Syria Crisis: Syrian refugee waits 18 months for immigration interview, family reunion

World
Europe

02:00

Greece has decided to reopen four refugee camps to accommodate a rising number of migrants trying to get into Europe. The number of newcomers has reached 70-thousand, much more than the Greek immigration system can handle, resulting in longer processing times for each one. CGTN's Timothy Ulrich has the story.

A year and a half after submitting his application for asylum to Greek authorities, Syrian refugee Amal finally gets an interview. It's one step closer to a reunion with his family in Finland.

Amal had been a high school history teacher in a northern Syrian city. But years of war between the government and rebels forced Amal and his family to flee the country. Amal recalls having to try five times to cross into Greece through the Evros River on the Greek-Turkish border.

AMAL SYRIAN REFUGEE "It was very cold, it was frozen, I think we could die because it was cold that day. Since the degrees was below zero that day. We have to go fast at the boat, because we were very afraid, the river was a very deep place and a big place too we were freezing so we had to hurry up to cross the river to another side."

Fortunately, his wife was granted a four-year residence permit by the Finnish government. But immigration laws have shifted, and Amal was told he would have to wait a year for an interview before he could be reunited with his family. What he wants is close. Amal will have to wait two more months before his papers are processed. And seeing his family again can't come soon enough.

AMAL SYRIAN REFUGEE "Because it is very difficult to do that in foreign country, I think I will, of course, I will stay with my family first, then I will learn the Finnish language, and I think I will start looking about the work too."