylum process but grew frustrated with the long wait. By then Raza and his wife had four children, three of whom had been born in Ireland.

Raza heard about IOM’s voluntary return program from a friend, and wanted to ask for more information. He went to the office in Dublin and, after speaking with staff, decided that it would be best for his family to return to Pakistan. IOM organized their travel documents and purchased plane tickets to their hometown.

Once in Pakistan, they stayed with Raza’s mother and father. During his time in Ireland they had never lost the contact with his family. Raza and his wife had encouraged the children, who were always very curious about their relatives, to speak to their grandparents often and learn about Pakistan. Raza said, “The first time they came to Pakistan they were very shocked, asking for everything.”

Raza applied for the reintegration grant in order to purchase a printing machine. He then became a partner in a printing company with a friend. They currently have two employees to assist with the number of jobs they receive. Unfortunately, the shortage of electricity has forced him to install a generator that consumes too much oil, raising the costs substantially.

IOM staff visited Raza in 2012 to see how his business was progressing. Raza was glad to have returned but said that because of the limited electricity, “I am planning to move with my family to Sweden where my two brothers are working…I care about my family. My brothers have called me and I am moving to Sweden, insha’Allah.”