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Berta’s Story

by: Berta, a Honduran Asylum-Seeker

I grew up in a Christian family; very respectful and filled with love. At the age of 17 years old, I fell in love with a person I met at work. I worked in a restaurant and that is where I met that man. Then they fired him for taking drugs to work and since I had already accepted to talk with him and to going out with him, he forced me to go live with him.

That is where I came to know what he was. I tried to end it with him, but it was too late, I couldn’t. He told me I was his and only his and no one else could touch me. I was 5 months living with him and during that time I saw everything he did– they were all bad things. I felt really bad when he would kill people I knew. Then his sister told me that Marco, my ex-partner, was about to do something crazy and to leave to my aunt’s house to stop him. I left work and I went there directly. I tried to stop him, but it was too late. He had already shot my aunt and my two cousins. It happened too fast at 6:00 in the evening. Their little children were crying on top of her dead mothers. Everything was so terrible. 

Then I took courage and decided to separate from him knowing that sooner or later he would kill me too. But I didn’t care. I no longer wanted to be in that relationship. He put me down daily saying that I wasn’t good for anything because I wouldn’t do what he asked me to do– to harm others. He is in charge of selling drugs and responsible of a lot of illicit money. He wouldn’t stop threatening me. I was already fed up with his daily threats and harassment, but I decided to make an anonymous call to the local police, and I thought that placing the report would end everything that was going on because of him. I knew the danger that it was for me, but I decided to make the call. I reported what was happening. I practically was giving them a murderer. I even told them where they could find him. To my surprise about 5 days later the gangs arrived at my house. They took me out to the street and began beating my face and said if I didn’t know what happened to snitches who opened their mouths about what they knew. And they played the recording of the call I made.  How they obtained the recording, I don’t know, but they said that their boss wanted to see me say bye to this world. Then they returned and they called me, but I didn’t go out and they beat my brother. They left me a paper where they said I had pending business with them. Then I left to another place to live and there I went to live with a man who was good and who helped me a lot. But that man (Marco) found out where I was and that I was with someone else. It was then when I decided in October to leave my country. 

How Miles4Migrants helps

We collaborate with a network of global non-governmental organization (NGO) partners who work directly with refugees and migrants to identify and verify individuals who are financially unable to afford air travel. Once our partners submit flight requests, we use donated frequent flyer miles, credit card points, travel vouchers, and cash to eliminate transportation barriers for the most vulnerable individuals affected by war, persecution, or climate disaster. Our goal is to help these individuals reunite with their loved ones and start a new life in a safe environment.

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– According to the United Nations, there are currently 108 million individuals forcibly displaced from their homes worldwide.  

– The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that seeking asylum is a fundamental human right. Everyone has the right to life and liberty. Everyone has the right to freedom from fear. Everyone has the right to seek asylum from persecution.

As migration is often the last option for survival, migrants may embark on clandestine journeys, subject to danger, extortion, and inhumane conditions

Once they finally get legal approval for resettlement, migrants face another challenge that makes the journey seem impossible: the transportation costs.

There are many ways for you to get involved and help us continue our work:

You can donate cash to help us cover operational expenses or contribute your unused air miles, credit card points, or travel vouchers to help us book flights for refugees and asylum seekers. Additionally, you can help us spread the word about our cause and our impact on the lives of those we serve.

Every donation, no matter how big or small, has the power to make a difference. Thank you for considering supporting our mission.

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