I had to join the army, so I left Syria from Hama to Idlib. From there, I paid 1200 euros to go to Turkey. I went to Turkey with a group of 35 people. We were walking twelve hours from Idlib to Turkey and then we all got in a small bus. Then, the Turkish authorities caught us, took pictures of us, they recorded our personal data and they sent us back to Syria.
Later, I tried once again with a friend to leave but the Turkish police caught us again and they shot my friend. I stayed a couple of days in prison and they sent me back to Syria again. The same night, I went to Mersin where I stayed in a house for two days.
Then, I went to Istanbul with a group of 25 people and we were all in a small van. We were caught again and sent to prison, in Adana, for three days and it was very cold there. We went again in Istanbul and we started with a friend our journey to Greece.
We were walking for five days to get to Alexandroupolis and then to Thessaloniki. There I knew a guy that gave me a ticket to Athens. I stayed in a house in Aharnon (a region in the center of Athens) for five months. I have been in Skaramagas camp for two months now and I am not registered.
Back in Syria, I was studying French literature. I want to go to The Netherlands, where my aunt lives. I have no other family in Europe.
Storyteller’s name: Laith
Interviewer’s name: Anxhela Dani
Country of origin: Syria
Sex: M
Age: 23