In Syria I was a coffee manufacturer, and I came to Denmark in 2014. I go to language school and I also work at a supermarket in Ringe on Fyn. I live here with my wife and three children. My children are very happy here in Denmark, and have learned Danish very fast. My parents are still in Syria, and my brothers and sisters are in Jordan. The war separated us.
My life in Syria was very good. We had a luxurious lifestyle. I had many buildings. I had three manufacturers building for my coffee business. My father was the first person to manufacture coffee in Daraa in 1962. I escaped because of the war. My house was destroyed. The regime in Syria wanted me to join the military service, which I didn’t want to do. At first I escaped to Jordan. I worked in Jordan as a carpenter. I was the manager of a big company called Sida. I didn’t feel comfortable living in Jordan, though. It was very expensive. I had to support my family, which was difficult. After living in Jordan, I fled to Algeria, and then to Tunisia, and then Libya. From Libya my wife and I sailed in a small boat across the Mediterranean sea to Italy. We left our children behind, and they came to us later via family reunification. I didn’t want to risk their lives, since it is a very dangerous journey. From Italy we went to Germany, and then to Copenhagen.

We have found that life in Denmark is very hard. Especially the cold weather. It was very difficult to start my new life here, everything was new. Now I want to make my own business. Where I work now, at the supermarket, I am working with a partner, but I am planning to open my own place. I don’t want to take any welfare money. When I came to Denmark, I didn’t have any money at all. So I am very proud that I am starting my own business. The government didn’t want to help me with that financially. I am a very active an ambitious person.