Refugee Stories Project - Spain

Fernando

editor — Fri, 25 May 2007 10:39:30 +0000

Summary

Fernando, a Colombian writer came to Spain as part of a resettlement program run by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). He talks about trying to start his life again, and the isolation that he and many asylum seekers he met experienced.

Body

Fernando was living as a refugee in Ecuador when his persecutors from Colombia found him and beat him. He ended up in hospital, with three broken ribs, unable to talk, and almost blind. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) asked him to resettle in Spain, or in Cananda. He chose Spain because of the language, and soon found himself on a plane to Madrid.

When he arrived at the airport, the police told him, 'You have a valid passport, you can go'. But he had nowhere to go. From there began his struggle to find a new life for himself in Spain. With the help of NGOs he was assigned a flat with some asylum seekers - not recognised refugees like himself in Gerona. Here he lived with people from all over the world, and experienced at first hand the uncertainty in which they were living while they were waiting for their claims to be processed. One of his flatmates - a young man from Chechenya - committed suicide and another one from Senegal could not wait to flee to another country.

He is now living in his own flat. He is grateful for the support of the goverments and NGOs, but still feels vulnerable.

"I put on a mask, I never talked about myself, but the documents I have showed everyone that I was a refugee, a word that most people relate to crime. Sometimes I think it would be better to say that I am an undocumented migrant."

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Resettlement

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Henri

editor — Fri, 25 May 2007 07:40:17 +0000

Summary

After training for a career in law in his homeland, Henri found himself retraining for work as a welder when he fled to Spain as a refugee. Now Henri manages to make ends meet for his family with his welding work but regrets his inability to practise law.

Body

Henri escaped conflict, political instability and persecution in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and arrived in Spain, where he was granted refugee status. An established lawyer at home in DRC, Henri had to retrain in order to find work in Spain's competitive labour market and began working as a welder. Henri lives with his wife - who travelled later to Spain and was recognised as a refugee following a separte procedure – and their young daughter born in Spain.

Henri longs to return home to his own culture and to practising law, his passion, but in the meantime, he makes the best of the life he has been able to build in Europe.

“I left my country unintentionally; I fled due to persecution… I would really love to go back and do again what I used to do there.”

Links 1

Reception and Integration

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ECRE

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Hedja

editor — Fri, 25 May 2007 07:24:29 +0000

Summary

At 19, Hedja was the oldest of three children accompanying their father to visit relatives in Germany. While abroad the situation in Iran prevented their father’s return and the family were obliged to seek politcal asylum in Spain – the first EU country they had entered. Five years on, Hedja's father and youngest brother have been granted refugee status, but she and another brother have not.

Body

Against all the odds, 24 year old Hedja is managing to complete her studies in dentistry at university in Spain. When she first arrived from Iran with 2 brothers and an ailing father seeking political asylum, she didn't know any Spanish and didn't have any qualifications recognised in Spain. The family waited five years for their asylum application to be processed. Even though Hedja doesn't know whether her temporary leave to stay in Spain will be renewed, she says it's preferable to the insecurity and anxiety of waiting for a decision from one day to the next.

“I live with my family, I am studying. We are less stressed now, after all the bad things that happened to us. They replied to us whether for good or bad, at least they replied.”

Links 1

Reception and Integration

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ECRE

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Maia

editor — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 14:40:17 +0000

Summary

Maia lives in Spain with her son and has begun to rebuild her life after the tragic death of her husband, following the family's transfer from the Netherlands under the Dublin Regulation.

Body

Fleeing the Ukranian mafia, Maia and her family became entangled in Dublin II restrictions as they tried to reach a safe country in Europe where they could rebuild their lives. The family was deported to Spain after managing to settle in the Netherlands. Maia's husband was suffering from depression, but the lack of medical attention he received on arrival in Spain left him unable to cope with such dramatic change and he committed suicide.

Maia survived the desolation and forced herself to settle down to a new life in Spain so that her son at least could have a better future.

"I wanted a better life for my son. Yes, I wanted to live well, without worries, to work, to study like everybody wants."