REUNITED: Father and daughter Tiegisty and Kebrom meet after eight years

A student who lost contact with her family after fleeing thousands of miles from her war-torn homeland has been reunited with her father – who was living less than 200 miles away.

Tiegisty Gherezgiabheil, 24, escaped to Britain from Eritrea, in north-east Africa, where she had been jailed for practising the outlawed Pentecostal religion.

Four years ago she started a new life in Manchester, where she is studying for a computing degree at the Metropolitan University. But she was unable to contact her family.

So she was stunned to get a call from aid workers saying her father Kebrom was living in Glasgow.

The pair, who last saw each other eight years ago, wept with joy after being reunited by Red Cross staff.

Tiegesty said: "When the Red Cross called to tell me about my father, I didn’t believe them. Then when I spoke to him, it was wonderful. He kept asking me if I was OK. Then he told me he was so proud of me."

Tiegesty was jailed in Eritrea with two other girls after being were caught praying and reading the Bible. After her release, she was forced into slavery at an army barracks, but escaped and a relative helped her get a passport and passage to Britain.

Kebrom, who had been forced to join the state army, fled to Britain in 2008. When he settled in Glasgow he appealed to Frank Higgins, a Red Cross tracing officer to help find his family.

Kebrom, 50, said: "I always prayed that one day I would see Tiegisty again. To see her was so wonderful, it is hard to find the words. Now I hope I will see the rest of my family again before I die."

Tiegisty has spent a week with her father in Scotland and is planning another visit. Aid workers are still searching for her mum, Letekidan, 45 and younger sister, Faven, 17.

Yakub Qureshi

Source: menmedia.co.uk