Refugee brothers who fled Bosnia for UK now symbol of hope against Reform plans

A picture of two little boys standing side by side in their school uniforms has become a symbol of hope in theasylum crisis.

Smajo Beso was just nine years old when he posed alongside his brother Sead, 11, in the refugee centre in Newcastle. Smajo, now 40, suffered PTSD when he came to the UK, fleeing conflict, starvation and persecution in his Bosnian homeland; he went on to receive an OBE for his work raising awareness of the horrors of war alongside Holocaust survivors; his brother is a GP who also does weekend NHS shifts in accident and emergency.

Speaking to the Mirror, Smajo explained how many of the refugees who fled Bosnia back in 1993 have gone on to become doctors, nurses, teachers, and have contributed greatly to British society.

READ MORE: Are you shocked by Farage's mass deportation plans? Take our poll and have your say

READ MORE: Nigel Farage 'is hypocrite' as unearthed Taliban comment contradicts migrant plan

He posted the 1994 photo on social media to illustrate the other side of the refugee story which has been 'lost' in the Reform UK's call to send all those arriving in boats back to their countries. He wrote in his message: "We came to this country as refugees. I was nine, my brother was 11. Neither of us spoke a word of English. We were lucky not to have protestors outside our refugee centre.

"Instead, we had people welcoming us into our homes, helping us learn English, taking us on trips, and supporting us as we settled. Our school uniforms were donated, as was all the furniture in the photo. Because of that kindness, because of that compassion, a scared 11-year-old grew up to become a doctor and save lives.

"Yet, today, so-called patriots spend their Saturdays outside hotels housing refugees, while my brother spends his, taking on extra shifts at the hospital, helping his exhausted, understaffed, underfunded and underpaid colleagues instead of enjoying the weekend with his wife and children. I often wonder what would have become of us if, back then, people had chosen hate instead of welcome."

His post has been seen more than 250,000 times on TikTok, and widely shared on Facebook. Smajo still has his house key from their home in Mostar, Bosnia, which they had to flee during the Bosnian war. But they returned to find it had been largely destroyed following the conflict.

On July 1, 1993, while eight-year-old Smajo was playing outside, army trucks drove past with his dad and uncle in the back. Smajo had no idea that they were being taken to a concentration camp and he wouldn't know when or if he'd see them again.

Within the first nine months of the Bosnian war, Smajo and his mum, sister, brother and grandparents moved 14 times due to the dangerous conditions. Croatian soldiers stormed into Smajo's family home, forcing them to walk to a factory where they were searched, molested and looted.

They were taken to a Bosnian controlled territory before they left to stay with his auntie in Mostar, which was surrounded by Croatian nationalists and Serbians. During that period, 60,000 people were bombed and were left to starve with no food or medicine

His mum Sefika had to sign over their belongings, including her wedding ring and two pairs of earrings, during the ethnic cleansing. Her handwriting in the log of belongings is shaky as she was so scared for her family before they fled to Newcastle.

His dad Dzemal came to the UK after being held in a concentration camp. His mother's sister, his aunt Olena, was killed during the war. But his mother sat them down as a family and that should not make them turn to hate.

At school, when he was thinking of running away every day as he came to terms with the English language. A music teacher, Claire Webster-Saarmets, taught his fellow pupils how to sing a Bosnian song to make him feel welcome.

It was a turning point in his early life in the UK, as he dealt with learning a new language at the same time as struggling with the trauma of his war time experiences.

"I skipped home that day, full of joy," he recalled. He started to feel that he belonged, and now he is as proud to be a Geordie, as he is of his Bosnian heritage.