Paperjam.lu

Firas is a stone mason originally from Aleppo. Photo: Mike Zenari 

Delano (along with its sister publication Paperjam and publisher Maison Moderne) has partnered with Iamnotarefugee.lu, a project run by Frédérique Buck and Sven Becker, to give a voice to asylum seekers in Luxembourg. Here is an extract from Firas’s interview:

Syrian refugees face a harsh life in Jordan

My mother, my wife Seba and my three children Hosni, Mohamed and Ferial and are still in Amman, Jordan.  My family lives in a suburb called Al Hashimi. I rented a basement room for them. When I left them last year, I gave them a small amount of money to survive. Whenever I can, I send them more money. My boys are attending school in Amman. My daughter, unfortunately, is not going to school. The school is very far from the place where they live.

I left for Europe alone

I did not want to risk the lives of my wife or children by crossing the sea. I also did not have enough money to pay for the journey of all of us.

I left Jordan in 2015 and flew to Turkey. I crossed the Mediterranean from Izmir. The smugglers asked me for 1200 dollars. I  gave them 900 dollars. I crossed the sea in a rubber boat with 56 other people. The journey took five hours. I arrived on the island of Chios.

I travelled relentlessly

When the other migrants stopped to rest, I would continue, following another group. I became obsessed with reaching a safe place.

In Hungary, I sadly witnessed the now famous incident with the Hungarian journalist pushing a refugee carrying his child. You can actually see me on the video footage. I am wearing a women’s pyjama. I remember how cold I was.

Serbia was awful to cross. We slept outside in the cold. I remember that it was pouring with rain, I actually thought that I would die. My only desire was to reach a country that would allow my family and I to lead a safe and decent life.

Get to know more about Firas by reading his complete interview on Iamnotarefugee.lu