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Name	Dario
Gender	male
Country of Origin	Luxembourg
Destination Country	Germany

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I am a Luxembourgian Italian or Italian Luxembourgian. My parents are Italians, but I grew up in Luxembourg. Now Ive been studying in Berlin for a few years, but interestingly even as somebody how speaks German as a first language, I feel people define me by my name – and thats definitely Italian. Ive always considered myself a foreigner, because at home we spoke Italian. So the language and culture is very close to me – even though Ive never lived in Italy. I barely notice borders, since Im roughly as old as the Schengen-agreement, which allows free movement between most European countries. For example it was perfectly normal for me as a child to go to Germany for shopping. Since I grew up in Luxembourg as the child of immigrants, I speak many languages. My native language I would say is Italian – since thats the language of my parents, my origins. But I also speak German, Luxembourgian and French as native languages, since we used all of them in school and outside. Additionally I learned English and Spanish. To speak so many languages, makes it easy for me to help other people understand different languages and cultures. Thanks to my story I can easily overcome boarders mentally, I guess Im a bit more open. Sometimes there is absurd moments: When I was doing a semester abroad in England and travelled back to Germany, my home for many years, I was constantly asked what I was doing in Germany, since I travelled on my Italian passport. I am going to apply for German citizenship. I want to live here long-term and be able to vote. To me, migration is something positive. It is simply always the search for a better life. Sometimes the impulse is hope, sometimes desperation. Migration is important, whole societies rely on it – even though these countries sometimes dont want to acknowledge it.

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