Hotel for Refugees

Ballaghaderreen is a sleepy Catholic town in the west of Ireland.

Earlier this year, it saw the arrival

of hundreds of Muslim refugees from Syria.

For six years, war has ravaged their country.

In all, 4,000 have been offered asylum in Ireland.

I am very happy because I come in here, in Ireland.

This film tells the story of one of 30 families

sent to live in a disused luxury hotel.

It isn't the right place for them.

The bigger centres, in my opinion, would be the place for them.

It explores how faith can inspire charity.

The thing is, if you really have faith,

you won't harden your heart against anyone.

How belief can guide people through the most difficult of times.

And asks, when two religions meet...

It is nothing to do with Christianity,

it has nothing to do Islam.

They are not right from their mind.

..are we as welcoming as we think we are?

-Thank you.

-I am afraid of them.

I would not go walking like I used to do.

I'm just afraid to meet them.

Wahey! HORNS BLARE

Very good people! Is very nice.

The people here are very, very cute.

But it's very cold!

Before in Syria, it's very nice.

I am very happy before in Syria.

With my family, and very beautiful. My city is very beautiful.

All the Syria, very beautiful.

Now, though, I am so sad.

The war has taken everything.

20-year-old Muslim asylum seeker Ghassan

arrived in Dublin two weeks ago.

He fled the war in Syria in 2016.

And now finds himself on his own in a predominantly Catholic culture.

For the past six months,

Ghassan has been living in a refugee camp in Greece.

Now he's waiting to find out whether he'll be granted refugee status

and allowed to stay in Ireland.

Along with another 200 Muslim asylum seekers,

he's about to be bussed out to a traditional Catholic town

of under 2,000 people in the west of Ireland.

But their imminent arrival has divided the community.

One of the greatest charitable acts that anyone of us can do

is to be able to share our resources with people

who are less well off than ourselves.

But we as Christians, though, are doing this because

we are respecting each person, especially a vulnerable person

who is experiencing difficulty, as a child of God, created by God.

They cannot look after what we have got here.

We can't look after our own.

I mean, look at all the people sleeping rough,

look at all... You know.

And then, go taking in more refugees.

I wouldn't think they'd be here long enough, that's the way

I put it down, they won't be here long enough to integrate.

Is there a chance of integration? No.

When you see people from a great place like Syria

made homeless through no fault of their own,

and they come to a small place like Ballaghaderreen

that they've never heard of,

of course you say a prayer for them and of course you try

and support in a small way, you know.

Ballaghaderreen has also had its share of hard times, though.

Unemployment is high and many businesses

were forced to close after the recession.

One of the victims was the newly-built luxury hotel.

But now, it's reopening as a centre to house the refugees.

Centre manager Jackie Mullen has spent a lifetime

running large hotels.

She's a devout Catholic.

I think if you didn't have some kind of faith

and you might say, "Oh, I don't believe. I don't believe..."

But wait till trouble comes to your door.

Or you're in the hospital and someone belonging to you

is quite ill and you're praying and praying and praying.

And often then, prayers are answered.

Her faith has led her to years of charity work.

I love to give. It doesn't make me anyone special, in my book.

Because I get as much enjoyment out of giving as the receiver.

But she has never worked with refugees before.

It's a bit like Fawlty Towers if you ask me!

A typical bedroom here is this one here.

Which are very comfortable.

We've 40 rooms in the hotel.

This is the welcome wall.

And all the children from the local school left messages

of welcome for the Syrian families and children.

I'm just so looking forward to embracing the people

and make sure that they're safe and warm and happy.

And that's the objective in all of this for all of us.

The day the refugees move to Ballaghaderreen has finally arrived.

The Department Of Justice says it expects 80 refugees

to be relocated to the West Roscommon town

of Ballaghaderreen...

Up to 80 mostly Syrian refugees

are to be housed in the closed Abbey Field hotel...

The Minister For State overseeing the arrival of 4,000 Syrian refugees

said yesterday that a disused hotel would be used

as an emergency reception and orientation centre

for 80 Syrian asylum seekers.

-HE SPEAKS ARABIC

-Thank you!

-See you, bye-bye.

-Thank you.

I have to say, I didn't know what to expect, personally.

But it was a pleasure to see all of the people.

And I could tell that they were tired.

Some of them have been through hell and back.

There's a lady here, lost two sons.

Little girl here with shrapnel in her hip.

I mean, there's a lot to do.

And we have a ground floor for your grandmother.

-She's a wheelchair?

-Yeah, yeah.

-So, 101 to 104.

Will you go on bring your family, please?

The Syrian families have each been allocated their own room.

Across the hall from Ghassan are his extended family.

His great-aunt, her daughter Janan,

and her two daughters, Ahlam and Judy.

It's been 18 months since they left Syria.

And now, they finally have time

to reflect on what they've been through.

Ghassan travelled with his cousin Judy and her relatives.

While his friend, Kamel, travelled alone.

They both used smugglers to get them from Syria to Greece.

Evading border patrols along the way

and then making the dangerous journey by boat

across the Mediterranean Sea.

SHOUTING IN ARABIC

To welcome the refugees, a local volunteer group

has organised an evening of Celtic music.

CHEERING

Bring them over to my car, and then I can put them up in...

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No problem.

The next morning, Teresa, a local volunteer,

brings some donations collected from the community.

You can let us know what you need.

-So...

-Clothes, clothes. Everything, all the people here?

-Yeah?

You have knitted clothes. Clothes. Clothes, clothes!

-Jackets?

-Jackets... Trousers?

-Trousers, yeah.

-Yeah.

-All the people, you have clothes. Need clothes.

-Great, OK.

-All the people.

I got involved because I'm trying to put myself in their shoes

and imagine what it would be like coming to a brand-new place,

new country, new community and not knowing anyone

and not speaking very much of the language.

We figured that it would be a nice gesture to show them around,

introduce them to the people, so they know their way

and they have the confidence to go downtown themselves.

Make sure everybody knows where the library is.

See? The yellow building is library.

People at the back, did you get all that?

The Post Office? Green building.

Hi. Hi.

-Hi!

-Hello, how are you?

-Very well, how are you?

-Thank you.

-Hello.

-This shop...

-Right? Is...

-Here 73 years.

-Well, I hope you'll be very happy.

-Good to know.

-Thank you.

-Yeah?

-They're happy to be here.

-Oh, good!

-Thanks, Allie.

-Yeah. You should be, yeah.

-Relieved, relieved to be here.

And the place is beautiful. Your accommodation is lovely.

-Thank you very much.

-Beautiful. Right.

-Thank you!

Well, enjoy it. Bye, God bless, bye!

This is your neighbour. She lives down by the Abbey Field.

We're just giving them a little bit of a tour around town.

-Lovely. You're very welcome.

-Thank you.

-Enjoy your walk.

-Thanks.

-I'm just bringing some of the Syrians for a walk around town.

And I just wanted to give you the option of saying hello

-outside the door.

-How do you say hello in Syrian?

-Oh, you can say marhabaan.

-Say it again?

-Marhabaan.

-Marhabaan!

-Yeah.

-Marhabaan!

-Hello!

-Hi. How are you?

-Marhabaan!

-This is...

-Marhabaan!

-This is Mary.

-Mary.

Cead mile failte!

I'll tell them what cead mile failte is?

100,000 welcomes!

And behave yourselves! Behave yourselves.

-We will be watching you.

-THEY LAUGH

These people are coming here and if they're asking us,

and you know, have you a place for us?

What we say? "No, we haven't."

"Oh, no. I'm sorry.

"We don't take anyone who speaks Arabic or...

"We don't do that."

How do you like our climate?

-The weather?

-Weather! Very good.

-Rain, rain, rain.

-No problem!

-No problem? No problem?

The weather in Ireland is very amazing.

Amazing is one word. We don't call it amazing!

-No, we have other words!

-We have other words for it!

Are you human? Does your humanity and your heart outweigh your fears?

That's the question to ask.

-Say welcome to our friends.

-Welcome to everybody!

Do we let our sense of fearfulness triumph?

I hope not. I hope not.

I hope it doesn't rain.

-You're welcome.

-Nice to meet you, thank you!

-Goodbye.

-You're very welcome.

I always kneel there. I always kneel there.

Right there. I'm a bit proprietorial about it.

Which is...not a very good sign of Christianity.

This is an era where faith is kind of,

"Oh-ho, you don't really believe in that, do you?"

You know, if you're cool, you don't really believe in that.

I just know that outside yourself

and outside this world, there's something very special.

The thing is, if you really have faith,

you won't harden your heart against anyone.

How could you say I believe in somebody who created us

and then take a dislike to part of that creation?

How could you do that? You'd be an utter hypocrite.

When you see people from Syria hoping that they will meet

a kindly hand, do we turn our backs and say, "Oh, I'm all right"?

It's their own fault they're like that.

Do you want to do that? Or do you want to say here's half a loaf?

You know?

That's it.

But not everyone in Ballaghaderreen feels the same.

This is our house here.

And the hotel is directly in front of us.

We...

Say we walk out our driveway and we walk...

We look straight into their window.

Anne and her husband Martin have lived here most of their lives.

Yeah, that's them going by now, yeah.

While I agree with them coming to town,

I don't agree with them all in their own area.

We'd love to see them mix with the community.

But not so many together.

Michael Mulligan runs the local ironmongers.

They're all very, very welcomed.

But the town itself is approximately 1,800 people.

And 240 people in on top of...

..1,800 people is way too much.

I'm a Catholic, Martin's Catholic,

we have Protestants, we have everything.

We all get on so well, so religion doesn't come into it.

But I think that if you cannot talk to them, you'll get afraid of them.

If you cannot say hello to them, you'll get afraid of them.

You don't know what they're like.

And I am afraid to walk out of the street now.

Because they go in bunches.

Ten at a time, maybe 11 at a time up the street.

Big lads, like...

You know, they have done nothing to me.

And I hope they won't. But I'm afraid of them.

I would not go walking like I used to do.

I'm just afraid to meet them.

-How are you?

-Salaam alaykum. Assalaamu Alaikum. Looking good!

-How are you?

-Good, good, good.

Even though Ballaghaderreen is predominantly Catholic,

the Syrians aren't the only Muslims in the town.

-Have you been good?

-I'm good, thank you very much.

-Please.

All right, come on. Have a cup of tea or something, maybe.

Saj came over with his family from Pakistan 15 years ago.

And runs the local barbershop.

-So, you like the town?

-Yeah.

-You OK?

-It's nice.

-You're from Pakistan, huh?

-Pakistan, yes.

15 years in Ireland.

But ten years, I'm bringing business barbershop.

-Yeah?

-Yeah, five years this place.

Five years, I used to have other place.

In Islam, you need to... You have to look after other people.

If you're not looking after other people,

that means you're not a good Muslim.

You know what I mean? These people, they didn't do anything wrong.

I mean they were just normal, ordinary people just like us.

They were living nice with their families, with their families.

And with the kids and everywhere. And I...

Some of them were living a better life than us!

Their nice big houses and nice work and nice businesses and jobs.

And they're all gone.

So, they are in trouble and I think we should go and help them.

Since a group of Pakistani men came to work in the local meat factory

15 years ago, Muslims and Catholics have lived side by side in the town.

But there are signs that attitudes have started to shift.

..some of the people hear about that and they throw the leaflet,

some of these hate leaflets in the town.

The leaflet shows some graphic images

as well as some inflammatory views on Islam.

It has nothing to do with Christianity.

It is nothing to do with Islam, nothing to do with any religions.

Just there are some people, they are not right from their mind.

They're sick people and they're trying to spread the hate.

-Morning!

-Good morning!

-Morning!

-Morning.

-That's nice!

I like to do this.

I walk around each morning just to see things are going to plan.

And they are. They're all enjoying a healthy breakfast.

It's taking Jackie some time to get the refugees settled.

Duvet cover, duvet...

-Big bed or small bed?

-No...

It's been very busy.

Hard-going at times and they can try your patience.

But at the same time,

I let them know that this is the way it is here in Ireland.

And there's no problem, then.

As the hotel is to be their home over the next few months,

it's important that the refugees are able to keep up with their routines.

For Kamel, his faith is a source of comfort.

And he prays daily.

For others like Ghassan, it's staying in touch with the family

he has had to leave behind in Syria.

THEY CONTINUE SPEAKING IN ARABIC

-Are you scared for your mum and dad?

-Yeah.

Because in Syria, it's very difficult.

All of Syria, not... You have...

All of Syria the very problem.

I miss my mum very much.

My mum, my heart...

I need my mum.

I need my mum.

Four years ago, Kamel's mother was shot dead

by a bullet which came through his bedroom window.

He was 20 years old at the time.

Jackie was hoping that English classes would have started.

But the building work is running behind schedule.

For now, all that Ghassan and the other Syrians can do is wait.

It's a waiting game. We're waiting for specs in the beginning.

Then we got the specs and we're waiting on approval

from both the Department of Justice and the Department for Education.

By the time it was approved and married,

now we're on a race to get them finished.

This is one of the classrooms here.

The floor will be painted,

so that will be ready at the end of the week.

And then, just the furnishes go in then, and a good clean-up.

CHILDREN SOB

The refugees aren't allowed to work

while they wait for their status to be decided.

But they like to keep themselves busy.

-Hello!

-Is this the boy from all the way from...?

-Yeah.

-Syria!

-From Syria, hello.

-You are very welcome.

Today, Ghassan has come to Mary's shop

to show her some of his great-aunt's knitting.

-Oh, crochet?

-Crochet.

-Crochet! Oh, my goodness.

Oh, if I were 16 again!

Oh! That is lovely!

Oh, my goodness. Your Excellency!

-Excuse me.

-No, no. Oh, it's very beautiful!

-Really?

Let me see.

Oh, yes! I love it!

Tell your grandmother that the crochet is beautiful.

Now, I've never heard anything more from Syria.

And then, when I heard of all this upheaval and everything else...

And it's terrible.

Because down here in this part of the country,

we had experiences similar to that many generations ago.

-Yeah.

-We had famine and we had people on coffin ships.

They used to call them coffin ships.

So, we can share that sense of loss, that sense of separation,

the sense of strangeness, all that kind of thing.

-And if we don't...

-Yeah.

Well, then we're just... I don't know what!

If something doesn't touch our hearts

when all that happens in Syria, we are not human.

Thank you, thank you.

Thank you so much!

Thank you for everything!

Oh, no. I did nothing. I'm...

-Thank you.

-No.

-Thank you.

You know, if it doesn't touch our hearts, what are we?

-Thank you.

-What are we? We are all people...

-Yeah, thank you.

-Coming and going, different language...

-So happy.

-Thank you.

-I'm so happy to meet you.

Me too, me too. I am come here, and we are...

-I'm so happy to meet you.

-And I speak with you.

-And to say hello to Syria for me.

-Marhabaan.

-Yeah, yeah.

-What's it?

-Marhabaan.

-Marhabaan.

-Yeah, good.

-Marhabaan!

-Yeah, good! Hello!

Keeping up with Friday Prayers

has become even more important to Kamel since his mother died.

The hotel has laid down a coach to take the refugees

to the nearest mosque, which is 20 miles away.

Saj has helped organise the trip.

Friday Prayer is very important in Islam.

Friday is the main prayer.

So, Friday's not a prayer that everybody can do his own.

This is many people that get together

and know each other in that prayer.

THEY SPEAK IN ARABIC

Allahu akbar...

HE CHANTS

Out! Out!

It's Easter Holy Week, and Father Joseph Gavigan,

the local priest, has brought treats for the refugee children.

It's an opportunity for him to explain the significance

of Easter for Christians.

I'd just like to say we're delighted, Father Paul and myself,

to visit with you here this afternoon,

to exchange some little gifts with you.

We want to give you these little Easter eggs to give you

a symbol of new life, to be able to begin something very special

for your lives here in Ireland, Ballaghaderreen and in Ireland.

Say thank you!

-CHILDREN:

-Thank you! Thank you!

-LOUDER:

-Thank you!

APPLAUSE

It's wonderful to see the young children running around

enjoying themselves, playing, doing exactly what young children

should be doing, and to have that sense of peace.

Recently on my visit here, I met one of the residents

and she told me, in a very dramatic way, "Thank you for the peace.

"Thank you for the peace."

She was experiencing peace here in Ireland and in this centre.

And that was a very joyful sense for her.

And I'm delighted that she is able to have that sense.

THEY SING IN OWN LANGUAGE

Even though Easter is not recognised in Islam, in parts of Syria,

Muslims and Christians would often join together

during religious festivals.

Ghassan's great-aunt is hoping that they will be invited to the

town cathedral for Easter celebrations.

THEY SPEAK OWN LANGUAGE

But Ghassan's great-aunt and family didn't know what time the Mass

was held and so they missed the service.

SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

-Hello.

-Hello, how are you?

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Very good to see you.

-You're very welcome.

-Thank you so much.

You're very welcome. Hello, how are you? You're very welcome.

-Hello.

-You're very welcome.

Hearing of their disappointment,

Father Joseph has invited them to visit the cathedral.

It's a moment for the family to say a prayer

for Janan's missing husband.

When Jesus lived on Earth,

he was approached by many, many people seeking help.

And he has asked us as Christians today to continue to follow

his example of supporting and helping people

in their times of greatest need.

I would like to express my gratitude to you for visiting our cathedral

this afternoon to pray.

And I hope it has been a time of peace for you and your family.

We are very, very happy here because seeing people is very friendly.

Thank you, very, very much for you and for all the people in Ireland.

Thank you.

After living nearly three months in the hotel,

connections with the town are starting to form.

Ameet, we are going there right now.

Saj has come to collect some of the Syrian young men

to play Gaelic football with the local team.

One of the town's firemen, James, has also come along

to see how they get on.

Move it out!

There's no culture clashes with kids, really,

with these young fellows. So, they're getting in on the game,

and they're just teenagers,

they're doing what teenagers do, they play football.

And they mix well with each other.

OK, have you any idea of what you're doing?

JAMES LAUGHS

OK, right.

We'll know in a minute!

Saj can still remember what it was like when he first came

to a small town and how difficult it was to integrate.

I am Muslim, so I know what it feels if somebody said

a small little comment. If you have somebody hit you,

maybe sometimes you don't feel it, you know?

But sometimes this small little word maybe

just goes straight inside.

Whoa!

And he's discovered that helping the refugees

has had an unexpected consequence.

I was just thinking to put a smile on their faces because,

obviously, they came from distress and from the hard times.

But I notice a different thing.

I feel really good myself!

I'm enjoying myself with them.

Like, they're part of the community now, really.

So, like, get them up to the pitch,

a few kicks, a bit of training, I'm sure they'll pick it up in no time, then.

Oh, yes!

Oh, yes.

And back in the town, friendships have been growing

between the old generation, too.

Do you make them winding round and round and round?

It feels like a great sign of hope to me.

Here was this lady who had been dispossessed of so much,

and yet she was able to have this continuity of life.

This optimism, in a sense, to make something, to create something.

And I thought, "While there's all this in the world,

"there's hope for us all."

Ghassan's great-aunt's passion for knitting has seen her join

the local knitting group.

You have one, two, three, four. So you're going to...

We have integrated them into our community by inviting them

-to the knitting group.

-Yeah.

I feel if you have that faith and you have that goodness deep in

your heart, that you will reach out to other people.

-Correct.

-And I think that's what we're doing now.

We're reaching out to the Syrians.

We find it very rewarding and it's a treat to have them.

They are the loveliest people.

And Janan is relieved because school has started for the children.

-CHILDREN:

-S.

SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

Even the neighbours who were worried about the Syrians have started to

come round. Including Anne, who is undergoing cancer treatment.

The most important thing is, we're not afraid of them.

So, they'll blend in all right after a while.

What made me change my mind was when they spoke to me,

when they said hello.

I wasn't afraid then.

And, you know, when they look at you in the two eyes

and say hello, and in their own language or whatever,

and to just keep going. You know, and...

That's what made me change my mind.

After five long months of waiting,

some of the families have had their refugee status confirmed.

It's a special day.

Two of our families and other residents will receive

their refugee status.

So they'll have rights and benefits of any people like ourselves.

So, I think it's a great day. Yeah.

Very happy.

After today, Ghassan and his family will be able to work,

travel and live freely in Ireland.

HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

It's been 588 days since Ghassan and his family left Syria.

And today, they are finally able to call somewhere home.

This is it, guys.

The last step is to get their photos and fingerprints done,

and then they'll get their official ID cards.

That's it.

Thank you so much! Finished?

-Yep.

-Thank you so much!

-And you too.

-Thank you so much.

After this, I am Irish person and Syrian person together.

I feel the relief that they feel,

that all is going to be well in Ireland.

And that's what I feel today, and I hope I'm right.