Episode 42 - Refugees and Seeking Asylum with Hedayat Osyan

Caspar speaks with 26 year old Afghani refugee and social entrepreneur Hedayat Osyan. A former refugee from Afghanistan's Hazara ethnic minority, Hedayat came to Australia by boat when he was 17 after fleeing persecution by the Taliban. He now runs a small business and social enterprise called Nick Tiling Services. Hedayat started the business to provide decent work for refugees experiencing exploitation in the construction industry. Aside from secure ongoing work, they provide mentoring, English lessons, and support navigating the legal system in Australia.

Hedayat discusses his journey from Afghanistan to Australia, and explains how he came to start Nick Tiles after getting his education in politics. He shares his view on the war in Afghanistan and how we can better integrate refugees into our society (and why this matters to all of us).

As always, this episode was produced and edited by Nina Roxburgh and features music by Big Gigantic.