Με λενε Arisa, είμαι 4 ετών και γεννήθηκα στο Ιράν. Βρίσκομαι στην Ελλάδα εδώ και τρία χρόνια. Ήρθα με την οικογένειά μου όταν ήμουν πολύ μικρή. Μου αρέσει πολύ να ζωγραφίζω και να χορεύω. Επίσης, παίζω πολύ με την αδερφή μου.

Είμαι η Marziye και είμαι 48 ετών. Ήρθα από το Ιράν με την οικογένειά μου, ωστόσο η καταγωγή μου είναι από το Αφγανιστάν. Έχω τρεις γιούς και μια κόρη. Τα τελευταία δύο χρόνια ζούμε στην Ελλάδα. Μένουμε στο Κέντρο Φιλοξενίας Προσφύγων στο Σκαραμαγκά, σχεδόν ενάμιση χρόνο. Πριν έρθουμε στον Σκαραμαγκά, μέναμε κοντά στο λιμάνι του Πειραιά.
Για πολλά χρόνια, όλα τα μέλη της οικογένειάς μου εργάζονταν με ραπτομηχανές και έραβαν ρούχα για τους Αφγανούς. Έτσι, έμαθα και εγώ να ράβω. Στο Ιράν, εργαζόμουν σε μια εταιρεία, όπου έραβα ρούχα. Μου αρέσει να ράβω ρούχα για άλλους ανθρώπους, την οικογένειά μου και για μένα. Στο μέλλον, αν έχουμε τα έγγραφά μας, θα ήθελα να μείνουμε στην Ελλάδα ή να πάμε στην Γερμανία. Ευελπιστώ να ασχοληθώ πάλι με ραπτομηχανές και ρούχα, ώστε να κερδίζω και χρήματα από την εργασία αυτή. Προς το παρόν, εδώ στο Σκαραμαγκά, χρησιμοποιώ τις ραπτομηχανές που μας παρέχει μια ΜΚΟ.

In Germany I do a language course. My dream is to work here as a bus driver for the KVB, Cologne’s public transport association.

Storyteller’s name: Mohammad
Interviewer’s name: Sarah El Desoke
Country of origin: Iran
Sex: m
Age: 33

Storyteller’s name: Anonymous
Interviewer’s name: Sarah El Desoke
Country of origin: Iran
Sex: m
Age: 24

Storyteller’s name: Mohsen Haschemifan
Interviewer’s name: Sarah El Desoke
Country of origin: Iran
Sex: m
Age: 32

Svenska: Jag heter Alireza, och jag är 38 år gammal. Jag kom från Iran för två år sedan till Sverige.  Jag är gift och vi bor tillsammans i Sverige.  Vi gifte oss i Iran. I Iran arbetade jag på en fabrik i 15 år. Just nu studerar jag svenska för att studera sedan på universitet. Min son föddes i Sverige och jag önskar honom all lycka i framtiden.

A Million Stories Sweden: Nizar Keblawi, Nina Olsson, Sara Sarabi, Malin Gillberg, Daniel Björklund, Mats Nordström.

A Million Stories Sweden volunteers: Fariborz Ghadir, Mohamad Mohsin, Yazan Saad, Tarek Aloudallah, Dalia Saleem, Yara Ali, Ahmad Younes, Chaimae Hamri.

In association with

As a result of the political situation in Iran, I decided to flee with my wife and children: We fled over the mountains by foot and it took us around 10 hours to reach Turkey where we went in bus to Izmir, which took us another 30 hours. And from Izmir we got out on the sea in a rubber dinghy that was 6 metres long and we were in total 40 persons on the boat.   I reached Mytilini with my family in the morning. We were all supposed to climb a steep slope,     but because one of our children was very young, some really nice people in a car gave us a lift to a  refugee camp on the island. At the camp there was a long queue of refugees who were waiting to get papers and buy the ticket for the ferry to Athens, and we joined the line for 1 and a half day and there were just so many refugees there. We ended up taking the ferry at night and we arrived to Athens when it was still dark. Perhaps it was exciting to be in a big city for my children and some of the other refugees, but I just felt a huge responsibility taking care of my family.

Out on the road in Athens the Red Cross guided us to the bus station, where we took a bus to Macedonia and from there to Serbia and then to Croatia, where there was a free train to Slovenia. And from there we continued to Austria and Germany. On the entire journey we usually would get some free food, and it would usually be something like bread and soup or canned food. I was sometimes hungry, because at times the food was simply not eatable.

In Germany we got into an asylum seekers centre late at night and it was dark and cold outside and the guy who was in charge asked me where we were going, and I answered that we wanted to go to Denmark, and he then said: “Go out and find the bus to Denmark!”. So we went outside, but luckily we met an Afghan man who persuaded the guy at the centre to give us a room for the night, which he agreed to do. And we slept there with 20 other refugees in a small room that ended up very crowded. In the morning our Afghan friend gave us a little piece of paper with the name of the bus station, so we could show it to people and let them know that we were looking for it.

We went to Hamburg in bus, and from there we took a train to Denmark, but it was stopped on the border by the police who had a Persian interpreter. We were greeted by the police man, who said that he was very happy that we were there and that we should not be afraid and I said that we had a train ticket to Copenhagen, and we were then offered to go on a free bus to Sandholmlejren instead. First we were moved to one refugee centre and then to another where we lived for 2 or 3 months. It was not a good experience, because it was winter and we had to walk to the supermarket that was located at quite a distance as we had no bicycles.

After 2 or 3 months we moved to Gilleleje to another refugee centre, and here I started to learn Danish at the language school as I also realized how important it is to be able to speak the language.

We had some good parties in Gilleleje, where volunteers would come and they would all play bingo and music, and they would also eat and drink. I am Kurdish myself and my religion is called yarsan. I can drink alcohol and eat pork, but for 3 days each year we fast, and it is a bit like the Ramadan.

At the centre in Gilleleje I was having Danish language classes 4 to 6 hours a week, and I think that the employees and volunteers ended up a little tired of me, because I always wanted to practice my Danish and I just kept speaking with them. We lived a little over a year at the centre and after that we moved to another centre, where I, and my family, finally got our permanent residence permit. The interview took 5 or 6 hours, and even though I kind of knew that they had to give it to us, I was just so relieved particularly also on behalf of my children, who deserve a better future.

After the interview I was asked where we wanted to live, and I said that we really wanted to live in Copenhagen, because this is where my children have the best options when it comes to their education such as for example universities. So we moved to a temporary housing in Copenhagen, where we lived for almost a year and for me it has been a good experience as I have learned to play billiard and I often play against my son, who is a really skilled player.

At the temporary housing I continued to go to school to learn Danish, but I also had different internships such a being a service man, which, however, unfortunately also implied that I got my back injured as I was lifting a washing machine. I would like to get a real job and I am considering getting a job as an interpreter, because I really have an interest in using my Danish.

I have now together with my wife and children moved to a new apartment that is 83 square metres and is located in a good neighbourhood. The main reason why I chose to go to Denmark with my family was because I knew that my children, who all are academically skilled, would have some great options regarding their future careers.

I was known in my city, here I am a stranger, that is difficult for me. I also left my great love in Iran, we wanted to get married. I wanted to get her here, but unfortunately that didn’t work out. Today she is married to someone else. For political reasons I had to leave my homeland within three days. I grew up with my grandmother, she loves me very much, and even she didn’t know about my flight. On the last day before my escape, I told her I was going on a short trip. She is older and not quite healthy anymore. I often think of her. My great love waited for me in my agency, she cried very much when we said goodbye. Still today I see this picture before me.

I fled to Germany, like many others, in a rubber dinghy from Turkey to Greece. It was dangerous, we were many people, on a very small boat. We crossed within 15 days, 8 countries. I did not believe in ever arriving in Germany healthy. All the more I was surprised when we crossed the border from Austria to Germany. I couldn’t speak German, I didn’t know the culture, it scared me a lot. I was just a dot, in a country where I don’t yet know what I’m facing.
Uncertain, I don’t know what will happen the next morning. The beginning was very difficult, I was weak at my arrival. In my homeland, I have always been strong. I always wanted to climb higher and higher until I fell. That made me very weak. I wanted to become stronger, now I was weak. I am a refugee, a foreigner nobody knows. I never experienced racism, but inside I know that I am a foreigner. I am not like someone who was born here. I have to integrate, it’s not that easy. It costs a lot of energy. I am still young, but in my homeland I have already achieved a lot. Now I’m starting from the bottom, it’s hard for me. I am not saying that it would be too late. I know a man at the age of 70 years, he is in a German course.

Nevertheless, our life is limited and we do not live a thousand years. I am in a language course, last week I had my B2 exam. My wish is to be strong again, to climb again, that is my dream. Maybe not my own agency, but something in that direction. I constantly have new ideas that I would like to implement, the only obstacle is the language. I can’t express myself. I think it will take a few years to speak good German. In my home country I was very eloquent, I worked in marketing. Here, I feel like I’m at the language level of a child.
I would like to learn many languages. I would also like to study again, but I think it is already too late for that. Maybe I can’t live the same dream as in Iran, but maybe something unexpected happens. I never give up. That always comes suddenly in life. I am grateful to be here, I was helped a lot. I would like to live in peace with the people in Germany.

There was an incident on New Year’s Eve 2016 in Cologne. I was already three months in Germany. I drove to the cathedral, on New Year’s Eve. Many foreigners and refugees were there, many who caused problems. In the next weeks the events came in the media. It makes me very sad because not all refugees are the same and not all Germans are the same. This incident gave the Germans a bad impression of the refugees. If someone calls me a refugee, I think it’s okay, I’m a refugee too. It depends on the way he says it.

I always thought, all people are equal in Germany, slowly I notice, they are not all equal. Maybe it is in the law, but not in the behavior of the people. I am not saying that this problem only exists in Germany, it is in the nature of mankind. It is not racism, it simply lies in the nature of man. Life here is very difficult for me, I am under a lot of pressure. I left everything and have to start a new life here. My application for asylum has been rejected and I have to apply for it again. I am unsure, I do not know what will come tomorrow. I have an apartment, I have worked, I attend a German course, but I do not know whether I can stay. In Germany, I feel like in a foreign home.

Storyteller’s name: Midyan
Interviewer’s name: Sarah El Desoke
Country of origin: Iran
Sex: m
Age: 32

Svenska: Jag heter Shiva och kom nyligen till Sverige. Jag kommer från Iran. Jag har ritat en bild, hur det är överallt i världen och hur Iran delar på befolkningen, män för sig själv och kvinnor för sig själv.

A Million Stories Sweden: Nizar Keblawi, Nina Olsson, Sara Sarabi, Malin Gillberg, Daniel Björklund, Mats Nordström.

A Million Stories Sweden volunteers: Fariborz Ghadir, Mohamad Mohsin, Yazan Saad, Tarek Aloudallah, Dalia Saleem, Yara Ali, Ahmad Younes, Chaimae Hamri.

In association with

Svenska: Mitt namn är Jupiter och kommer från Iran, jag har bott 3 år i Sverige. Jag har ritat två sidor av livet. Man önskar sig det livet till höger men får det till vänster.

A Million Stories Sweden: Nizar Keblawi, Nina Olsson, Sara Sarabi, Malin Gillberg, Daniel Björklund, Mats Nordström.

A Million Stories Sweden volunteers: Fariborz Ghadir, Mohamad Mohsin, Yazan Saad, Tarek Aloudallah, Dalia Saleem, Yara Ali, Ahmad Younes, Chaimae Hamri.

In association with