Afghan nurse gives heartfelt care to patients in Slovenia

Bashir is preparing to go on a night shift as a nurse at Ljubljana’s main hospital. At home in his rented room, he lays out a clean uniform and T-shirt, his ID, a notebook and a stack of coloured pens. “I use a different colour for each patient,” he says. “I give them their meds and check on them through the night, then write a report to hand over in the morning.”

Some nights are hectic, others quiet. On quiet nights Bashir, 28, studies for the final university exams that will soon make him a fully qualified nurse. “I never waste time,” he says. “All that I went through on the road to Europe motivates me now to make the most of my opportunities.”

Bashir’s story is testament to how well refugees can integrate, if given a chance. “It illustrates the resilience of refugees,” said Romana Zidar, Senior Protection Associate with UNHCR in Slovenia, “and shows how their strengths and talents can blossom when host communities co-create welcoming environments and opportunities.”

Slovenia, a small Alpine country of just over two million people, is home to around 10,000 refugees, including Ukrainians with temporary protection. While arrivals to the country are increasing, many move on.

I wasn’t aiming for Slovenia in particular but it turned out that way and I am happy here

Speaking fluent Slovenian and working in a responsible job alongside Slovenian colleagues, Bashir is now well-integrated into Slovenian society. But he felt very lost when he first arrived in 2011, alone and aged only 16.

Bashir, from Afghanistan’s Ghazni province, is a member of the Hazara minority ethnic group. He faced persecution and conflict at home but his late parents wanted him to be safe and to have access to life’s basics, including education. “My mother thought perhaps I might become an engineer,” he said.

It took Bashir, who was only 14 when he left Afghanistan, an arduous two years over land and sea to reach Europe. “I wasn’t aiming for Slovenia in particular but it turned out that way and I am happy here,” he said.

Once in Slovenia, and thanks to the positive inclusion policies of the Government, he was able to pick up the threads of his schooling, learn Slovenian and English, go on to college and then start a nursing degree at the Angele Boškin Faculty of Health Care. Since this is in another town, Bashir studies mainly online.

Progressive Slovenian government policies – in particular, the policy of free higher education for refugees – helped Bashir move forward. In cooperation with civil society and academia, the Government is currently developing a new integration strategy to include refugees in language learning, education, the labour market and local communities. UNHCR consulted refugees on their needs as part of this strategy planning.

He began mountain running and became so accomplished that he competed for Slovenia in international youth events, winning an array of cups and medals

During his first year in Ljubljana, Bashir lived at the Vič asylum seeker centre. When he got refugee status, he moved out and with state support and earnings from a hotel job, started to rent his own accommodation. Bashir’s journey has now come full circle, as he regularly visits Vič to give medical help to those there now.

Tina Kotar, coordinator of social workers at Vič, was obviously pleased to see him when he dropped by. “We like him because he’s always smiling,” she said. “He’s a real ‘people person’ and he understands the cultural differences because of his experience.”

From Afghanistan to Slovenia – it’s a big jump. Perhaps one of the factors that helped Bashir was Slovenia’s mountain landscape, which reminded him of home. He began mountain running and became so accomplished that he competed for Slovenia in international youth events, winning an array of cups and medals.

Bashir still keeps fit by running in the woods around Ljubljana castle but now he must devote most of his time to his nursing career.

Bashir became a Slovenian citizen in 2015. He began working at the Univerzitetni Klinični Center (University Medical Centre) teaching hospital in 2020, just as Slovenia, along with the rest of the world, was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I worked on the Covid wards,” he said. “I was all in PPE, giving oxygen. At first it was frightening but then I saw colleagues doing the same thing. I saw some patients die but others survived and it was a great feeling to think I helped save their lives.”

Now, when he is on day shifts, Bashir helps to rehabilitate patients after operations. “I get them back on their feet so they can leave hospital and go home.”

But tonight is another night shift. At eight in the evening, Bashir packs his things, gets into his car and drives to the hospital. He will be there, alert and on watch, until 7 am. What will he do afterwards?

“Then I will go on to Vič and spend a few hours with whoever needs me there. Only after that I will come home and finally sleep.”

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