How I surrendered my sister: A refugee's story
Today I was clearing out my computer space and found a file I had once saved. The site itself on which this material is published contains very outdated information on refugee matters. It’s even somehow awkward... because someone will read it and think that it’s still like that today. Therefore, I will not recommend it for review, especially since the company advertises Ecuadorian citizenship (?), but the story is wonderful. It's outdated too! But there is also a healthy grain and mastery of storytelling in it. Reads with interest. The author, unfortunately, is unknown. Grammar and punctuation have been preserved, the source is indicated in the conclusion.
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The displaced persons center was located outside the city and consisted of several houses with two-room apartments in which family refugees lived, and a dormitory where single refugees lived several people per room. Also nearby was the Social Services office (the holy of holies), where everything was decided everyday issues during a long wait for a decision. A spacious apartment with a kitchen and a bathroom pinched my soul, since by Dutch standards a bath is already a luxury. Household appliances were also much more modern than in my apartment in The Hague. In general, I would like to note that Finland is in many ways much more modern than other countries.
Behind the house there is a large forest in which refugees collected blueberries and lingonberries for sale and just for themselves. I have never seen so many mushrooms and berries in my life! Walking through the forest, I had the feeling that I was in some kind of fairy tale. I saw a lot of wild animals - the names of which I can no longer remember. In addition, I ate so many blueberries and raspberries that I would hardly want them before next summer (next year I want to go in June, on the solstice, when there is actually no night - such a cliché for a tourist).
Very quickly we found new friends among our compatriots and others. Virtually all the republics of the once vast homeland were represented at the Center, who were waiting for one thing - permanent residence. And the longer we waited, the more I wanted to get permanent residence. Examples of those who received permanent residence (and all the rights as Finnish citizens, and after 5 years a Finnish passport) did not let anyone sleep. I remembered that the same thing had already happened to me. Everyone wanted to live normally, with permanent residence and in their own apartment like everyone else, they wanted it like nothing else. Sometimes I couldn't sleep at night, imagining my future in the Netherlands. And he waited. Therefore, I understood well everyone who wanted the same in Finland. What a difference it makes, what country! If the country is normal, with a normal economy and human rights, then you can live in it and this is a completely normal desire, which is why I strictly told my relatives not to listen to anyone, to remember that nothing comes easy, everything needs to be done correctly, to learn to wait. And never pay attention to refugees from other CIS countries, because... everyone has completely different legends and reasons for fleeing. All this is individual. All this is classic and there is no difference where to apply for refugee status - in Finland or Holland. I saw the same groups of refugees as in other countries (what I saw and heard was confirmed - Jews, national minorities from Central Asia, sexual minorities, deserters). I could only sympathize with the families who requested asylum as Jehovah's Witnesses from Russia or Baptists from Ukraine. Nowhere, even in Romania, will this category be given asylum, since everyone knows that now this category of people is not in danger mortal danger. For everyone else, with knowledge and experience, you can still cook up something worthwhile. The recently adopted law on processing cases within a week applies mainly to Roma from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, who have flocked to Finland in their thousands. Everyone else can rest easy for now.
School time came and I even felt a little sad, I also wanted to go to school somewhere inside, get to know and study my new homeland. Although, to be honest, having studied Dutch, I no longer have the strength or desire to learn other languages.
My sister’s family ended up in a part of Finland where the majority of Swedes live and children will have to learn Finnish and Swedish (the two official languages in the country), while adults can first choose Swedish or Finnish. Considering that Swedish is easier and there is some similarity with German, my sister and her husband chose Swedish, but the children started with Finnish. Finnish, of course, is a grammatically difficult language, but I really liked the sound of it - it sounds very funny. And in order not to learn Kazakh, they would have learned Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian combined. Once a week they had work on the computer. The library also has free internet available to everyone. So much for the backyards of Europe! I know that in many countries refugees live in tents, and the Internet is out of the question. In the same Holland this will not happen for a long time, and maybe never.
My surprise knew no bounds when I met Jews from Ukraine who had recently received asylum and, accordingly, an apartment and all the rights local residents(except for the right of elections). Involuntarily I began to compare with Holland. And what happened is that in Finland the standard is much higher. The first thing that catches your eye is that when you receive the apartment, it has a free sauna, an Electrolux refrigerator with a huge freezer, parquet floors, and an electric stove. You need to buy all this in Holland yourself. Further, the entrances are indecently groomed; in Holland this can only be seen in private houses. There can be no comparisons with Russia - the 19th and 21st centuries. And all this is available to everyone. In addition, after receiving permanent residence, refugees participate in various programs to learn the language, profession and integration into society. Naturally - free.
I left satisfied - Mission Impossible was completed, they will no longer be able to deport them, the procedures last a long time - they will last 3 years, and even with the children they will be given status on humanitarian grounds, where will they go, it was and is. It has already become its own separate sector of the economy and society with its own Ministry and thousands of jobs for Finns too.
The KLM plane silently touched down on Dutch soil and I felt at home. Still, visiting is good, but home is better! It’s a bit difficult in Holland, of course, when you start the asylum procedure. Holland is the sweetest country - I had no doubt about it, but still, in terms of social benefits, Scandinavia is not surpassed! How to obtain permanent residence - everyone has different paths, different possibilities and abilities. But Europe is one and already without borders, having one of the EU passports you can live and work wherever you want. The main thing is not to sit still, but to try and dare.”
"appeared after the First World War of 1914-18. to designate persons who, during the war, abandoned threatened occupation or territory occupied by the enemy, or were expelled from such territories by order of military or civil authorities.
The concept of “refugee” has undergone some changes several times.
Initially, a group approach was used, according to which a refugee was considered to be a person who was outside his country of origin and did not enjoy the protection of that state.
In 1926 refugees were recognized as persons of the corresponding national or ethnic origin who do not enjoy the protection of their government and have not received another citizenship (Final Act of the Conference on the Problems of Russian and Armenian Refugees in Geneva).
The most general and universally applicable definition of the term “refugee” is contained in the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, as supplemented by the 1967 Protocol. According to it, “a refugee is a person who, owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, nationality, affiliation with a particular social group or political opinion is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or, being of no nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable and unwilling, owing to such fear, to return to it.”
Basic legal documents on refugee status are the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol.
Both documents are universal; they have now been ratified by a total of 145 states (including Russia in 1993) and incorporated into national law.
There are also regional conventions on refugees that significantly expand this concept: the 1969 Convention on Refugees in Africa, the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees in Latin America, as well as a number of conventions of the Council of Europe.
Number of refugees
Today there are 9.2 million refugees in the world. But total number There are many more people under the protection of the UN Refugee Agency - refugees, internally displaced persons, asylum seekers, returnees. According to the United Nations (as of June 2006), there are a total of approximately 20 million refugees, displaced and stateless persons in 117 countries around the world. Many of them have been living in internal refugee camps for years.
From history.
Refugees as a phenomenon have been known since time immemorial. The first refugees, as history goes, appeared in 695 BC, when the Assyrian army of King Sennacherib I entered the lands of Judea. Then about 50,000 Jews hastily left their homes, rushing to Egypt, where they were also not expected.
In 375 (already AD), about 300,000 people fled from the invasion of the nomadic Huns into the lands of Rome.
In the 8th-9th centuries, as a result of the devastating Viking invasions of Britain, about 40,000 islanders moved to France, founded temporary settlements, and remained there, mixing with the local population.
A huge number of refugees appeared after the First Crusade (1096-1099), when 500,000 Arabs and Turks fled from places captured by the knights.
In 1492, all Jews who had not converted to Christianity were expelled from Spain, of whom more than 200,000 took refuge in North Africa and other lands.
In the first half of the 13th century, when the Mongol hordes marched from the Pacific Ocean to Mediterranean Sea, many hundreds of thousands of Chinese, Arabs, Russians, Persians, Poles, and Hungarians fled to neighboring countries to escape the invasion there.
There were refugees not only from wars. During frequent plague epidemics, the population of cities and entire regions in Europe and Asia left for different countries to wait out the worst times.
Some rulers used refugees for their own purposes. Thus, thanks to the fact that in 1715, King Frederick II of Prussia declared free entry and residence for “refugees of any religion,” the population of the kingdom increased significantly. Many Russian Molokans, Baptists, and Old Believers, who had to take part in its wars for the right to live in the Ottoman Empire, moved to Turkey, which accepted Christians who were members of any sects banned in their homeland.
The practice of hiding behind church walls existed back in biblical times, when Roman law allowed churches to shelter even criminals within their walls.
In the Middle Ages in Europe, the right of asylum in the churches was almost universally recognized. However, it only applied to criminals.
The practice of sheltering in churches began in 1983 in Canada, when a Montreal church sheltered a refugee from Guatemala who was about to be deported. Since then, hundreds of people challenging the deportation order have found refuge in churches. Some were able to prove their right to remain in Canada, while others were still expelled.
According to Canadian law, such a church shelter does not legally protect the people hiding there. There are also no laws protecting the custom of churches to hide citizens who are facing deportation from the country. Canadian police showed up at a church only once - in Quebec in March 2004 - and arrested an Algerian hiding there. They handcuffed him right there. There was a big scandal. Since then, immigration authorities and police have refrained from such visits.
In France, there is a law that allows the police to come to a church and arrest a person who has taken refuge there. In Britain and America, police also do not hesitate to arrest people in churches.
Almost no one dealt with refugees until the beginning of the twentieth century, when the process of developing a system of international laws, conventions and rules began to protect refugees who had it worst in the First and Second World Wars, when it suddenly became clear that when a dozen neighboring countries are at war, then There seems to be nowhere to run.
It was at this time that the concept of “refugees” appeared in international law. In 1922, after the First World War, the League of Nations adopted the first agreement (supplemented by agreements in 1924, 1926 and 1928) on the status of Russian and Armenian refugees. For the first time, the rights of refugees were defined, they received a special type of travel document (Nansen passport, named after the polar explorer and first High Commissioner of the League of Nations for Refugees, Fridtjorf Nansen).
Subsequently, the agreements were extended to all refugees from Turkey and Nazi Germany, culminating in the approval on July 28, 1951 by a special UN conference of the “Convention relating to the Status of Refugees”, which is the key legal document, which defines the concept of “refugees” and their rights, as well as the legal obligations of states in relation to refugees.
The problem of refugees in the twentieth century became especially acute more than once: for example, as a result of the seizure of power by the Nazis in Germany and a number of other countries; US aggressive wars in Korea and Indochina, Israeli aggression against Arab countries and Palestine, the policies of dictatorial and racist regimes in southern Africa, Latin America and other areas of the world.
After World War II, states began to cooperate within the United Nations to create an international legal system for the protection of refugees. The international community created the United Nations Relief and Reconstruction Administration (UNRRA) and the International Refugee Organization (IRO). UNRRA assisted in the voluntary repatriation of more than 7 million people, and the IRB assisted in the accommodation of 1.7 million European refugees who did not want to return to their homeland.
January 1, 1951 as an institute international protection To solve the problem of refugees and displaced persons, the UN General Assembly established the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, replacing UNRRA and IRO.
The first time UNHCR had to work in an emergency humanitarian crisis was during the Gulf War following the exodus of 1.9 million Kurds.
The turning point in his activities was the former Yugoslavia: for the first time, staff took an active part in organizing such large-scale actions as air bridges and humanitarian convoys.
In 1994, a humanitarian catastrophe struck Rwanda when nearly a million people fled to neighboring Zaire in four days.
In early 1995, UNHCR was providing humanitarian assistance to displaced people in Azerbaijan, Chechnya, Georgia and Tajikistan.
In 1999, UNHCR played an active role in providing humanitarian assistance to thousands of refugees affected by the Kosovo conflict.
Today, UNHCR is one of the world's main humanitarian organizations, providing assistance to 19.2 million people in 116 countries.
The number of its employees is more than 6,500 people. Over its half-century of activity, UNHCR has provided assistance to at least 50 million people, for which it has twice been awarded Nobel Prize world - in 1954 and 1981.
In October 1992, UNHCR and Russia signed an Agreement to open a representative office in Moscow. Currently, there are branches of the representative office in a number of regions of Russia. Since May 1995, Russia has been a member of the UNHCR Executive Committee.
On December 4, 2000, the 55th session of the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that, starting in 2001, June 20 will be celebrated annually as World Refugee Day.
"appeared after the First World War of 1914-18. to designate persons who, during the war, abandoned threatened occupation or territory occupied by the enemy, or were expelled from such territories by order of military or civil authorities.
The concept of “refugee” has undergone some changes several times.
Initially, a group approach was used, according to which a refugee was considered to be a person who was outside his country of origin and did not enjoy the protection of that state.
In 1926 refugees were recognized as persons of the corresponding national or ethnic origin who do not enjoy the protection of their government and have not acquired another citizenship (Final Act of the Conference on Russian and Armenian Refugees in Geneva).
The most general and universally applicable definition of the term “refugee” is contained in the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, as supplemented by the 1967 Protocol. According to it, “a refugee is a person who, owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable to benefit from the protection of that nationality.” country or is unwilling to avail himself of such protection owing to such fear; or, having no nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable and unwilling to return to it owing to such fear."
Basic legal documents on refugee status are the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol.
Both documents are universal; they have now been ratified by a total of 145 states (including Russia in 1993) and incorporated into national law.
There are also regional conventions on refugees that significantly expand this concept: the 1969 Convention on Refugees in Africa, the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees in Latin America, and a number of conventions of the Council of Europe.
Number of refugees
Today there are 9.2 million refugees in the world. But the total number of people protected by the UN Refugee Agency - refugees, internally displaced persons, asylum seekers, returnees - is much larger. According to the United Nations (as of June 2006), there are a total of approximately 20 million refugees, displaced and stateless persons in 117 countries around the world. Many of them have been living in internal refugee camps for years.
From history.
Refugees as a phenomenon have been known since time immemorial. The first refugees, as history goes, appeared in 695 BC, when the Assyrian army of King Sennacherib I entered the lands of Judea. Then about 50,000 Jews hastily left their homes, rushing to Egypt, where they were also not expected.
In 375 (already AD), about 300,000 people fled from the invasion of the nomadic Huns into the lands of Rome.
In the 8th-9th centuries, as a result of the devastating Viking invasions of Britain, about 40,000 islanders moved to France, founded temporary settlements, and remained there, mixing with the local population.
A huge number of refugees appeared after the First Crusade (1096-1099), when 500,000 Arabs and Turks fled from places captured by the knights.
In 1492, all Jews who had not converted to Christianity were expelled from Spain, of whom more than 200,000 took refuge in North Africa and other lands.
In the first half of the 13th century, when the Mongol hordes marched from the Pacific Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, many hundreds of thousands of Chinese, Arabs, Russians, Persians, Poles, and Hungarians fled to neighboring countries to escape the invasion there.
There were refugees not only from wars. During frequent plague epidemics, the population of cities and entire regions in Europe and Asia left for different countries to wait out the worst times.
Some rulers used refugees for their own purposes. Thus, thanks to the fact that in 1715, King Frederick II of Prussia declared free entry and residence for “refugees of any religion,” the population of the kingdom increased significantly. Many Russian Molokans, Baptists, and Old Believers, who had to take part in its wars for the right to live in the Ottoman Empire, moved to Turkey, which accepted Christians who were members of any sects banned in their homeland.
The practice of hiding behind church walls existed back in biblical times, when Roman law allowed churches to shelter even criminals within their walls.
In the Middle Ages in Europe, the right of asylum in the churches was almost universally recognized. However, it only applied to criminals.
The practice of sheltering in churches began in 1983 in Canada, when a Montreal church sheltered a refugee from Guatemala who was about to be deported. Since then, hundreds of people challenging the deportation order have found refuge in churches. Some were able to prove their right to remain in Canada, while others were still expelled.
According to Canadian law, such a church shelter does not legally protect the people hiding there. There are also no laws protecting the custom of churches to hide citizens who are facing deportation from the country. Canadian police showed up at a church only once - in Quebec in March 2004 - and arrested an Algerian hiding there. They handcuffed him right there. There was a big scandal. Since then, immigration authorities and police have refrained from such visits.
In France, there is a law that allows the police to come to a church and arrest a person who has taken refuge there. In Britain and America, police also do not hesitate to arrest people in churches.
Almost no one dealt with refugees until the beginning of the twentieth century, when the process of developing a system of international laws, conventions and rules began to protect refugees who had it worst in the First and Second World Wars, when it suddenly became clear that when a dozen neighboring countries are at war, then There seems to be nowhere to run.
It was at this time that the concept of “refugees” appeared in international law. In 1922, after the First World War, the League of Nations adopted the first agreement (supplemented by agreements in 1924, 1926 and 1928) on the status of Russian and Armenian refugees. For the first time, the rights of refugees were defined, they received a special type of travel document (Nansen passport, named after the polar explorer and first High Commissioner of the League of Nations for Refugees, Fridtjorf Nansen).
The agreements were subsequently extended to cover all refugees from Turkey and Nazi Germany, culminating in the adoption on July 28, 1951 by a special UN conference of the “Convention relating to the Status of Refugees”, which is the key legal document defining the concept of “refugees” and their rights, as well as legal obligations of states towards refugees.
The problem of refugees in the twentieth century became especially acute more than once: for example, as a result of the seizure of power by the Nazis in Germany and a number of other countries; US aggressive wars in Korea and Indochina, Israeli aggression against Arab countries and Palestine, the policies of dictatorial and racist regimes in southern Africa, Latin America and other areas of the world.
After World War II, states began to cooperate within the United Nations to create an international legal system for the protection of refugees. The international community created the United Nations Relief and Reconstruction Administration (UNRRA) and the International Refugee Organization (IRO). UNRRA assisted in the voluntary repatriation of more than 7 million people, and the IRB assisted in the accommodation of 1.7 million European refugees who did not want to return to their homeland.
On January 1, 1951, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established by the UN General Assembly as an international protection institution to address the problem of refugees and displaced persons, replacing UNRRA and IRO.
The first time UNHCR had to work in an emergency humanitarian crisis was during the Gulf War following the exodus of 1.9 million Kurds.
The turning point in its activities was the former Yugoslavia: for the first time, personnel took an active part in organizing such large-scale actions as air bridges and humanitarian convoys.
In 1994, a humanitarian catastrophe struck Rwanda when nearly a million people fled to neighboring Zaire in four days.
In early 1995, UNHCR was providing humanitarian assistance to displaced people in Azerbaijan, Chechnya, Georgia and Tajikistan.
In 1999, UNHCR played an active role in providing humanitarian assistance to thousands of refugees affected by the Kosovo conflict.
Today, UNHCR is one of the world's main humanitarian organizations, providing assistance to 19.2 million people in 116 countries.
The number of its employees is more than 6,500 people. Over its half-century of activity, UNHCR has provided assistance to at least 50 million people, for which it was twice awarded the Nobel Peace Prize - in 1954 and 1981.
In October 1992, UNHCR and Russia signed an Agreement to open a representative office in Moscow. Currently, there are branches of the representative office in a number of regions of Russia. Since May 1995, Russia has been a member of the UNHCR Executive Committee.
On December 4, 2000, the 55th session of the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that, starting in 2001, June 20 will be celebrated annually as World Refugee Day.
Today we have a very unusual and very detailed history immigration to Canada. A story about two guys from Ukraine. Both arrived as tourists three years ago. After several months of staying in the country, they decided that they should try to stay and obtain permanent residence through refugee status in Canada. Andrey, one of the guys, will tell you what they went through and what they achieved.
Hi Andrey, please tell us a little about yourself. How many years, what did you do 2 years ago before you came to Canada? Why did you decide to leave for Canada and how long did it take you to get there?
Hello, I'm 23 years old. 3 years ago I was ordinary Ukrainian student, worked in a travel company, as a bus guide in European cities. I never dreamed or especially thought about Canada. Everything happened somehow spontaneously. Someone I knew told me that there is a way to easily and quickly get a visa to Canada. And since I always liked such ways and methods of travel, it was very interesting to me. After the New Year (2011), my friend and I decided to try to go and see Canada. My friend’s name is Kirill, so I will talk about both myself and him.
So you spontaneously decided to immigrate to Canada?
No. There was no talk about immigration at all. I didn't even know if this was possible. I knew that I had distant relatives somewhere in Canada, so if things got really bad, I could turn to them. In general, we planned to go for a maximum of 6 months, no more.
How did you get a visa to Canada? Did you do everything yourself or use the services of an agency?
Obtaining a visa to Canada was not difficult. The easiest way was to get a visa through the ILAC language school. The point is that you are going to study the language in Canada. You need to pay for school, and you receive a letter of invitation, with which you then send documents to the embassy and receive a visa to Canada. Now regarding the second part of your question, unfortunately we didn't know anything about ILAC or Canada, so we turned to one of the travel agencies for help.
What were the agency's responsibilities? What format did the work take and how much did you pay for the services, if it’s not a secret?
To be honest, I don’t even know how the work went with the preparation and submission of documents to school and for a visa to Canada. All we did was bring our passports and money to the agency office. And after two or three weeks they took me along with visas to Canada. Unfortunately, they paid a lot, somewhere around $4,000.
$4,000 for a visa to Canada and admission to a Canadian language school? Somehow very expensive. What did they offer you that was so unique, an unlimited student visa to Canada?
Yes, it's really very expensive. We realized this when we were already in Canada. This money included: complete paperwork, opening a tourist visa for 6 months and 2 weeks of training at a language school in Canada. As we later found out, for that kind of money it was possible to get a work visa with a contract for 2 years, and not a tourist visa for 6 months. But I’m glad that I managed to get to Canada, although a lot of money was spent.
Note to blog readers: Tuition at a language school costs approximately $300 per week. The minimum training period is 2 weeks. Enrolling in school is very simple - the main thing is to fill out the documents correctly, pay for your studies and write a motivation letter. Then you receive a letter of invitation to study and with this you apply for a visa. After the introduction of new rules, it became possible to enter college immediately after language school, and in many cases without exams at all. Many agencies, especially in the CIS, charge money for assistance in filling out documents for admission to a college or language school in Canada. But there are also accredited specialists and consultants who work absolutely free and who have direct agreements with colleges and universities in Canada. You can find out more about this -.
We were met by the families with whom we were supposed to live while studying at the language school. When you go to study at a language school in Canada, you have the choice of finding accommodation on your own or living with a host family while you attend school. We chose the second one as it was much easier. But according to the rules, two students from the same country cannot live in the same family, so we had different families. And in different areas.
The first days and weeks were all very interesting. Still new city, school, everything is different in general. By the way, you had to go to school and miss as little as possible, otherwise your Canadian visa could be revoked without any problems.
As far as I know, many people go to a language school to make it easier to get a visa to Canada. There are more chances this way. But several students also wrote to me that not everyone is given a 6-month visa if you study at school for only 2 weeks or a month.
Yes, you are right, a lot of students go to a language school just to get a visa to Canada for 6 months. Since not everyone is given a tourist visa, and if they are given, it is not very willing. Whereas, under the pretext of improving English in Canada, the chances of getting a visa are much greater. But there are also cases when at the airport they ask what you will do after graduating from school, this is especially true when you are going to study for 2-4 weeks. In such cases, I advise students not to get confused, but to calmly explain what your future plans are. If you do not do this, the officer himself will decide how long you will stay in the country. Luckily, we were given a visa for 6 months and no one asked anything, although, as I already said, we were going to study in Canada for only 2 weeks.
Note for students: To prevent your stay in Canada from being reduced, it is best to prepare in advance and explain to the officer your plans and actions after training in Canada.
1. A map and a list of places you want to visit in Canada will be enough. If you want to be more convincing, provide hotel reservations in Canada or the USA (many hotels provide reservation confirmations without a single cent of advance payment).
2. The short period of study at a language school in Canada can also be explained by your desire to try to study at other schools. Show a list of other schools or correspondence with one of them where you ask about the cost and curriculum. That is, you need to convince them that you need to spend more time in Canada.
3. Not many students know that a tourist visa in Canada can be extended for another 6 months (6 months of the visa you were given immediately + 6 more when extended). There are almost no refusals to extend a visa.
What did you do after two weeks of school? What were your plans?
Oh, then problems began, a lot and all at the same time. Finding housing in Canada is a real challenge. We were more than confident that this would not be a problem at all in Toronto. We started calling and searching, but as it turned out, in order to find something more or less suitable, you need to start searching at least a month in advance. My friend and I had to move to live in a small basement on the outskirts of the city for $500 a month.
What advice do you have for future tourists and immigrants about finding housing in Canada?
Start looking a month, even two or three before you want to change housing. You can, of course, start looking while still in Ukraine or Russia. In this regard, it is a little more difficult, but it is still possible to find something for the first time in Canada. You are unlikely to find anything good while abroad. But if you know someone or you were able to find a Russian or Ukrainian agent or real estate agency, you are in luck. Be sure to try asking in communities on VKontakte, Facebook, blogs, forums - they will definitely tell you something, and most likely they will give you contacts to whom you can contact about housing for newcomers to Canada. Of course, it is also worth trying such sites as - kijiji, craigslist, viewit, masterpages.
Andrey, tell us how things went with your job search? Have you tried looking for something? Is it generally possible to find a job with only a tourist visa without a work permit? What salary should you expect in Canada without documents?
Wow, a lot of questions. As soon as we moved into our basement, we immediately started looking for work. As it turned out, finding work in Canada without having any permission to do so is quite possible. It's certainly not an office job, but it's still a job. The maximum that can be found is construction, cleaning houses, working in a restaurant, working in a factory or factory, working as a nurse with children or the elderly. And the salaries are quite adequate. In a restaurant, in a factory or as a nurse you can earn anywhere from $9-15/hour, in house cleaning from $11-15/hour, in construction from $12-20, it all depends on your skills and abilities.
You can start your job search from the same kijiji site. If there's nothing there, try searching in free local newspapers. There are such newspapers in almost all big and small cities of Canada in the metro, on bus stops, in shops and supermarkets. Toronto is full of these newspapers: in English, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish and other languages.
Since my friend and I were together everywhere, we wanted to work together. The first thing we found was cleaning large houses. We worked there for several weeks. Nothing complicated, the bosses drove us to the site, we cleaned it up, and then they took us back, or they drove themselves if it wasn’t far. We were paid on average $12 per hour.
Then they found a job at a construction site. Since the salary is better there and there are many hours, you can earn something and save something. At the construction site, of course, they worked as assistants, since no one had much experience. Then, in addition to construction work, we got a job as waiters in a Ukrainian restaurant and worked there on weekends. In Toronto, in general, there are a lot of Ukrainian and Russian restaurants and banquet halls, where you can work for cash and earn very good money. Another very big plus of this type of work is that you can eat and bring something home. Sometimes there were such weekends at the restaurant that they brought home so much that it was enough to feed us for almost another week.
Did you even find time to rest? Or is vacation expensive?
No, of course, we rested, walked and worked. We managed to get everything done, although sometimes there were weeks where we worked all 7 days without rest. On such days we walked and relaxed after work. I won’t say that vacationing here is expensive. Let me just say, if you work, you can afford to relax. Many people have the impression that Canada is a country of immigrant robots who work 24/7. By the way, many people work like this, especially in the first years of their stay in the country.
What about legalization and obtaining documents? When did you start thinking about immigrating to Canada?
Of course, there were thoughts about this, but we didn’t do anything about it, and weren’t particularly interested. But everything changed when we worked at a restaurant in Toronto. We then got on well with the owner of the restaurant - she was very pleasant, sweet and kind woman. She really wanted us to stay in Canada and tried to help us somehow. I even found out about the account work visa in Canada for us to hire us officially in a restaurant to work. Unfortunately, this option was almost unrealistic in big city and especially for a job like a waiter in a restaurant.
Note to readers: In big cities it is very difficult to get a job offer, as the government requires the employer to make every effort to hire a Canadian. If the employer proves that he could not find a worker, only then will he be able to hire a worker from abroad (LMO or LMIA). In small towns and remote provinces everything is much simpler and there you can actually get a job offer in Canada. You can get a job offer in a big city if you have a highly specialized profession, and this is provided that Canada needs such specialists. If you have a working profession and at least average knowledge English language, you can assess your chances of employment in Canada and further immigration and obtaining permanent residence for free.
And then, one guy advised me to try to immigrate by obtaining refugee status in Canada. We didn’t know then that this was even possible. This was the most turning point in my life and in the life of my friend. The man had already worked for a long time in the restaurant where we got a job and the owner of the restaurant knew him well, so we were quickly convinced that refugee was a quick and easy process. good option immigration. He told us everything beautifully, said that he has a lawyer he knows who has been successfully dealing with immigration cases for a long time and his success rate is somewhere around 90%. By the way, he immediately told us that it would cost approximately $4,000 - 5,000 for each. This, of course, was a lot of money for us, but the stories about quickly obtaining permanent residence quickly convinced us and we agreed.
What refugee status are we talking about? And in general, what type of refugee is the easiest to immigrate under, or rather to obtain permanent residence in Canada?
There is no type of refugee through which it is possible to obtain permanent residence faster, easier and more reliably. In Canada, the easiest way to obtain refugee status is when you have strong evidence that there is a real threat to your life in your homeland. In my situation with my friend, the easiest way was to collect evidence and apply for refugee status as gays (homosexuals) who fled Ukraine and are seeking protection in Canada. A lawyer helps you compose and write your refugee history, and also advises on what documents and evidence you need to present for the court. Refugee is a very difficult option for immigrating to Canada, it's like a lottery. It all depends: 1) on you, how much you are willing to risk to do this, and 2) on the judge, how much he will believe in your story.
Is there any difference at all between what type of refugee process to go through and obtain permanent residence in Canada? What are the risks with this type of immigration to Canada? What risks do you face if you lose the case for refugee status in Canada?
The type or type of refugee status in Canada is not particularly important and does not particularly affect anything. Everyone has their own individual story, the story of life and the events that happened to you. In a matter such as refugee, everything is completely individual; there cannot be any templates, instructions, algorithms or action plans that can guarantee you successful completion of the case and quick permanent residence in Canada.
If you fail the trial, then you are in no danger. You will be asked to leave the country in a specific order. You cannot remain illegally after a failed trial, otherwise you will be put on the wanted list throughout Canada. You can come here on a tourist visa, and then live illegally for the rest of your life. But here, any violation is serious. The Immigration and Refugee Board is an international organization that works with refugees around the world. If you surrendered in Canada as a gay man, and then went to another country and surrendered as a religious or political refugee, then this will not work. You may also end up behind bars.
What to expect from your first meeting with a refugee lawyer? How did it all start?
We just went to a meeting with the lawyer and his assistant. As it turned out, the lawyer is Canadian and speaks only English, but his assistant speaks Russian and Ukrainian.
Note to reader: In Canada, it is a very popular practice for a lawyer to have several assistants who speak English. different languages, thereby attracting large number clients with different countries. Therefore, it is often recommended to work with Canadian lawyers who have everything required licenses and permits, and which work without intermediaries. In the CIS countries, usually such legal firms are intermediaries, and sometimes just small lawyers who have never done or conducted such cases, but simply want to earn extra money. If you need free professional legal advice in Canada, use this form.
It all started with a free consultation and short story how it all works and how it will happen, as well as what results to expect. We were promised a lot of things and of course we hoped for a positive outcome of our immigration case.
My friend and I also decided to implement an almost win-win plan for obtaining permanent residence in Canada. We decided: first we file two separate refugee cases, and if one of us loses in court, then we simply marry each other and both automatically receive permanent residence in Canada (this is a completely normal practice and there is nothing illegal here).
Probably, some of our readers are encountering immigration to Canada for the first time through obtaining refugee status. Andrey, tell us in a nutshell how and what this process consists of. Many people are now asking how to become a refugee in Canada if you are from Ukraine or Russia and are still there?
To obtain refugee status in Canada, you need to get to Canada by any means. I repeat, you need to be present on the territory of Canada, and not at the consulate, and not at the embassy. If one of your readers is located in Ukraine, Russia or any other country and dreams of becoming a refugee remotely, then this will remain their dream. Once your plane lands in Canada, you have 2 options:
Give up right at the airport and immediately ask for refugee status. This is an option for those who do not have money for a lawyer. At the airport, tell the officer who will check your passport that you want to surrender as a refugee. You will need to explain that you cannot return to your country because there is a threat to your life there. After this, you will be interrogated, questioned, etc. for a long time. Next, you will probably fill out some paperwork, they will take your passport and tell you what to do. They usually say that everything further instructions will arrive by mail. I personally have not tried this option and I do not know a single refugee who would obtain permanent residence in Canada in this way, that is, on their own, without any help.
Option to obtain refugee status with the help of a lawyer in Canada. In this option, you need to calmly and peacefully leave the airport, not tell or admit anything to anyone. Next, you will need to look for a good lawyer, compile the whole story and collect documents and evidence. Of course, we need very good and weighty facts and evidence. I recommend this option, since it is almost impossible to do something on your own in such a complex matter, especially if you do not have perfect English.
In order to successfully and successfully go through the refugee process in Canada, you need to understand and present the following evidence and facts:
Collect evidence that the home country violate/have violated your human rights.
Provide evidence that all of the above-mentioned violations posed a threat to your life and/or the lives of your loved ones.
Provide evidence that there have been appeals or attempts to contact law enforcement agencies.
Evidence that appeals to law enforcement did not bring any results.
Evidence that the threat to life is constant and that this is not a temporary phenomenon.
It is necessary to prove that there were attempts to change the place of residence or evidence that such a change would not help eliminate the threat to life.
If you quickly found a lawyer, drew up and filled out all the documents, then in about 45 days you will have a trial. The Refugee and Immigrant Court will review your entire case and issue a verdict. They will either believe you and give you permanent residence in Canada, or they will say that you have not convinced the court that you really need refugee status and will be ordered to leave the country.
Is there any way to prepare documents or evidence in advance to quickly obtain refugee status in Canada? I mean even before leaving, in your homeland?
I’m not sure about the documents, since the entire history and documents are prepared by a lawyer. But if you bring something with you, it will only be a plus, even if it is a photo, newspaper clippings, certificates, statements. It is not possible to prepare 100%, and in principle it is not necessary. Unfortunately, it’s not like with the federal immigration program or with a study visa, when you went to the site, you found everything necessary documents, filled them out and sent them to the Canadian Embassy.
Everything I’m describing now happened back in 2011. The process of obtaining refugee status was a little different back then. According to the old rules, we then had more time to prepare and collect evidence (now about 45 days). Therefore, perhaps now it makes sense to prepare at least some evidence in advance, even before arriving in Canada. Unfortunately, the option of calling and asking a lawyer what documents I should take with me to obtain refugee status and permanent residence in Canada does not work. None of them want to talk to you until you come into their office.
Okay, let's take your example of refugees in Canada. What documents and certificates did you make for your story?
Personally, I prepared the following documents:
A certificate from the police stating that I contacted them with a statement about a robbery attack on me. It is also good to indicate how many such requests or statements you have received, the more the better.
A piece of paper stating that your applications and appeals were not properly considered or were completely ignored.
A doctor's certificate indicating that you have suffered serious beatings, fractures, concussions or other injuries.
Help from a psychologist.
Photos showing injuries and beatings.
A friend had a similar set of papers. The main thing is that all dates and events in the papers coincide with your testimony and history.
It turns out that to successfully immigrate to Canada through obtaining refugee status, you need good evidence and facts? Is it possible without this?
Without evidence, it is unrealistically difficult to prove anything in a refugee case. Everything must be properly formatted and compiled. In our case it was exactly like this:
1 History.
2 Evidence, facts and arguments.
3 Correctly executed and submitted documents.
Okay, you have submitted all the papers and evidence, what next, how long do you have to wait for the trial?
According to the old rules, the wait for a trial usually took 1 - 2 years. In our case, we waited two whole years. After completing and submitting all the documents, we were given:
1 Temporary work permit (valid for about 2-3 years).
2 Refugee certificate. With it you can receive free medical care and other benefits of Canada.
We had everything necessary documents to live normally, work and await trial. We could also receive a government benefit of about $600 per month (Ontario) if we didn't find a job or didn't want to work. But we couldn’t study, I’m talking about college. The language courses were completely free for us. This is how we lived.
Did they check you somehow? Did you ask for additional evidence that you are homosexuals and the like?
In our case, no one checked us and no one followed us. Although the lawyer warned that this was possible. We were told that government officials could ask our neighbors about us and the like. We lived only together with a friend, quietly and calmly, so that no one would bother us.
Also, the lawyer advised us to go to a gay meeting once a week. It's like psychological support for refugees. These meetings are important because they give you a card or piece of paper that you attended them and were an active member of the group, and this is another proof. There we met guys like us who immigrated to Canada using the same scheme. We also had to volunteer at the annual gay parade in Toronto. We worked there for two years in a row. There they also give a piece of paper to volunteer participants. We also had to take a lot of pictures in different gay clubs. To, if something happens, show additional evidence in court. And not one or two photos, but as many as possible to convince the judge that we are there regularly.
And that you actually visited gay clubs?
Yes, we took a lot of photos. We also had to know the popular gay clubs and their hangouts. The lawyer told us a situation when the judge asked where the toilet was in a particular club. And if you can’t answer, then everything can end very badly.
How was your life before the trial? As I understand it, it was about 2 years. What did you do, what did you do?
As I told you before, we worked cleaning houses and offices, construction sites and in restaurants. After submitting the documents, the lawyer advised me to find an official job. This was necessary to show that I work, pay taxes, that in general I am a promising resident for Canada and can take care of myself and do without government help.
My first official work I was at a local fast food restaurant. After working there for several months, I went to work at a furniture factory, where they paid more and in cash (not officially). He also applied for a state benefit in the amount of $600 per month. In the end, it turned out to be very good money. Then he left the factory and went to work at a construction site in big company, where they paid even more. I still work there to this day (also unofficially).
What is the attitude of employers towards refugees in Canada?
Here no one knows that you are a refugee and therefore everyone is treated the same. Also, no one knew that I was a gay refugee awaiting trial. And so on in all immigration cases and in general with all personal information. Without your permission, no one here will know anything about you.
Let's move on to the trial, otherwise we're taking a long time. When does the invitation to the trial arrive? How should you prepare for this?
The invitation arrives about two weeks before the trial. During these two weeks, it is worth fully learning the entire history of your refugee and all the dates. All this will be asked 100%. They may ask you about dates several times during the trial, expecting you to make at least one mistake.
Let's talk about the trial now. How did it go? What did they ask? How long did this all last?
My friend went to court first. My trial was scheduled 2 weeks after his (it was December 2013). The whole process took about 4 hours with two short breaks. I was asked everything from A to Z about history. It was possible to use the services of an interpreter in the courtroom, but I refused and answered all the questions myself.
In one police report, I had a discrepancy between the dates and the history (thanks to the lawyer’s assistant who allowed this to happen). I hoped they wouldn’t ask, but they did notice and asked why different dates. We had to blame everything on our unorganized police officers, that they did and wrote all the papers in one place, and somehow it got carried away.
The judge asked a lot about Ukraine, why he didn’t move, why he didn’t change his place of residence in order to avoid threats to his life. I blamed everything on corruption, on the irresponsibility of the authorities and law enforcement agencies. He said that there was a threat to life in every corner of the country.
When they started talking about me and how I was beaten and beaten, I began to speak more slowly, breathe unsteadily and shed a tear (long training sessions at home in front of the mirror helped). The judge even asked if I was okay and if I wanted to take a break. I remember I replied that everything was fine and I could continue. After this moment, I began to feel that the judge was on my side. At the end of the whole process, she (the judge) told me not to worry and that everything would be fine and I would soon receive an answer about the decision.
How long did you wait for a response? Have you been worried all this time? How was your friend's trial?
No, I wasn’t particularly worried. My lawyer said that everything went well and that I would definitely receive a positive answer. Things weren't so positive for my friend. He came across the worst judge, from whom it is almost impossible to get this very positive answer. The answers started coming only after about three months. First to my friend with a refusal, and two weeks later to me. I won the trial.
Why was your friend rejected? And in general, what should you do when you receive a refusal to obtain refugee status in Canada? What are the options?
The refusal and the reason for the refusal to obtain refugee status in Canada came to him in a 20-page letter. IN general outline it was written that he did not convince the judge that he needed refugee status. The letter also notified him that he has 10 or 15 days to file an appeal, otherwise his case will be considered closed and the process of deportation will begin. It turns out that my friend spent about $5,000 on a lawyer and was refused. Thank God, in 2 years he earned much more in Canada than he spent.
What to do in a situation when your refugee claim is rejected? Are there any other chances to stay and get permanent residence?
1. File an appeal. In this case, the previous court decision will be annulled and a new court hearing will be scheduled. The cost of the appeal is somewhere around $6,000 + a new hearing from $4,000 - 6,000 (this is the price of a lawyer). Bottom line: $12,000 and no guarantee that you won’t be rejected at any of these stages.
2. Fictitious marriage. In this case, if everything is done correctly, then the guarantee of obtaining permanent residence in Canada is almost 100%. The asking price is from $10,000 - 25,000.
Unfortunately, the friend did not use any of the options. Besides the appeal, he had an option - a fictitious marriage with an unrealistically low price of only $10,000, and he refused. He said that he was tired of Canada, tired of waiting, tired of living for 2 years waiting for a trial and did not want to wait for a new one. He said that he decided to return home to Ukraine. A month after the court decision, he was asked to leave the country, otherwise he would be put on the wanted list. He's back.
No, I will receive the documents only a year after I win the trial. In general, everything is fine with me and I am happy that I am in Canada. I still work at a construction site, I plan to go to study, I’m now thinking about college or courses. I am very glad that I was able to stay in Canada and I hope my story will help someone draw the right conclusions.
If I had known earlier how difficult and exhausting my process of immigrating to Canada through refugee would be, I would never have started this. It is much easier, safer and calmer to immigrate to Canada through training. And according to the time frame, it turns out the same thing, but in the end you have an education and a 100% chance of getting permanent residence. Immigrating to Canada through refugee is a lottery, so the choice is yours.
This story was told to me by a fellow traveler, with whom we had to travel for two hours in the same carriage of the Helsinki-Tampere train. Story young man sincerely touched my soul, and I decided that his story would be interesting to my friends, to you, my readers.
Summer that year in Finland was not very warm. The first two months were cold, the temperature did not exceed fifteen degrees. It seemed that real summer would never come, but that there would be constant autumn.
On one of these days, as always, I woke up early. After making coffee, I sat down at the computer to check my email. Suddenly the phone rang.
Tanyusha, hello! How are you doing? - I heard the cheerful voice of my friend Tatyana from Tampere.
Hello, dear, good to hear from you. I'm fine, thank you! - I answered.
What are you planning to do today? - my friend asked.
There are no special plans. I’m thinking of taking a break, I’m starting to get tired of the car, and my blood pressure is going up.
Well, then get on the train and come visit me. The weather is so beautiful! The sun has finally come out! - Tatyana was happy.
Yes, well! I don’t really want to go on the road, and your Yucca is at home! - I answered.
Tanya, don’t think too long! - the friend insisted. - Jukka went to Hyvinka to visit his parents and will return on Sunday evening.
Fine! – I agreed. - I'll go by train, take a break from the car.
I quickly threw the essentials into my bag and hurried to the Helsinki train station. The morning sun was warm, which means the day will be warm. Joy settled in my soul.
There weren't many people at the cash register. With the ticket in my hands, I hurried to the carriage.
Two hours on the road will fly by quickly! It's good that no one is sitting next to me! - I thought, sitting down by the window.
The train started moving. Suddenly the vestibule door swung open and a tall, dark-skinned guy with black, burning eyes entered the carriage. He was looking for the seat indicated on the ticket.
Now he will sit next to me. – I suggested.
And sure enough, having greeted me, he sat down next to me.
We drove in silence for some time.
The sound of wheels always reminds me of my Motherland. These memories make me sad and melancholy.
I wouldn't cry. - I thought this time. - We need to somehow distract ourselves from the touching memories.
To my surprise, my fellow traveler, as if sensing my tearful mood, said:
Hello!
Hello, hello! – I answered.
Are you Russian?
Yes! What, is this written on me? - I asked the guy incredulously.
Yes! You can immediately see that Russians are not like Finnish women.
I didn’t want to draw attention to this, muttering something in response to him with a slight smile on my face, I was lost in my thoughts.
How long have you been living in Finland? - the fellow traveler did not lag behind.
Yes, a long time ago! Where are you from? - I asked.
I'm a refugee. From Kurdistan, from Iraq. I've been living here for five years.
I looked interestedly into his sad, childishly kind eyes.
I'm already over thirty. - this dark guy shared with me, challenging me to talk. - I work and live here.
What about family? - I asked.
The family is there in Kurdistan. I haven’t seen any of my relatives for five years.
How did you get here?
My name is Shamal. - The fellow traveler extended his hand and introduced himself.
Tatiana! Very nice! - I answered affably.
The guy spoke Finnish well.
I am Kurdish, born in Iraq. My parents, five brothers and four sisters remained there, in their homeland.
You're bored, I see?
Yes, I miss you very much!
Meanwhile, the train was rushing at great speed. Small stations flew by one after another, and between them floated well-groomed fields in the form of multi-colored squares: yellow rapeseed, golden wheat, pink buckwheat. Finnish houses with red and white roofs were buried in flowers. Cleanliness and orderliness reigned everywhere. I couldn’t help but think that such order once existed in my homeland, in my little Ninovka. My heart ached with resentment, tears rolled up into my throat...
Somewhere in the depths of my soul, I realized that I needed to listen to the story of my fellow traveler in order to distract myself.
Having sat down comfortably, I plunged into the world that this dark-eyed, modest guy told me about.
We lived in a suburb of the city of Mosul in Kurdistan. I was the middle child in the family. I was often photographed because everyone thought I was... beautiful child. - he said, smiling. - In the mornings it was very difficult for me to wake up, this habit still interferes with my life, I am late everywhere. My mother came up to me and woke me up:
Wake up, my son! Wake up, my darling!
These warm memories made his voice tremble slightly. After a short silence, he continued:
I was surrounded by the love and care of my parents. Every morning, on a beautiful carpet, my mother laid out a tablecloth and served a simple breakfast: cheese, eggs, yoghurts and lavash bread, which she managed to bake for breakfast.
I realized that this guy is from good family, because his memories of his parents are filled with tenderness and love.
The morning coolness gradually dissolved, giving way to the long-awaited summer warmth.
In summer it is very hot here, not like here in Finland. - he continued, smiling thoughtfully. - The family was large, there was not enough money, they lived poorly. I went to school until my shoes wore out. When the teacher, noticing this, gave me shoes, I stopped going to classes out of shame, it depressed me.
As a child, in order to somehow help his family, he sold ripe pomegranates, cold water and cotton candy. Running through the small streets of the small town from house to house, I shouted as much as I could:
Hanar! Hanar for one dinar! (Hanar is a pomegranate.)
People looked out of the windows and, smiling, bought my goods, and the children ran after me for a long time, accompanying me with cheerful laughter! It was fun! Cold water purchased more often than other products. So I tried to help my parents.
Years passed, I grew up, and one day, running past the gate of a rich house, I noticed a girl of extraordinary beauty. She also drew attention to me. We stood for a long time and silently looked at each other, I didn’t want to leave. Suddenly she became embarrassed and hid behind the fence. I started visiting their house more often. From friends I learned that her name is Pari.
Which beautiful name! - I thought. - As beautiful as this girl.
And in the evening he put on a nice shirt and went to her house. For a while we were able to look at each other from a distance, but soon she was forbidden to see me.
My mother, noticing my condition, was worried about me, saying:
Son, you are still young! We are poor, you are not a match for her.
Since then, pain has settled in my heart. She was soon married off. I decided to go to Europe.
Everyone in the family cried for a long time, they didn’t want to let me go,
There is little money, and the path is not easy. - they dissuaded.
But, apparently, my goal and youth overcame my fear of future challenges. My parents were reassured by the fact that I was not leaving alone. Five more of my friends decided to try their luck.
We quickly got to Turkey by bus, where we lived for a week, looking for an opportunity to cross to Europe. Finally, we got lucky. We took a small boat to Greece. The boat was crowded with people. We were strictly ordered to sit quietly and not make noise under any circumstances. Even if something unexpected happens, we must remain silent, otherwise the boat will be overturned and we will all go to the bottom!
There was salty, oily water all around. I couldn’t swim, so I couldn’t stop praying out of fear. Everyone who was next to me whispered prayers. Allah protected us, and two hours later we reached the shores of Greece.
Longing for home, but the desire to live as a full-fledged person in a civilized country instilled confidence. I decided to boldly meet fate halfway, no matter what.
North of Greece! For three months I worked illegally, selling shoes in the afternoon. The police often raided us, and we ran away, leaving the goods behind. I tried many times to cross to Italy, but the police turned me back.
But one day I got lucky. I climbed under a large cargo truck, found a place to hold myself in the position of a baby in the womb, and froze. The car started moving. No one found me or brought me back. I lay in one position for many hours, then I managed to roll over to the other side. The car was rushing at crazy speed, and I looked warily at the asphalt, which floated beneath me like a dark ribbon, and read prayers.
Finally, the car stopped, I heard an unfamiliar speech and guessed that this was Italy. Having got out from under the car, I saw many of the same trucks on the site. The drivers stood nearby and talked. Suddenly there was silence. They all looked at me with surprised eyes, and then laughed for a long time. My face and clothes were black with soot. This was the reason for the cheerful laughter of the drivers.
For some time my companion fell silent.
In Italy I ran out of money and was hungry. Some family helped me, they gave me clean clothes and some food. I understood that no one would feed me all the time! What to do? I looked for caterpillars and ate them. These caterpillars turned out to be inedible. I remember being picked up half-dead by an ambulance. I spent a week in the hospital, and when I came out, I found refugees like me. Together we crossed to France, from France to Sweden. In Sweden we were arrested. By this time I was weakened, my condition was worsening, a doctor was called. Fortunately, after an examination based on the doctor's opinion, I was allowed to stay in Sweden.
My ultimate goal was still Finland. Having taken the ferry to Helsinki, I set foot on Finnish soil and was immediately arrested by the police. I was sent to a hotel for refugees.
You've probably heard about this Metsala district in Helsinki? – my fellow traveler turned to me. - They checked me for ten months. The police refused to obtain status many times, but for my exemplary behavior, desire to study and work, I managed to get good characterization and residence status in Finland.
The story of this tall, fragile guy made me worry. I tried on everything he had experienced. I respected him, admired him and thought:
Lord, thank you for this meeting, for this acquaintance.
And the guy, silently, looked through the train window at the beauty of this little northern country.
A light sigh seemed to suggest that now he was sad about the one native beauty which I had to leave.
My soul shrank into a ball from empathy and from powerlessness before the cruel laws of life.
The train arrives at Tampere station...
I wished this strong guy angel on the way, the kind eyes of a man who managed not to become bitter and maintain decency and good-heartedness looked at me in response.
My friend Tatyana met me on the platform. We hugged. She quickly laid out all her news. But I couldn’t concentrate and walked in silence for a long time. The friend, noticing this, asked carefully:
Tanya, what happened? In the morning you were in a completely different mood.
I tried to briefly retell to her the touching story of my travel companion. To my surprise, my friend reacted dryly and with hostility:
Tanya, what are you doing? Look how many of them, these refugees, are coming out of every hole...
It was very painful for me to hear this.
Where is our humanity? When did we become hardened? Perhaps for this reason in lately Are we haunted by endless troubles and disasters?