Cadro Osman Mohamad, 27 years old, from Aleppo, Syria
I came to Denmark at the start of 2015, to Frederiksberg Municipality. I had been at an asylum centre before. I fled from a war. I didn’t choose to come to Denmark.
In Syria I studied French Literature while I worked at my family’s firm but the war kept on getting worse and worse. First I went to Algeria to see if I could continue my education, but they close applications from Syrians. I also tried something in Libya but it didn’t work either. I tried to work as a welder in Libya but the civil war there got really, really bad too. I could not got back to Syria because of the war there. So I took a boat and sailed across the Mediterranean to Italy. I lost 6 kilos in the process since there was no food in the boat. I was stopped in Germany but I managed to come to Denmark because my brother was here.
At the start things were really good. They accepted my asylum claim and was sent from Sandholm asylum centre and then to Fyn, Sønderborg and finally Frederiksberg where I got my residence permit. I lived in a small room and waited until I could get into language school. I started working as a volunteer with NGO’s like Venligboerne, Sprogcafeén etc. I studied at Krogerup Højskole so that my language and grammar could get better. I also took some courses and volunteer work with some culture projects.
I was then an intern at a welding firm, but I did not get an offer to work there with a real market wage. I got a job in Café Freunde in Trekroner and finally when my Danish was good enough a job as a translator with the translation firm Tolk Danmark. I was then able to get an apartment, a car etc
I want to earn my own money, pay taxes, contribute. I like to work and contribute. I also help at a Café and I would like to become a social worker.
If the situation in Syria ever got a lot better, I would like to go back. But when I get married, things might change.