Omid
Omid is a 21-year old Iranian. After being confined and tortured for five days by the Iranian police, he managed to escape and take refuge in a town near his home. His father provided the arrangements for his escape to Canada.
After reaching the Turkish border in a car, he proceeded on foot across the mountains to enter into Turkey irregularly. He arrived in a village where he hid for two days, while nervously waiting to continue his trip to Istanbul. Finally, aided by a smuggler he arrived at Istanbul airport.
"The smuggler was in possession of the travel documents. He was the only person who showed the travel documentation at airport checks."
At last, they arrived to Italy. There the smuggler gave him a train ticket to Paris. At the border between Italy and France, he was detained by authorities at an identity checkpoint. "I was brought to a French police station, where they took my fingerprints and I was informed that I had two days to leave the French territory."
He managed to arrive to Paris, where he met a group of Iranians living in tents who gave him shelter for a few nights. Another Iranian promised to transport him to Canada and get some new travel documents, in exchange for a considerable amount of money. He travelled by train and bus to Barcelona. He then managed to catch a flight to Porto where he arrived on June 2007 and claimed asylum.
He was granted humanitarian protection in Portugal.
(Source: Portuguese Refugee Council)