“My husband left Syria for Germany a year ago. My children and I left Damascus in February 2016, planning to cross over into Turkey, then to Greece and ultimately arrive in Germany. That’s what we were told… I took some cash and jewelry with me which my in-laws gave me. We were a group of women and children. After crossing the border, the smugglers took our bags and with them some of our money and important papers. I walked
for three days with my youngest daughter on my back so we wouldn’t cause any delays….Once we crossed over into Turkey, as we were walking in the mountains, we were attacked by a group of men…we were ordered to take off our clothes and they took the remaining cash and jewelry we had hidden in our clothes…they threw our clothes in front of us and we put them on again leaving us with nothing. We reached the shores of Turkey, from there to Chios, then Athens, Idomeni, Katerini, the refugee camp and now in a house, you have taken us in…we have a house with a door that locks, a key! You have given us provisions, food, we can cook and have meals like a family, you treat us with dignity…We have a life again!”