Personal stories

Zohre Esmaeli: The meaning of life in exile

The Afghan born fashion model and entrepreneur Zohre Esmaeli was this year’s guest speaker at the "Days of Exile" event hosted by the Körber-Stiftung, a foundation based in Hamburg, Germany.

Franck's story: 'I was granted refugee status but I'm still stuck in this camp'

Franck and his wife, originally from the DRC, were granted refugee status in Greece on March 1. Yet, due to a lack of work and integration, the family is still stuck in the camp on the Greek island of Samos, with no prospects for the future. "We feel we have been abandoned to our sad fate," says Franck.

Maher's story: Stuck in a German bureaucratic maze

Maher is a journalist. He and his family are originally from Iraq. Maher has waited nearly 16 months for his asylum case to be decided. With no permission to work and no access to education for his four daughters, he is currently on hunger strike in a reception center in Germany. He hopes that this will speed up a transfer and a decision.

Afghan migrant, charged with endangering his son's life in Greece, speaks out

A 25-year-old Afghan man, father to a five-year-old child who died in November in an attempt to reach the Greek island of Samos from Turkey by boat, has spoken out about being charged with endangering his son's life by the Greek authorities and why he is bringing a counter-case against the Greek coast guard.

Forced back to Syria by Turkish police: Anas' story

Rights groups say that since 2016, the Turkish government has forced hundreds of Syrians into signing voluntary return documents and has sent them back to Syria. The practice is known as refoulement and is illegal under international law. Anas Al Mustafa is one of those returned. Here is his story.

Mother Mechthild: 'I am not a criminal'

Mother Mechthild, the German nun who offers church asylum to migrants in the German state of Bavaria, is about to go on trial, for doing just that. She spoke to a local newspaper on Monday, Mittelbayerische Zeitung, about her work.

'We were lost, knee-deep in snow': Paul's overnight journey across the Alps

24-year-old Paul hails from Cameroon. On the night of February 3, 2021, he made his second attempt to cross the Alps into France from neighbouring Italy with a group of four other people. He tells InfoMigrants his story.

'When you enter Romania, you are a dead man walking': Adama recounts the violence perpetrated by Romanian police officers

Adama* contacted InfoMigrants to talk about what he experienced on arrival in Romania. Beaten and humiliated by Romanian police after crossing the border from Serbia, the 36-year-old Malian is still traumatized by the violence he suffered.

'Living in a hotel is terrifying': Fatima, a former unaccompanied foreign minor, spent more than a year in hotel rooms

In January, the French state secretary for children and families announced a future "ban on the placement of children in hotels". The vast majority of young people placed in hotels by the child welfare agency are unaccompanied foreign minors. Fatima*, now an adult, remembers her time being moved from hotel to hotel. This is her story.

Ali, 16: 'At night, I need to keep walking to stop my feet from freezing'

16-year-old Ali comes from Guinea Conakry. He arrived in Paris a few weeks ago and is still trying to get officially registered as a minor. Without a support network or anyone to take care of him, this teenager is struggling to cope. It's especially hard for him to find accommodation, at a time when temperatures are getting colder.

Abdullah Sabra's story: The boy who went to sea

Abdullah Sabra was just 14 when he was sent to sea by his father. After nearly a decade spent working on merchant vessels, he reached a point where he knew he needed to leave the ship. His passage to asylum in Europe however was different from most. Now in Germany, he is hoping to return to sea to help other refugees from the decks of the Sea-Watch.

A Nigerian rider in Rome: James Osawe's story

The coronavirus pandemic has brought challenges for people and countries all over the world. Some businesses however grew during the lockdowns – food delivery services is one example. Nigerian migrant James Osawe is one of Rome’s thousands of delivery riders. German TV channel ZDF accompanied him on a shift in Rome.