This story was contributed on behalf of Migrants Organise for #1DayWithoutUs. 

1 Day Without Us is a National Day of Action on 20th Feb 2017 to celebrate the contribution of migrants to the UK, coinciding with UN World Day of Social Justice. Find out how you can get involved at  

My name is Thiru  and I am 27 years old. 

I’m from Sri Lanka. My family are still there — my mum, my dad and my sister. I’ve been in London since September 2010. 

I didn’t have a choice about coming here. The Sri Lankan civil war was ending in 2009. The government arrested lots of young Tamil people.  I disappeared for six months. My parents thought it wasn’t safe for me to be there any more. 

I was quite politically active. I express my will through art, performing arts. 2009 was a very crucial and critical time. The government killed many Tamils and grabbed our land.

I was kidnapped for six months. It was horrible. It was the worst thing I could ever have imagined. I was tortured. To get me out, my family had to pay a ransom. After I was released, I was told I could not leave the country. But I had to go because I needed to save my life. I wasn’t myself. Just bone and flesh. I didn’t have a soul or anything.  

My parents helped pay for me to get out of Sri Lanka. I came to the UK by plane. I’m lucky if I compare it to other people, who come through Calais. 

It was my first time coming to the UK. I didn’t even think about travelling on the plane. The only thing I was aware of was that I was leaving my family. I’m leaving my mum.

*Read the rest of the full story originally published on globalcitizen.org here.*