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| Its been 11 years since the last time I saw my son. |
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| I cant wait to hold him in my arms again! |
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| Hamide is taking out her phone and proudly shows photos of her son who lives in Finland, where she and her husband, Fawzi, will soon relocate. |
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| Her face lights up as she talks about her son and Fawzi shares her joy and pride: Our boy left Syria to work in Europe when he was just 17 years old. |
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| He lives in Finland for 6 years now, where he works as an interpreter and hes engaged with a Finnish girl. |
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| It was the first thing I told during the first interview of the relocation procedure! |
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| I need to go to Finland! |
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| says Hamide. |
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| I have three daughters, too. |
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| One of them is with her family on the island of Chios. |
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| The other two are still in Afrin, our hometown in Syria. |
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| I hope they will be able to make it safely to Europe… she adds with a tone of sadness in her voice. |
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| Fawzi recounts the couples journey from Syria: we arrived in Greece on February 20, 2016. |
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| From Chios we went to Athens and then straight to Idomeni, but we arrived too late, the borders had already closed. |
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| We have seen bad things happening at the camp there… after about a month we got back to Athens and started the relocation procedure. |
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| At first, we stayed in a squat in central Athens and then we moved to a wonderful hotel in Nea Makri. |
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| It was so nice there, so cosy. |
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| You know, Greeks have been really supportive and helpful. |
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| They understand. |
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| I have worked very hard all my life, Ive worked in hospitals, in cafes, you name it, Ive done everything to bring my children up, and Hamide, too. |
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| Even now, we have crossed the sea and fields and mountains, we have endured so many hardships just to see our boy again. |
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| Hamide nods approvingly: I wish that my girls, too, will eventually join us in Finland so that we can be all together again. |