I embarked on my study abroad journey to Denmark in August 2022. I was enrolled in the Danish Language and Culture course where we had field studies in different places to learn more about Danish culture. One of the field studies was a trip to a Danish adult high school called KVUC, which means Københavns Voksenuddannelsescenter (Copenhagen Adult Education Center). The majority of students who attend adult high school are immigrants and refugees.

Multiple tables were laid out in an open room, and students from KVUC and my class went around each table introducing ourselves and sharing our high school experiences. One of the first people I met was Ahmed Ibrahim. He shared part of his experience with me, and I was intrigued, so we agreed to meet over coffee to continue our conversation. This was how we ended up in a cozy coffee shop with the sound of clinking glasses and the smell of coffee in the air.

Fleeing civil war

Ahmed Ibrahim, a 24-year-old man from northern Syria, arrived in Denmark in August of 2017 during the Syrian Civil War. His experience as a refugee, his perseverance, and his willingness to tell his story are true signs of resilience.

“Consumed by fear and worry, Ahmed’s first attempt was one he will always remember. This time, he went alone. He hoped that this would be his first and last attempt. The most important thing was getting across the border alive - many Syrians were killed by Turkish police while attempting to do this.”

Since the Syrian refugee crisis began in 2011, over 6.8 million Syrians have fled their country. Most refugees went to nearby countries such as Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. Germany accepted over 620,000 Syrians - more than any other non-neighboring host country. Ahmed made it clear that Germany is the most desirable because of its large size, because it offered refugees the chance to study medicine and literature, and because the Germans were the most welcoming.

On the other hand, Denmark is among those with the fewest Syrian refugees. Ahmed’s brother was the first person to be smuggled into Denmark, which made it Ahmed’s place of choice when he was fleeing Syria. But reaching Denmark was far from a simple process.

First Smuggled Attempt

Consumed by fear and worry, Ahmed’s first attempt was one he will always remember. This time, he went alone. He hoped that this would be his first and last attempt. The most important thing was getting across the border alive - many Syrians were killed by Turkish police while attempting to do this.

Unfortunately, the group he was smuggled with was caught by the Turkish border police or gendarmerie. The police shot at his group to prevent them from approaching. Single men were beaten and sadly suffered the most. Ahmed was beaten and bruised, but he knew that he couldn’t give up. Men who traveled with their wives, mothers, and children were separated from the other men, and the women were forced to watch as they were beaten by the police.

If the police asked who the smuggler was, the group would point him out, and he would be executed immediately. Witnessing someone’s murder was traumatic, especially for children in the group. After experiences like this, Ahmed said, some Syrians no longer wanted to risk leaving the country just to be caught again.

After they were caught, the refugees were taken to a camp where they waited until the sun came up, and then they were sent back to Syria in a van. Plagued with disappointment and fear, he knew he still had to try to get out of Syria even though it was a huge risk.

Second Smuggled Attempt

A day after he returned to Syria, his second attempt at crossing the border began. This time, he took with him an older woman who was around 60-65 years old and her daughter-in law. At first, the woman asked to go with him, but he was reluctant because he thought she would slow him down. Eventually he realized that going with women would benefit him, and he wanted to help them out. During this time, everyone wanted to be successfully smuggled, but they all had to work together.

Fortunately, they were smuggled across the Turkish border successfully without getting caught. The woman and her daughter in-law stayed in Turkey because she had a son there, while Ahmed and the rest of Syrians went to a house. There, they were told to buy a train ticket for 100 USD to get to Istanbul. From there, people can be smuggled to other countries to reach their target destinations. He spent five to six months in Istanbul looking for a smuggler to get him to Greece.

The journey to Greece could happen by land or sea. If refugees go by sea, they have to go first to a nearby island to get to Athens. The boats that are used to transport the Syrians are normally overpacked and are not able to sail a long distance. In this case, they needed to show themselves to the police who were on standby to prevent people from drowning in case the boat sank.

Ahmed mentioned that Greece and other countries have an agreement with the European Union (EU) regarding their responsibility in taking in a certain number of refugees. He also recalled that the Syrians who were captured and treated badly by the Greek police felt a sense of “nothingness” knowing that they had nothing there and nothing back home.

Final Stretch

Ahmed made his way to Edirne, Turkey, and from there he went to a rural southeast part of Greece. In Edirne, he contacted a smuggler who offered to make an agreement with a Greek lawyer. At this point, he was in a different group which consisted of 30 refugees who were women, children, and elderly people. He was one of only three from the group who made it because the Greek police were driving around searching for refugees. Once they heard the sirens, they escaped, and the rest were captured.

Ahmed met with the lawyer who took his name and a picture of him. He was then taken to a local jail for four to five hours, then to another jail, and later transferred to a refugee camp after one month of waiting. He was then issued a paper that allowed him to stay for six months in Greece. However, he went to Athens and got in contact with another smuggler to continue his journey. He was issued a fake passport, and with that passport he made his way to Naples, Italy, and by train to Venice, Austria, and lastly to Stockholm, Sweden, by airplane. After arriving in Sweden, he took a train to Denmark.

After arriving in Denmark, he was sent to a refugee camp, and after three months he received his papers to stay. He was also given a bank account and other materials. He asked to be moved to the Egedal municipality in Copenhagen to stay with his brother.

Denmark was very welcoming, and when he went outside the camp, the majority of people were also accepting. Ahmed said Denmark is among the best places for refugees to come because they focus on helping refugees to start their life over. In addition, they provide guidance so the refugees can go through the process of settling in. It was strict because they were pushed to work to get a salary, and this was mandatory. This was also a tactic used to ensure that they were not solely depending on the welfare system to provide for them.

Adaptation

Ahmed lived with his brother and got $300 a month from the Edirne municipality. He used these funds to cover food and other needs. He didn’t face any challenges in regard to the integration into the society on the government end, but he did face personal challenges. Denmark has a system designed to help refugees join clubs and groups that will aid them in integrating into Danish society and meeting other refugees and people in the community. However, he strongly believed his Danish wasn’t good enough, so he didn’t partake in any of those activities, which led him to feeling isolated.

“Moving from one country to the other is incredibly hard, but it is even more so when it is done alone without family and friends. Ahmed finds it difficult to blend in because he doesn’t have those people around him to help him feel comfortable. Not feeling ready to participate in local clubs and activities left him without a sufficient support system.”

In addition, he was required to attend a language school and learn the Danish language to ensure that he would be able to adapt and integrate into the Danish system. Coming into a new country with nothing on his back but with hopes of building a new life, he knew he needed to start regular school. He spoke to a school counselor and was advised to do a language test to see if he would be able to manage in school. After passing the test, he attended school and took three subjects (mathematics, English, and Danish) at 9th and 10th grade level. He later moved on to an adult high school, where he took multiple subjects including geography. Instead of participating in any clubs and activities, he spends his free time focusing on his education so that he will be able to get good grades and get into university.

What Is Happening Now

Ahmed is currently still attending adult high school and is hoping to finish in the summer of 2023. He wishes to go on to university to study artificial intelligence or data science in the near future. He doesn’t plan to stay forever in Denmark; his wish is to complete university and go wherever it takes him. Even though Denmark was welcoming, learning the language proved difficult for him. If he could have changed one thing, it would be to go to an English-speaking country like the UK or USA where he believed he could have integrated and settled more easily.

Moving from one country to the other is incredibly hard, but it is even more so when it is done alone without family and friends. Ahmed finds it difficult to blend in because he doesn’t have those people around him to help him feel comfortable. Not feeling ready to participate in local clubs and activities left him without a sufficient support system.

Loneliness is very dangerous. He was craving the presence of his family and friends when he lost control and fell into depression in 2021. He knew he needed to get help, and so he sought professional assistance and was prescribed medicines which aided him in his recovery.

Ahmed’s Views on Denmark’s Immigration Policy

Ahmed believes that Denmark is not interested in taking in more immigrants and refugees. He expressed that the new laws in place promote the entering of fewer refugees. The laws are tighter now than when he first arrived. He believes the pushback from Denmark came from the differences in culture, norms, complexion, values, and religion. The inability to integrate into the Danish system and be a part of their society plays a big role.

His view is that words can’t change people’s mindset; the issue is the structure of society. Even though most people were welcoming, there were still bad encounters. He feels a heaviness when they approach him walking to the metro or when he sees people staring and being cautious around him. It makes him feel less of a person. The media always dehumanizes refugees, and then they go out and face the same problems in real life.

Denmark is now currently trying to send Syrian refugees back home, arguing that it is safe for them to return. Since Ahmed has to go and renew his papers after a certain amount of time, he is living with the fear that they could refuse his paper’s renewal at any time. It’s a struggle to be able to go to school and try to stay focused knowing that his stay is not a 100% certainty. However, he still pushes forward as he has been doing from day one.