One story about those smuggled into Europe.
Tuesday 21 Apr 2015
Haunted by memories of a journey from Damascus to Bradford
Drenched in April sunshine, a nine-year-old girl is running down a suburban side-street in Bradford. Her big brother has just picked up from school – the first school she’s been to in two years.
Masa is scooped into the arms of Mirvat, her mum, who’s been waiting excitedly to welcome her home. They escaped from the horrors of Syria in 2013 and now they are safe. But this is a family haunted by memories of what they went through to get here.
Having run out of places to run to in Syria, Mirvat fled first to Lebanon, then to Egypt, then west, by road into Libya. Her 20-year-old son had been working there. But then Libya was enveloped by intense civil war. Her son was kidnapped by gun-toting militiamen. Tripoli was bombed, gunmen were everywhere and Syrian refugees were not welcome.
Mirvat (pictured below) decided to flee once again. This time, the destination was Europe.
Upstairs, the decor in flat no.8 is spartan: a sofa, three kitchen chairs and a table. On a broken TV, two photographs, Mirvat’s mother and father; still in Damascus. She fumbles for her mobile phone and starts playing a video. She says it’s the first time she’s dared to watch it for months.
Continue reading at:
Haunted by memories of a journey from Damascus to Bradford Miller on Foreign Affairs Miller on Foreign Affairs?
Tuesday 21 Apr 2015
Haunted by memories of a journey from Damascus to Bradford
Drenched in April sunshine, a nine-year-old girl is running down a suburban side-street in Bradford. Her big brother has just picked up from school – the first school she’s been to in two years.
Masa is scooped into the arms of Mirvat, her mum, who’s been waiting excitedly to welcome her home. They escaped from the horrors of Syria in 2013 and now they are safe. But this is a family haunted by memories of what they went through to get here.
Having run out of places to run to in Syria, Mirvat fled first to Lebanon, then to Egypt, then west, by road into Libya. Her 20-year-old son had been working there. But then Libya was enveloped by intense civil war. Her son was kidnapped by gun-toting militiamen. Tripoli was bombed, gunmen were everywhere and Syrian refugees were not welcome.
Mirvat (pictured below) decided to flee once again. This time, the destination was Europe.
Upstairs, the decor in flat no.8 is spartan: a sofa, three kitchen chairs and a table. On a broken TV, two photographs, Mirvat’s mother and father; still in Damascus. She fumbles for her mobile phone and starts playing a video. She says it’s the first time she’s dared to watch it for months.
Continue reading at:
Haunted by memories of a journey from Damascus to Bradford Miller on Foreign Affairs Miller on Foreign Affairs?
