A Scottish National Party (SNP) councillor who became the first refugee to be elected to Glasgow City Council has made it onto the BBC's list of 100 inspiring and influential women.
But Roza Salih, who represents the Greater Pollock ward, says she is still asked “where are you actually from?” - more than two decades after she and her family left their native Kurdistan in search of a better life.
The University of Strathclyde alumna, aged 33, has fought long and hard to ensure refugees don’t face the barriers she did when she moved to Glasgow as a frightened 12-year-old girl.
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Alongside her mum and baby sister, she made the treacherous journey through the sea. Roza spoke to Glasgow Live about her experiences of being a refugee and the racism she suffered.
“It’s tough to be an asylum seeker and refugee”, she said.
“There’s been racism and people calling me different names. I get asked ‘where are you actually from?’
“I’m from Glasgow, I grew up here and that's all I know. I am proud to be Kurdish but the thing is people always judge you because of the colour of your skin.
“It can be really frustrating. I am part of this country and have made many differences. I contribute so much so I should be treated equally to other citizens who are born here.”
Roza joined the SNP party because of her passion for independence. She said she’ll continue fighting for Scotland to take control of its own border and make its own immigration policies.
It comes following last month's Supreme Court ruling which said the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to legislate for a referendum on Scottish independence.
She added: “I’ve tried to do as much as I can to make sure asylum seekers have a right to work in this country and integrate.
“There’s the stereotyping of refugees and people are uneducated on what the reason is behind someone leaving their home country. Through my lifetime and the Glasgow Girls campaign - Glasgow became a welcoming city because of that.
“I chose this party because I believe in change and I believe in the difference that we can make. We can make a difference with independence.
“We can create a better system on immigration, asylum and how we treat people when they seek asylum. We can treat them better as human beings.”
Roza joins women from the likes of Grammy award-winning singer Billie Eilish and Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska, in the list which celebrates women around the world.
Speaking on the achievement, she said: “I was a bit surprised because there’s so many other inspiring women there too. I couldn’t believe I was on the same list as some of these other amazing women.
“I have worked very hard in my life to improve the lives of refugees and asylum seekers. I’ve been a campaigner since I was very young and have been vocal on many other issues.
“It’s nice to be recognised for the hard work that I’ve done.”
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