Profile: Refugee student misses home

Havnd is very social. He likes to meet new people and tries to maintain the relationship in the long term. But it’s difficult for him sometimes, because he “doesn’t match perfectly with most people.” He’s a special kind of person.

His biography isn’t all that makes him interesting to know - he has epilepsy and is an immigrant from Syria. Havnd is also exuberant, even hyperactive, and at the same time can be very chill and relaxed.

He’s got all the right stuff to be a social butterfly. But “I consider myself more of an introverted person,’’ al ali says.

“Actually, it was completely normal for me to grow up in a country which was at war for years. It was also quite nice to live in Syria – at first, there wasn't much war,” al ali said. His whole family, except his father, who lived in Germany at that time, didn't notice that much, because Havnd’s mom and his siblings lived more in the countryside, not in the metropolis where there was more going on, like in the capitol Damascus.

He can remember only one negative experience: an army car drove through the street in their neighborhood, and they shot around a bit. It was just an isolated case. “It's not always the way the media portrays it,” says Havnd.

Of course, he misses his friends. He’s known them since birth. It feels like a part of him is missing. Havnd had many more friends there than he does here in Germany. He actively maintained contact for a while, but under current circumstances, it's a bit difficult. “If I would have the opportunity, I would definitely go back to Syria.”

When the war started, he knew that the situation would get worse and that their lives couldn't go on normally. That's why his parents decided to flee to Germany to create a better perspective and future for him and his siblings. They chose Germany because of job opportunities and quality of life.

They escaped when Havnd was only 7 years old, and he can only remember some key moments. It took quite a long time, about 1-2 years, until the family finally arrived safely.

He misses the Syrian culture, the people and the religious traditions, like the sugar festival and the festival of sacrifice, where they share a sheep sacrifice with poor people. “Compared to Syria, that part is a bit lost [here].”

The Journey had not only affected him physically, above all his mentality changed. “Since I saw the impact of the war, I have become a little more grateful for the small things in life, because I have this great privilege of being in safety, that some people could only dream of.”

He values everything more overall, but on the other hand, he wouldn’t mind going back home. He even wishes to travel back to his hometown someday. “That’s how great my love for Syria is,” al ali says.

It was an incredibly nice feeling for him to arrive in Germany, primarily because he could reconnect with his father again. It also took a lot of getting use to in a completely new country, culture and society. It wasn't easy to integrate. But Havnd likes the rules and organization in Germany. “Chaos and noise are my biggest enemies because of my epileptic seizures.”

Apart from the people, “I miss the infrastructure, the houses, roads, from my hometown, the nature, the weather, the food and so much more,” he says.

Havnd and his family were very sure that they would arrive safely and, “with God's strength,” they never gave up.

Al ali says that his story is proof that there is a solution for every desperate situation.