Syrian stranded in Malaysia airport lands in Canada

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A Syrian man who spent seven months stranded in a Malaysian airport arrived in Canada on Monday, his lawyer said on Tuesday, ending a months-long ordeal that highlighted asylum seekers' quest for refuge.

Hassan Al Kontar, 37, got stuck in Kuala Lumpur International Airport in March when his Malaysian visa expired and he was not allowed to board a flight to another country.

On Monday night, he arrived at Vancouver International Airport wearing flip-flops and was driven by Laurie Cooper, one of his sponsors, up the winding highway to Whistler, where he is staying.

"He's relieved," lawyer Andrew Brouwer said, "He's exhausted but relieved."

Kontar announced on social media on Monday that he is on his way to Canada, expressing thanks to Canadian friends and sponsors.

"For today, I am in Taiwan international airport. Tomorrow I will be reaching my final destination Vancouver, Canada," Kontar said in a video posted on his Twitter account.

Syrian refugee Hassan Al Kantor has been stranded in Kuala Lumpur International Airport for seven months. /Photo via Twitter

The Syrian refugee was working in insurance in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before the war in his home country broke out. He was called for conscription, but refused.

Kantar claims that the Syrian embassy in the UAE denied to renew his passport, which meant that his work permit couldn't be renewed as well. He illegally stayed in the UAE for six years before being caught and sent to Malaysia, which allows holders of Syrian passport to enter and stay without a visa for up to 90 days, in 2017.

But he overstayed his visa there, and found himself in the terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport going through options.

Kontar says he had struggled to seek asylum in another country so as he would not return to Syria, where he could be arrested for evading military service.

Kontar documented his daily life in Kuala Lumpur International Airport on his Twitter account. /Photo via Twitter

Kontar's plight made waves on social media after his story caught the attention of international media. A number of rights organizations have also championed the Syrian's case.

On October 1, he was arrested by Malaysian authorities and spent the last two months at an immigration detention center, raising fears he would be deported to Syria.

Laurie Cooper of Whistler, Canada, who co-sponsored Kontar with the B.C. Muslim Association to come to Canada as a refugee, said Kontar's situation is representative of the challenges faced by all refugees around the world, the BBC reported.

Kontar found humor in his situation while living in limbo at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. /Photo via Twitter

During his time in the Kuala Lumpur airport, Kontar actively shared updates about his life to his 18,000 Twitter followers, and once compared his experience to Tom Hanks' character in the movie "The Terminal."

(Top image: Kontar documented his daily life in Kuala Lumpur International Airport on his Twitter account. /Photo via Twitter)

(With input from Reuters)