The Swedish ski resort of Riksgränsen opened its doors to refugees in 2015 – a temporary solution for the country’s government overwhelmed by the arrival of 164,000 refugees in just a few months.
With not enough centres to accomodate them all, Sweden’s most northern ski resort took in some 600 refugees mostly from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and even some from Eritrea.
Euronews meets refugees in Sweden
One of the people Euronews met earlier this year was Mokdad Ayad Al Jobri who had fled Iraq.
Like most of the refugees here, the 29-year-old had made the perilous journey from Turkey to Greece and then through Europe until he reached Sweden in October of 2015. His wife and young children stayed in Baghdad.
See What Life Is Like for Refugees Above the Arctic Circle https://t.co/1S4ODlCcNv via NatGeo— Mariangela Maturi (marimaturi) January 13, 2016
At Riksgränsen he was employed as a cook along with fellow refugees and friends in the resort’s hotel.
Mokdad said he hoped to be granted asylum: “For starters, I need to get my resident permit and then bring my relatives, my children and my family here, and look for a job.”
Almost one year later, we are back in Sweden. Not in the far north this time, but in a town called Fagersta.
When we first met Mokdad almost a year ago in the north of Sweden, he was hoping to be reunited with his wife and two children. We wanted to find out what happened to him since then. And we found him in this refugee centre about a two-hour drive from Stockholm. Since we’re not allowed to film inside, we asked him to come out and tell us about his life since he’s been here.
Mokdad has been here since the middle of February 2016.
His friend Sameh, who is Syrian, helped translate. Mokdad doesn’t speak English or Swedish.
They think the reason we were not allowed inside is because last year, the centre was over-crowded: some 600 refugees in a place that had room only for half that number.
They say the conditions are better now, but still we couldn’t film.
Sweden Toughens Rules for Refugees Seeking Asylum https://t.co/y6k59DeRNP— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 22, 2016
How did Mokdad end up two hours from Stockholm?
Mokdad explained: “The work contract we had with the hotel was a temporary one. When it ended, they redistributed us throughout Sweden. Some went to the north, others to the south and others to the west because when the ski season started, they had to leave the hotel.”
Valerie Zabriskie, Euronews:
“Are you disappointed that you are here at this centre?”
Mokdad Ayad Al Jobri:
“I am disappointed about my residence permit because maybe I won’t get it at all. Here at the centre, the food is pretty good, it’s [the conditions are] okay.”
For Mokdad, these past months have been anything but happy.
“Happy? What is there to be happy about? My family, my children are far away. It’s true I’m safe here, but this is not the case for my family and children,” said Mokdad.
Without a
With not enough centres to accomodate them all, Sweden’s most northern ski resort took in some 600 refugees mostly from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and even some from Eritrea.
Euronews meets refugees in Sweden
One of the people Euronews met earlier this year was Mokdad Ayad Al Jobri who had fled Iraq.
Like most of the refugees here, the 29-year-old had made the perilous journey from Turkey to Greece and then through Europe until he reached Sweden in October of 2015. His wife and young children stayed in Baghdad.
See What Life Is Like for Refugees Above the Arctic Circle https://t.co/1S4ODlCcNv via NatGeo— Mariangela Maturi (marimaturi) January 13, 2016
At Riksgränsen he was employed as a cook along with fellow refugees and friends in the resort’s hotel.
Mokdad said he hoped to be granted asylum: “For starters, I need to get my resident permit and then bring my relatives, my children and my family here, and look for a job.”
Almost one year later, we are back in Sweden. Not in the far north this time, but in a town called Fagersta.
When we first met Mokdad almost a year ago in the north of Sweden, he was hoping to be reunited with his wife and two children. We wanted to find out what happened to him since then. And we found him in this refugee centre about a two-hour drive from Stockholm. Since we’re not allowed to film inside, we asked him to come out and tell us about his life since he’s been here.
Mokdad has been here since the middle of February 2016.
His friend Sameh, who is Syrian, helped translate. Mokdad doesn’t speak English or Swedish.
They think the reason we were not allowed inside is because last year, the centre was over-crowded: some 600 refugees in a place that had room only for half that number.
They say the conditions are better now, but still we couldn’t film.
Sweden Toughens Rules for Refugees Seeking Asylum https://t.co/y6k59DeRNP— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 22, 2016
How did Mokdad end up two hours from Stockholm?
Mokdad explained: “The work contract we had with the hotel was a temporary one. When it ended, they redistributed us throughout Sweden. Some went to the north, others to the south and others to the west because when the ski season started, they had to leave the hotel.”
Valerie Zabriskie, Euronews:
“Are you disappointed that you are here at this centre?”
Mokdad Ayad Al Jobri:
“I am disappointed about my residence permit because maybe I won’t get it at all. Here at the centre, the food is pretty good, it’s [the conditions are] okay.”
For Mokdad, these past months have been anything but happy.
“Happy? What is there to be happy about? My family, my children are far away. It’s true I’m safe here, but this is not the case for my family and children,” said Mokdad.
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