A Syrian couple in Ajman are desperately seeking employment to support their seven children after amassing more than Dh200,000 in debt exacerbated by medical bills for their disabled son.
Reyad Naji, 50, moved to the Emirates from Syria in 1994 in search of a better life. He took a job at a livestock and meat trading company before being joined in the country by his wife, Hanan, 42, three years later.
The couple had their first child in 2001 with Mr Naji able to comfortably support their growing family as he built them a home in Syria.
Their troubles began in 2014, when their son, Taha, underwent a hernia operation in Jordan.
A serious error by the anaesthetist left the boy, who was six at the time, with severe brain damage that caused him to lose most of his mobility.
Taha’s medical bills and need for constant care placed great financial strain on the family that only worsened with time. He needs regular physiotherapy and medicine which costs Dh1,000 per month.
To make matters worse, the family’s completed home in Deraa, Syria, was destroyed by a bomb.
Two years after his son’s surgery, Mr Naji lost his long-time job. Using the money from his end-of-service package, he opened a butcher’s shop in Ajman. But by 2018, the business had failed and the family’s visas expired.
Mr Naji made ends meet by taking odd jobs for which he was paid in cash. His eldest daughter, Shaima, 19, had to move back to Syria because the family could not afford to support her in the Emirates.
But she told him life there was much worse.
“She called me saying that ... we should never think about returning to Syria.”
With no source of income, no visa and mounting debt, Mr Naji is desperate to find a steady job so he can begin to pay off his debts.
“My children and mainly Taha, are my only concern,” Mr Naji said.
“I’m doing my best to support them.
“All I hope for is to be able to support and secure my children.”
Two of his children, Mohammed, 14, and Fajr, 8, were removed from school this month because the family could not pay their fees. Daughter Abeer, 6, has yet to attend school because she could not be enrolled without a visa.
The family is also at risk of eviction, owing their landlord Dh24,000 in rent for their one-bedroom flat in Al Rashidiya.
They have accumulated nearly Dh130,000 in visa overstay fines but were unable to settle this during the UAE’s visa amnesty programme last year owing to their outstanding school fees. Because of their visa status, registered local charities cannot help them.
The Najis sold off all their assets and now rely on help from friends and relatives.
“We never needed anyone [before], Reyad had always kept us provided for,” said Ms Naji, who had to sell the gold her husband bought her for their wedding.
Between odd jobs, Mr Naji earns between Dh100 and Dh500 a week.
“I get a few dirhams in commission to start a broken-down car or from helping someone sell their car,” said Mr Naji.
The couple now hope to find steady jobs to dig themselves out of their debt and continue to support their children.
“We don’t know what to do, we pray to God that he finds us a way out of this,” Ms Naji said.
