An Interview with Nia & Zach · Refugee Week 2025
“Churches are often the first and best refuge for those who arrive in this country with nowhere else to turn,” says Nia, who came to London from Iran about a year and a half ago.
“And the people of the church are often the first friend and strongest supporters they find.”
Nia became a Christian when she was visiting the UK and so has to apply for asylum as it was unsafe for her to return to Iran. She was moved from Southwest London to King’s Cross for her asylum accommodation, Caroline (a friend of Nia’s) reached out to Zach to help connect her with people in her new area. Zach recalls, “I remember Caroline calling me on the train, saying, ‘I have a friend who’s been moved far away, and it’d be good to connect her with people in her community… and I was like, yes, great, we'd love to meet her.”
Over time, their initial introduction grew into a friendship rooted in shared faith and genuine care. Nia hadn’t met many young people at church before and recalls being surprised at Zach’s age! “At the church… most of the people… the average age is old,” Nia remembers, laughing. “That’s when, the first time I saw Zach I thought… he’s very young.” Zach, who has lived in London for almost eleven years, recalls their first meeting: “You were sat at the back in the corner… on the soft chairs at the back. And I remember you had a very big smile… Nia is very funny… you have a good sense of humour and you’re always laughing.”
Zach remembers the day Nia received her refugee status - an emotional turning point, but not without its complications. “When Nia got refugee status, it meant that she had to leave her asylum accommodation. And there was the day that you had to leave… and you didn’t know where you would live.” Still, even in the uncertainty, Nia brought joy. “We were on the train and the mood was a bit low… but you and your son were playing this game where you hide something in your hand and guess.” That ability to laugh in the midst of difficulty is something Zach admires: “What I’ve learnt with Nia is that it’s an amazing quality to be able to laugh in the face of trouble… even when things are difficult, you still have a smile.”
For Nia, faith is what carries her through. “I think that’s what Jesus said—that the church is the body of Jesus. That’s… really true because it’s very useful for us. I feel it with my body… my everything.” She shares how church friends were with her in her darkest moments. “All the time I was in hardest moment, that I cry and I don’t have any hope… my friends… I love my friends.”
“My tears—gladness now, not sadness. From happiness… I can’t control my feeling about my friend here.” Zach reflects on this with a quote from Teresa of Avila: “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on Earth but yours.” He explains, “As Christians, we are called to be the hands and feet of God—to show love and support, not just to Christians, but to everyone.”
Though Nia now lives far from Muswell Park, she sometimes still travels hours just to visit and pray with her old church community. “I went to Muswell Park because I missed them,” she says. “It was two and a half hours… but it doesn’t matter because I love to see my friends. I pray with them… I feel calm. It’s so good for me.”
On friendship, Nia says “It’s the relationship between hearts… Kindness isn’t dependent on countries or borders… kindness is global. For the human… I love every person. Like humanity. Like kindness. Like friendship.”