Update on Nabil

My younger brother Nabil is very close to receiving his student visa to New Zealand, which should be during the next few days. He has been enrolled as a student in the University of Auckland and will be taking a foundation course and an IELTS examination. If he passes, he will be eligible to complete his studies in pharmacy. If not, he will finish the one-year foundation course and then re-apply.

Nabil has not left the house in Baghdad for weeks as roadside bombs are exploding right on our doorstep and bodies are piling in the street, but he is very excited about this opportunity to leave and start anew. My sister returned to Baghdad to finish her last year of college but she has been unable so far to reach it. Once Nabil is out and my sister returns with her husband to Amman, my parents will be in an easier position to plan their own retreat. Their first priority was to get us all out.

The family that has gracefully sponsored Nabil in New Zealand has also helped a female classmate of his to enroll in the same school. They will probably be taking the trip together from Baghdad to Amman to NZ and will keep each other company during their stay. My only concern is that Jordan is not allowing young Iraqi males to enter the country, but I hope that Nabil's papers will be proof enough for immigration officers that he is in transit.

We are still very short on the funds and I'm going to be forced to divert some of my own living expenses here to help Nabil leave Iraq and get settled in New Zealand. Please consider hitting the tip jar on the right sidebar or at Nabil's blog to assist us with this next step. You have helped me in the past and I'm asking you now to help me save my brother's life and to ensure him a new future.