OVER GRÆNSER | ACROSS BORDERS
MOHAMAD
Mohamad is a refugee from Syria. He was educated and trained as a dentist in a European country where he lived for nine years. He then returned to Syria and built two successful dental clinics over a 22 year period.
He fled to Denmark in 2014 to escape the worsening situation there. When his house was bombed the family was forced to shelter for three years in his dental clinic with some other families while he also continued to practice.
He fled with his wife while his four children remained with his mother-in-law in Damascus. They went to Lebanon pretending to be tourists and from there took a plane to Istanbul. Through a people smuggler they arranged a boat to Greece and then onto Italy where they were met and taken by car to Denmark. The journey was expensive and took one month.
Mohamad and his wife spent some time in various asylum centres while their asylum application was processed. The process to get their children here was long and difficult. Their desperation at one point forced them to go on a hunger strike outside the government immigration office in Copenhagen with others in a similar predicament.
Some months later he was reunited with three of his children. However his 17 year old son has not been granted permission to come to Denmark and remains in Syria where he fears being drafted into the army when he turns 18.
His main focus now is get his oldest son into Denmark and to ensure his children get a good education here. His other ambition is to have his qualifications recognised and be able to work as a dentist again. In the meantime he is learning Danish and doing work experience.
Mohamad is a refugee from Syria. He was educated and trained as a dentist in a European country where he lived for nine years. He then returned to Syria and built two successful dental clinics over a 22 year period.
He fled to Denmark in 2014 to escape the worsening situation there. When his house was bombed the family was forced to shelter for three years in his dental clinic with some other families while he also continued to practice.
He fled with his wife while his four children remained with his mother-in-law in Damascus. They went to Lebanon pretending to be tourists and from there took a plane to Istanbul. Through a people smuggler they arranged a boat to Greece and then onto Italy where they were met and taken by car to Denmark. The journey was expensive and took one month.
Mohamad and his wife spent some time in various asylum centres while their asylum application was processed. The process to get their children here was long and difficult. Their desperation at one point forced them to go on a hunger strike outside the government immigration office in Copenhagen with others in a similar predicament.
Some months later he was reunited with three of his children. However his 17 year old son has not been granted permission to come to Denmark and remains in Syria where he fears being drafted into the army when he turns 18.
His main focus now is get his oldest son into Denmark and to ensure his children get a good education here. His other ambition is to have his qualifications recognised and be able to work as a dentist again. In the meantime he is learning Danish and doing work experience.