"THE BEST MOMENT WAS WHEN WE STOPPED PORTUGUESE TERRITORY. WE EVEN FELT THE DIFFERENCE IN THE AIR! A DOOR OF HOPE HAS OPENED AND WE ARE VERY HOPEFUL FOR THE FUTURE."
HUSSEIN
Portugal
Miriam and Hussein fled Iraq with their young son. They managed to take refuge in Turkey, hoping that their lives would improve, but they quickly realized that the dream of rebuilding their lives in peace and security was still far from happening. They remained in Türkiye for 9 years, waiting for a solution. "It was as if we were in prison" explains Hussein. Meanwhile, they had a daughter and the desire to live in an environment that could guarantee everyone's safety and happiness grew.
"THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GROUP IS VERY GOOD. IT'S SIMPLE AND EASY. WE ALREADY HAVE A FRIENDLY RELATIONSHIP WITH SOME ELEMENTS OF THE SPONSOR GROUP"
When they received the call saying they were coming to Portugal, they couldn't believe it. "You cannot imagine, after 9 years of waiting and anxiety, 9 years with its minutes, hours and weeks, we even transmit this anxiety to the little ones, we will never forget these moments. For my part, I offer my gratitude, because of this I will never forget", says an emotional Hussein.
The family joined the resettlement program to be placed in Portugal and was selected to be welcomed through the community sponsorship program. ComUnidade did the matching with the Chaves Acolhe group, putting both parties in contact before the family arrived.
When the family arrived, some members of the sponsoring group were waiting for them at the airport to take them to their new home. They slept the whole way, as they had been traveling for over 30 hours! But tiredness didn't stop them from exploding with joy when they finally arrived and were greeted by a group of smiling people.
They really like living in Chaves, especially being close to nature and the river. They really like the local people, who they say are joyful, extroverted and peaceful and they feel very safe. Adaptation has been a calm journey, despite the first week being more intense.
They feel that there are many differences at a cultural level but that all the locals make an effort to understand them and make themselves understood and that with the help of the group everything becomes easier. Before they had many fears and lacked emotional stability, but with the continuous support given by the ComUnidade team and the group, they are now feeling well psychologically and prepared for the future.
Miriam has already found work in a local service and Hussein is getting his driving license, they have already signed up for professional courses and are waiting for a response so they can start classes. The children are well integrated into the school and are taking music classes. They feel they are on the right path, despite the biggest difficulties being the language. Therefore, they are taking Portuguese classes twice a week, plus informal classes given by a member of the group.
Now, they feel 70% integrated, despite still being at the beginning of this adventure. They want to contribute, be active members of society and leave their mark. "Portugal is a homeland for us, so it is imperative to have goals and be effective members of society" says Miriam. In the future, they would like the relationship with the group to continue even after the program ends, because as Hussein says "we are alone, we have no family or friends and they are the only ones we have".
*For security and privacy reasons, the names of family members have been changed.