Below is the full report. H.E. ms. Juričić notes that nothing that she wrote in the report is an official position of South Africa or any other state. It is merely her personal contribution.
*Explanatory note by H.E. ms. Juričić:
Firstly, my plan was to conduct an interview with a migrant from Syria I met in Istanbul. He's not really a refugee, but his story is pretty much a consequence of what is going on in Syria. He asked me not to mention his name and he wasn’t in favour of filming him – he explained, that even if he posts a song to Facebook, his friend from Syria are accusing him that he is listening to music instead of fighting in a war. Nothing I write here is an official position of South Africa or of any other state.
‘I’M TIRED, I NEED REST. I NEED MY MOM.’
He didn’t say this because he would feel sorry for himself. He’s just really really tired of what is going on in Syria and he, just like all the Syrian citizens, simply wants peace. He doesn’t care anymore who comes to power and who doesn’t, he just wants to be able to go back to his family and return to his home. Before the uprising, his family was really rich – his father was a very wealthy and respectful owner of a ship company. The civil war left him and his family with nothing. After the uprising started, his family migrated to Alexandria, Egypt. Now he’s left alone in Turkey, without a passport (a ship company he used to work for lost it) and without a family. He could make a new life in Turkey (he already found a job), but he wants to make more money to help his family. He was emphasizing all the time how much a family means for Syrians and even if he could rescue himself, he could never leave his family. He also said that the refugee workers and decision makers normally forget about their responsibility for families and that they could never understand the depth of the issue.
BROKEN RELATIONS
For him a lost house, lost home and a failed country are not the main worry. He’s terrified about the broken relationships. Nobody can trust anyone anymore. Not even the closest friends. When the civil war began, childhood friends turned into death enemies. He and his girlfriend used to be together for 8 years. When the uprising began, she suddenly stepped on the government side. Now, he can’t even call her anymore, because the government would come after him. This is also the reason why he can’t go back to Syria. He said: ‘The ones that who stayed in Syria are the ones, who are fighting. There is no normal life there.’ Even when the civil war ends, it will take generations for the relations between people to be restored. The ones who fled Syria will always be accused of leaving their country and not helping achieve a better future.
REFUGEES IN TURKEY
He admits he is one of the luckiest migrants. He found a job and a place to stay, while others are still striving for their life. Every week, he hears about his friends being killed. He went to the refugee camp in Turkey at the Syrian border to see some friends, and he was shocked. He described conditions at the refugee camps as dirty, crowded. At that moment, a Turkish man interrupted our talk and started accusing him of talking bad things about Turkey, while Turkey is saving the Syrians’ lives. He admitted that Turkey is taking care of Syrians, but not because they care about refugees so much, but because of their geostrategic interest in Syria. He feels that the Syrian people are alone – the international community doesn’t care, and the ones who do care, care for their own interests.
When I read what I wrote, it really feels insensitive. I definitely learnt that diplomats, decision-makers and others should have more direct contact with migrants, refugees and all other vulnerable persons. It’s completely different to read a story from global media than to hear a personal story.
- Tamara Juričić
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