New to the Parish

Afshin Samali at NUI Galway: “I believe the Government’s policy to support refugees to settle here in the 1980s, despite Ireland’s harsh economic conditions, was an excellent investment in the future of Ireland.” Photograph: Joe O’Shaughnessy.

‘We need to think of refugees as people who have a lot of potential’

New to the parish: Afshin Samali arrived from Iran, via Pakistan, in 1985

‘I thought I’d take Dublin by storm when I arrived. It didn’t work out that way’

‘I thought I’d take Dublin by storm when I arrived. It didn’t work out that way’

New to the Parish: Rachel Waite arrived from the US in 2011

‘Irish people often think we are bad but we are good and friendly’

‘Irish people often think we are bad but we are good and friendly’

New to the Parish: Persida Caldaras arrived from France in 2002

‘The wait for papers is stressful. I couldn’t work. My life had to stop’

‘The wait for papers is stressful. I couldn’t work. My life had to stop’

New to the Parish: Mandla Ncube arrived from Zimbabwe in 2016

‘I moved from Australia to be a nurse in Ireland. People are always asking why’

‘I moved from Australia to be a nurse in Ireland. People are always asking why’

Peta Guthridge arrived from Australia in 2015

‘Irish racists believe Ireland should be pure. They know what they are doing’

New to the Parish: Dagogo Hart arrived from Nigeria in 2010

'My graduation day was a big day for mum, it felt like she was becoming a doctor’

‘For the past five years they have been sacrificing for me but now I can pay them back’

‘When I came to Ireland, I suddenly realised maybe I was gay’

Carlos Gonzalez, from Venezuela, feels he can be 100% himself in Ireland

‘In Dublin the roads were clean, and the air breathable, but I still missed India’

New to the Parish: Sugandha Arora arrived from India in 2017

‘I was really shocked at the homelessness and drug use in Dublin’

New to the Parish: Alex Dalkin originally arrived from Australia in 2016

‘Living in Dublin on about €13,000 a year is not easy. But we were good at saving’

New to the Parish: Ricardo Filho arrived from Brazil in 2013 and again in 2016

‘I’ve been working since I was 19. I’m not used to receiving handouts’

New to the Parish: Cristhian Nuñez Centeno arrived from Nicaragua in 2018

‘My issue was I could not tolerate the male dominance’

New to the Parish: Hina Khan arrived from Pakistan in 2015

‘My stammer made me very depressed. Children laughed and teachers hit me with sticks’

New to the Parish: Waheed Mohiuddin arrived from Pakistan in 2015

Coming to Ireland after a broken heart: ‘I needed a year to get over the pain’

New to the Parish: Emese Baranyi arrived from Hungary in 2011

‘All I knew about the Irish was that they were good drinkers’

New to the Parish: Milan Sitko arrived from Slovakia in 2006

Building a life in Ireland after spending a night in Mountjoy women's prison

New to the Parish: Juliana Scodeler has built a life here since coming from Brazil in 2007

Leaving Latvia to make a life in Cork: ‘I am the happiest person on earth’

New to the Parish: Growing up in Latvia Diana Bucko’s dream was to join the police now she lives in Cork. And loves it.

‘There’s so much negativity around direct provision but I liked it’

New to the Parish: Nqobizitha Vella arrived from Zimbabwe in 2015

‘I’ve only met one person in Ireland who didn’t like me because I was foreign’

New to the Parish: Tatjana Klemanskiene arrived from Lithuania in 2008

‘We named our first son Adam after a Dublin hair salon. They were like family to us’

New to the Parish: Lisa Miao and Yi (Johnny) Zheng arrived from China in 2001

‘I feel Irish now. If I went back to Syria they would make me join the army’

New to the Parish: Salim Yattem arrived from Syria in 2015

‘I’m grateful that I didn’t understand racism as a child’

New to the Parish: Felicia Olusanya (Felispeaks) arrived from Nigeria via France in 2003

‘I hadn’t been in real school until I came to Ireland. It’s nice being normal’

New to the Parish: Ismail Ahmed arrived from Sudan, via Libya and France, in 2017

'I feel much safer in Kerry than I would be in Poland'

New to the Parish: Kasia Gwis arrived from Poland in 2006

Ireland’s visa delays: ‘We wouldn’t have come here if we knew’

New to the Parish: Charissa Jaganath arrived from South Africa in 2018

‘Cork is a very rebellious city. Going there was the best thing I ever did’

New to the Parish: Alexandra Soares arrived from Brazil, via Germany, in 2015

‘We have never been refused help in Ireland’

New to the Parish: Zsuzsanna Rékai from Hungary says Ireland will always be home

‘I came to Ireland from Nepal and got reverse altitude sickness’

Dipa Rai, who arrived in Ireland in 2015, finds Irish mountains ‘flat but tough’

‘In Kerry they’ve strong accents. I thought they were speaking Irish, not English’

New To The Parish: Nasir Yasin arrived from Somalia in 2005

‘I was weak and lost all my hair. My one wish was to see my daughter before I died’

New to the Parish: Ghaythaa Abdualdahab arrived in Ireland from Syria, via Greece, in 2018

Forced marriage: ‘That man had more rights over my body than I did’

New to the Parish: Dalal Alshohaib arrived from Saudi Arabia in 2015

‘I love how Irish people talk. It’s like a soap opera with the banter and puns’

New to the Parish: Born in Taiwan, Agape Deng arrived in Ireland from the US

‘I love Ireland, my life here is calm, but sometimes it is very hard’

New to the Parish: Krzysiek and Iwa Wisniewski arrived from Poland in 2006

‘Ireland is not a typical European country. It's more like Africa’

New to the Parish: Rwandan who arrived in 2013 is grateful to Ireland

‘I’m 35 years old and I feel like my life is turning into nothing’

New to the Parish: Evgeny Shtorn arrived from Russia in 2018

‘I was asked to play the national anthem on my flute. I felt honoured’

New to the Parish: Miriam Kaczor arrived from Poland in 2008

My first thoughts on Dublin: Are we really in a developed country?

New to the Parish: HaiYing Huang arrived from China in 2002

‘People in Ireland are very, let’s say, lax with time commitments’

New to the Parish: Filip Klubicka arrived in Ireland in August 2017

‘When I said I’m Romanian, she literally stepped away from me’

New to the Parish: Daniela Kocis-Fitzgerald arrived from Romania in 2009

‘The worst thing about Ireland? Dublin Bus!’

New to the Parish: Daniela Vindisova from Slovakia came to Ireland in 2016

‘In the car from Dublin Airport I asked, Is this a dead country?’

Stories of 2018: New to the Parish, Swathi Sasidharan arrived from India in 2005

‘I came to Ireland to save my family. Why is it taking so long?’

New to the Parish: Norbert Nkengurutse arrived from Burundi in 2016

‘I live in Cork. It’s the first time I’ve had white friends’

New to the Parish: Sibusisiwe (Busie) Mhlophe arrived from Zimbabwe in 2017

Waiting for asylum: ‘I felt like a shadow that was slowly disappearing’

Hermon Tsegay is happy in Ireland but critical of a system that left her in limbo

Direct provision: ‘It stank. There was no privacy. It was like military camp’

New to the Parish: Bulelani Mfaco arrived from South Africa in 2015

‘When I arrived I didn't have any English and kept asking myself what am I doing here?’

New to the Parish: Christian Dirocie arrived from the Dominican Republic in 2014

‘Irish people are very nice and smile a lot but they’re not direct’

Wojciech and Monika Kostka arrived from Poland in 2005 and have settled in Arklow

‘Brazil is very homophobic. In Dublin I feel like I belong’

Anderson Leahy arrived from Brazil in 2013, and married his Irish boyfriend three years later

‘I did feel offended when I was refused for being a foreigner. I had to get over it’

New to the Parish: Solomon Kong arrived to study accounting and finance in 2015. Settling in Ireland was not straightforward especially when it came to accommodation

‘My grandmother sent me to boarding school to protect me. It was a much safer option’

New to the Parish: Karen Mukasa arrived from Uganda in 2015

‘I’m as proud to be Irish as I am Kurdish’

New to the Parish: Tayan Gaedi arrived from Iraqi Kurdistan in 2005

‘At least everyone has the basics in Ireland. That’s why I’m living here’

New to the Parish: Senthil Kumar Ramasamy arrived in Waterford from India in 2000

‘People in direct provision are liars and thieves – that belief is part of Irish society’

New to the Parish: Rosemary Kunene arrived from Swaziland in 2014

‘I wanted to start a new life. I was sick of the situation in El Salvador’

New to the Parish: José Muñoz arrived in Ireland in 2016

‘Irish people would ask: ‘You’re Arab? Why don’t you have a veil?’’

New to the Parish: Houda Zghidi arrived from Tunisia in 2014

‘In Ireland, I was scared to say hi to people on the street’

New to the Parish: Imani Tutu arrived from Tanzania in 2014

‘The Irish people gave me justice, liberty, humanity and support’

New to the Parish: Osama Abou Hajar arrived from Syria via Lebanon in 2014

‘Motherhood is a great equaliser. You have that solidarity’

Aradhana Ghai, from Kenya, moved to Dublin in 2014. When her father died three years later, her young son helped her cope

‘There is a sense of community and acceptance in Ireland’

New to the Parish: Henrique Peinado arrived from Brazil in 2006

‘The sparks flew. He became more than a driving instructor’

New to the Parish: When a Polish woman moved to Wexford and started driving lessons, she acquired more than a licence

‘I consider myself an Irish man but people always say: No, you’re not Irish’

New to the Parish: Salah Haddad arrived from Libya via Jordan in 1998 and became an Irish citizen in 2003

‘Croatian and Irish women are very similar. I am Irish with them’

New to the Parish: Ljiljana Matkovic arrived from Croatia in 2015

‘People complain about the HSE but compared to Pakistan it’s brilliant’

New to the Parish: Asim Mumtaz arrived from Pakistan in 2000

‘I knew from the news people didn’t like to go to Ireland because of the war’

New to the Parish: Chef and entrepreneur Athula Kuruppu Arachchi arrived from Sri Lanka in 2005

The Minister asked ‘Where are you from?’ I said ‘Portugal’. He said ‘You’re Irish now’

Vitor Ferreira arrived from Portugal in 2002

In Offaly people were like ‘who is this guy, what is he doing here?’

Takashi Miyazaki arrived in Ireland from Japan in 2008

Why am I so interested in refugees? I am descended from emigrants

New To The Parish: After over 100 articles in this series, Sorcha Pollak revisited 14 stories for her book

‘I love spending the day in the nursing home. It’s bringing me back to life’

New to the Parish: Vekash Manzoor Khokhar arrived from Pakistan in 2015

‘The job opportunity was amazing, how bad could Ireland be?’

New to the parish: Samira and Sara Kaissi arrived from Lebanon in 2017

‘As foreigners in Ireland we are so touched by the people around us’

Judy Li arrived from China in 2004. Her husband died in 2015 and she is grateful for the support she has received

‘I needed to heal after my divorce and Ireland helped me to heal’

New to the Parish: Fadielah Moses arrived from South Africa in 2013

‘It’s tough getting into competitive Scrabble here. The Irish scene is small’

New to the Parish: Lukeman Owolabi arrived from Nigeria via UK and Sweden in 2015

‘I was finished with South African rugby. Playing for Ireland felt natural’

New to the Parish: The South African-born Richardt Strauss on ‘clean’ Ireland and surviving a major health scare

What will I miss about Ireland back home in Kenya? Flahavan’s porridge, Barry’s tea

New to the Parish: Caroline Munyi arrived from Kenya in 2007

‘Reaching dreams in the Congo was impossible, in Ireland it’s exciting’

Serge Kanyamuhanga arrived from the Congo via Uganda in 2013

‘I’ve never met my young son. To him I’m a picture on screen’

New to the Parish: Homayoon Shirzad arrived to Ireland from Afghanistan in 2016

Saying thanks to the bus driver – in Italy people would ask ‘what’s wrong with you?’

New to the Parish: Mariarita Arenella arrived from Italy in 2013

‘You can run into any famous musician in Ireland and they’ll be kind’

New to the Parish: Singer Janneke van Nijnanten arrived from the Netherlands in 2011 and is a fan of the Irish music scene

‘College in Ireland was different – boys were really awkward talking to the girls’

New to the Parish: Marisol Gonzalez Troya arrived from Spain in 2008

‘In Dublin we can walk very late at night. In Brazil that’s not possible’

New to the Parish: Heloisa Generoso arrived from Brazil in 2012

‘Indians are Indians here. Ireland is a great equaliser’

Ramakrishnan Ramanathan says Ireland helped him get rid of his prejudices

‘I felt the people in Ireland were very political and I liked this’

New to the Parish: Mai El-Mahdy arrived from Egypt in 2012

‘I don’t understand people who move abroad and then stick with their own’

New to the Parish: A Georgian refugee explains how he ended up in Dublin

‘People in Ireland are far more friendly than aggressive’

New to the Parish: Joel Mutara is building a life in Ireland after living in Ugandan refugee camp

‘Polish people behave in a different way to the Irish. We’re not so open’

New to the Parish: Marcin Piotrowski arrived from Poland in 2004, left Ireland in 2017

‘It takes a long time for Irish people to open up beyond surface level’

New to the Parish: Antonio Chinea arrived from Venezuela in 2008 and again in 2017

My daughter keeps asking: ‘why is daddy gone to heaven? When’s he coming back?’

New to the Parish: Nancy Lin arrived from China in 2002

I'd be disinvited from a sleepover when people found out I didn't go to church

Erin Fornoff arrived from the United States in 2009 after working on Barack Obama's campaign and growing up non-religious on the buckle of America's Bible Belt

‘Women struggle everywhere. There’s this feeling that you are an inferior being’

Palestinian Ruba Shamshoum and her husband arrived from Nazareth in 2012

‘My grandmother was not happy because I was a girl’

New to the Parish: Sweta Pandey arrived in Ireland from India in 2016

‘I’m surprised Irish people are still smiling given how expensive it is here’

New to the Parish: French national Clément Imbert and his Russian wife Yulia love life in Ireland but say high tax, expensive housing and childcare costs will drive them away

‘It was a battle to find a place to live in Ireland’

Suellen Machado and Alexsandro Ribou left Brazil in the midst of a deep political crisis

‘I felt jealous of my husband being a stay-at-home Dad’

Donna and Tony O’Driscoll moved from London to Cork three years ago for a better family life

Ireland’s open-mindedness convinced us it was the country for us

New to the Parish: Szilvia Szabo arrived with her family from Hungary in 2016

‘Dublin felt like home straight away’

Cote Calmet Bello arrived in Ireland in 2010. He believes Ireland is more open than his home country of Peru

‘We don’t know how long we’ll wait for asylum but we have hope now’

Gaby Patiño and Max Martínez arrived from Venezuela in 2016

‘We didn’t come to Ireland to claim benefits. That would be an embarrassment’

New To The Parish: Izzeddeen Alkarajeh arrived in 2016 from the West Bank via Saudi Arabia

‘Reaching Ireland was like a dream. It's protected and I'm safe’

Manzi Joseph arrived from Rwanda via Malawi in 2015

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