The syrian Hassan Al Kontar has lived for seven months at the international airport of Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). I slept on the floor and was fed with food given by the workers of the airlines. Two months more were spent in a detention centre for foreigners in that city. Last November 26, The Kontar landed in Vancouver. Her nightmare ended when the canadian Government granted him refugee status and permanent residence. “Didn’t think so until I got the boarding pass,” said the chain CBC a few meters from the door of the international arrivals of the north american city. “For the moment, I need a long hot shower. I do not want more airports,” he said with relief, after having left behind his particular labyrinth.
So we can tell your story | A syrian man “trapped” in an airport of Malaysia
The history of Al Kontar, a 37-year-old, reminiscent to that of Mehran Karimi Nasser, the iranian who lived 18 years in the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris and inspired two films: Fallen from heaven (1993), the French filmmaker Philippe Lioret, and The Terminal (2004), directed by Steven Spielberg, and with Tom Hanks as the protagonist. However, the calvary of the sirius keeps more similarities in time and circumstances with that of Zahra Kamalfar and her two children, who fled Iran in 2006 —by persecution for political and religious— and fell into a legal limbo for 10 months at the international airport Sheremétiveo of Moscow, until they also obtained refuge in Canada.
But there is something different in the history of The Kontar: the internet. Social networks have been your speaker, and your exhaust valve. From the airport, which was his home for more than 200 days narrated their efforts to achieve a visa, condemned the fighting in Syria and expressed his sadness at not being able to see his family, which was not for several years. For example, in August, shared with his followers the disgust that I felt for not having been able to attend the wedding of his brother. But, in addition, showed that the sense of humour is necessary even in the worst of times, and threw of irony and shared situations amusing. “Take care of my garden is one of my daily habits,” published next to a photograph where he was cleaning the leaves of two plants next to a window Perabet on the aerodrome. He also shared other messages by knitting a scarf in a boarding room and a workout in one of the hallways.
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When Kontar was born in Sweida, a city of syria near the border with Jordan. Left his country to the Uae in 2006 to work in an insurance firm. Your passport expired in 2012, but was not able to renew it because he had not completed the military service. The syrian conflict had broken out a year ago and The Kontar did not want to return to Damascus, as he feared he would be obliged to integrate the ranks of the army or be arrested by the authorities for their refusal to take up arms. To be a druze, a religious minority, nor are you going to help a lot, since these have been the target of attacks by the extremist factions.
The situation became irregular in the United Arab Emirates due to the lack of papers. And so it was that in 2016, was arrested and deported to Malaysia, because this country does not require visa to citizens of Syria. In that country granted him a temporary permit of stay of three months. He tried to travel to Turkey and Cambodia, without success. And it was then when it was varied during seven months at the airport malaysian. Finally, he asked to be accepted as a refugee in Canada.
In his adventure were the determining factors in the Association of Muslims of British Columbia and the organization Canada Caring. “We heard on the social networks and we decided to sponsor your request. We have helped so far to 75 syrians. We have many requests, but there are quotas very specific to these cases,” he says via telephone to this newspaper, Shawkat Hasan, vice-president of social services Association of Muslims.
on 1 October, was transferred to a detention centre for foreigners in an irregular situation. Didn’t know if it would be forced to return to their country. After the approval of the canadian authorities, Hassan Al Kontar was transferred back to the airport of Kuala Lumpur, but this time for a plane to board. “I’m already in Taiwan. Tomorrow I will arrive at my final destination in Vancouver, Canada”, expressed with joy in a video released on its Twitter account.
And so it was as the 26th of November, this syrian, 37 years old, is a resident of an airport for seven months, and refugee hopeful stepped on soil canadian. Of time, it will reside in the home of Laurie Cooper, one of the volunteers from Canada Caring, in Whistler, about 120 kilometres from Vancouver. Has already received a job offer from a hotel of the town, internationally known for its facilities for the practice of winter sports.
After her desperate adventure may not feel like stepping on to an airport in years.
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