Someone saved their beloved cat, and someone was persuaded to leave by their mother-in-law
The daily bombings, the death of loved ones, the lack of water, food and light are a thing of the past for thousands of refugees who arrived in Rostov region from Ukraine. Some of them find shelter with relatives, some ran away from civil war into the unknown.
About what is really happening in Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, told the refugees who arrived three days ago in a tent camp located in the farm Stepanov Matveyevo-Kurgan district, which is seven kilometers from the Russian-Ukrainian border.
Every day people come to the camp, and everyone has their own story. Most of the time it's tragic.
We leave for the camp from Rostov airport at 08:30. The helicopter of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia makes several flights a day according to requests from temporary accommodation points. By the way, initially the helicopter crew did not want to take the journalist. After all, this is a whole place (!) Which one of the refugees could have taken on the way back.
The flight lasts a little over half an hour. When the car sits down and the engine stops, curious kids run up to the helicopter. They ask permission to sit in the cockpit. The crew enjoys the tour. Adults do not approach the helicopter - they have already seen enough of the equipment that circled around the clock in the Ukrainian sky.
Seeing my camera, many people ask me to take them off and be sure to post the photos on the Internet.
“Maybe one of us will see us. He will see that it is peaceful here, the women say with each other. — We were afraid to go to Russia. On Ukrainian television, we were assured that, having crossed the border, no one would need us. And what was our surprise when we were given new bedding and blankets in the camp. Those who ran away from home, leaving everything behind, are given personal hygiene products, clothes to change.
“When I grow up, I will definitely become a lifeguard,” says a boy of eight years old.
“Maybe the military?” the lifeguard asks.
- No never! the boy screams, his face contorted. The military kill people. The National Guard of Ukraine destroys everything in its path, and the rescuers do only good deeds.
Refugees come up to me every minute, mostly women with children. And everyone has their own story. The girl Ekaterina asks me to thank the rescuers on the pages of my publication.
Only when we arrived at the camp did we realize that we were safe. And there were moments when we mentally said goodbye to life. Our bus stopped at a Ukrainian gas station at night. A few minutes later, a jeep drove up to the bus, and thugs in bulletproof vests and with weapons got out of it. They were either drunk or on drugs. Obviously insane. They started yelling at us and saying that we were traitors to the motherland and that they would shoot us,” Ekaterina says with tears in her eyes.
She left her parents in Ukraine. And she, grabbing her daughter and small savings, rushed aimlessly. The girl has no relatives in Russia. What will happen to her next, she has no idea.
- In a few days we are waiting for a bus that will take us to the Samara region. There is some kind of sanatorium or camp. For us, the main thing is not to shoot. Now many refugees are having a hard time with money. We realized in time and exchanged hryvnias for rubles at the normal rate. And those who didn't say they have problems. Russian banks perceive our currency as simple pieces of paper. And if they change, then at a ridiculous rate, ”Ekaterina shared.
Larisa joins our conversation. She and her daughter fled from Kramatorsk. In Ukraine, she was left with an old mother and father who survived the Second World War.
“Last week we slept on the floor. Quiet hours without shooting and bombing can be counted on the fingers. Ukrainian television does not show Kramatorsk and Slavyansk. It seems that these cities do not exist. Our houses are bombed, kindergartens and hospitals are destroyed. Soon Kramatorsk will be wiped off the face of the earth. It’s a matter of time,” Larisa said confidently.
The bus in which she was traveling was also stopped by drunken mercenaries. According to the woman, they were looking for men.
“Men are not allowed out of Ukraine at all. Many hide in dugouts. They can get to Russia only in a roundabout way. If a man is detained, then they are immediately taken to the National Guard. And if he refuses, then they shoot on the spot, - said terrible details Larisa.
I have heard many such stories throughout the day. The refugees told how the soldiers of the National Guard shoot at everyone indiscriminately. A funeral procession was shot the other day.
A boy drowned in the lake next to our house last week. The rescuer who arrived dived and immediately surfaced. He told us that besides the boy, there were thirty people at the bottom of the lake, and all of them had stones tied to their feet. Helicopters fly to this lake several times a week and drop people. I don't know if they are alive or not. I personally saw it,” said Olga, a refugee. She ran away from home with her 3-year-old daughter.
Ukrainians say that most likely they will never return home. There is simply nowhere to go back. My interlocutors claim that they are ready to work at any job in order to provide for their children. In which city they have to live, they don't care anymore. The main thing is not to see the war.
Today, a helicopter will take away 16 more refugees from the camp, including 5 children, two of whom are not yet six months old.
One married couple hugs a basket with a cat. This animal is now dearer to them than anything in the world. Previously, this cat never left the house, and now he has endured a journey of hundreds of kilometers. As the helicopter takes off, the cat begins to scream plaintively.
- Many wanted to take their pets with them to Russia, but the Ukrainian customs officers said firmly that they would not let them out without documents and vaccinations. And I had to leave cats and dogs at the checkpoint. They wander hungry, in whole flocks. Most likely, they will be killed soon, if they have not already been killed, - the woman says, crying.
Several other women are crying with her. One mother will have to overcome another thousand kilometers by train with three children. She will go to relatives in Khabarovsk. And what will happen next, only God knows.
Many tears and stories... However, not everyone wanted to go to Russia. Some, one might say, got here by accident.
“A couple of days ago we took refugees out of the camp near Donetsk. A very sad man was sitting at the very end of the bus. We started talking, and it turned out that the former mother-in-law asked to take her, his ex-wife and daughter to the border. However, some kind of scuffle began, and everyone ran indiscriminately to Russia. But he was not allowed back to Ukraine. The man complained that now he, apparently, will have to live with his former mother-in-law, ex-wife and a child. And he doesn't want that! — told me another story during our flight.
Over the years, rescuers have seen a lot. But even these strong men admit that it is very difficult to look at the tears of children and women who have lost their loved ones every day.
Anastasia Bychenkova
Refugees from the south-east of Ukraine, forced to flee their homes and start new life in Russia, talked about what they had to endure in their homeland.
Elena Fedorovna with her grandchildren Diana and Seryozha live in Rostov-on-Don in a refugee shelter, which was organized by a local philanthropist. The mother of the children died, the father left the family. Serezha and Diana have no one but their grandmother. She tells reporters how she ended up in Russia, she tells not for the first time, but every time - with tears.
“We are from Pervomaisk, Luhansk region, our city is now completely destroyed. Militiamen brought us to Rostov-on-Don with our 4-year-old granddaughter and a wounded grandson...
... it was July 28th. They started bombing at 4 am. For 3-4 hours everything was bombed - houses, schools, kindergartens, temples. My boy, my grandson, was wounded by a shell fragment. The neighbors hid in the basement, I left my granddaughter with the neighbors and ran with the wounded Serezha in my arms to the hospital, ran 12 kilometers. When he was operated on and he began to recover from anesthesia, I asked the doctor to leave him in the hospital, and I myself ran back again, for my granddaughter. I didn’t see anything, I didn’t feel it - I had to run, save the girl, and I ran.
The militias at some post did not let me through, I begged: “I have a child there, in the basement.” They told me: “Look for your granddaughter in other places, that basement was bombed, people ran away from there.” But I felt that she was there! There I found her. The baby stood for eight hours, hiding behind the boards, shaking with fear. I grabbed her, we sat on the steps for a while, and then we ran with her back 12 kilometers under bombardment to the hospital where Seryozha was.
Then the militias started shouting to us that the hospital was about to be bombed, they quickly put us on a bus, where there were women and children, and we drove off. The militia marched in front of and behind the bus. We drove off, probably 50 kilometers, and then the bus was stopped: a plane appeared above us, we jumped out, lay down on the ground. The kids are so smart: no one taught them, but they were the first to jump into the grass and hid. Serezha was in my arms. Dianochka cries, asks for water, her grandson has a fever. The plane flew very low over us...
I don’t know by what fate, but we drove up to the border. We were immediately settled in a tent camp. That's how we ended up in Russia. Kind people they helped us raise money so that Serezha would be paid plastic surgery. He can already breathe on his own - a fragment from the shell went through his entire face, from one cheek to the other, through his nose, damaged the nasal septum, and another fragment in his head ... "
We met Anna at the TAP (temporary accommodation facility) on the territory children's camp"Youth" near Belgorod. She and her husband made the decision to leave for the sake of the children, so that they would not have to see what war is.
“We lived near Mariupol, in the Volodarsky district. There are no hostilities there yet, but from Zaporozhye constantly comes military equipment. And, you know, my heart bleeds when little children see a falling star and make a wish: “To no longer drive tanks.”
We have the same problems as most refugees. At home, my daughter went to first grade, but now, until the documents are done, we cannot send her to school, she skips school. I myself study with her, teach her to read and count, I hope she will be able to pass the exam and go to the second grade. So many children are left for the second year, they do not cope, and school programs in Russia and Ukraine are very different. My son does not go to school yet, he is 5 years old.
We will soon be sent from this TAP under the resettlement program to Nizhny Novgorod. My husband and I are ordinary people, we don’t understand politics and we will never understand who needed this war. Only it is very bitter that they did not let us live in peace, that we had to leave our home.
My husband's mother stayed there, she suffered a stroke 1.5 years ago. She is lying down, the entire right side of her body is paralyzed. She is cared for by her husband's older sister. Pensions are still paid there, but these are mere pennies - her pension is not enough for two packs of diapers, which need to be changed in the morning and evening. After buying diapers, 80 hryvnias remain from this pension, and 860 hryvnias are still needed for medicines. We can buy only half of the list of medicines that the doctor prescribed for her - only life-saving. There is simply no money for vitamins.
We, like many others, left because of the children, so that they would not see the war, would not see this whole nightmare, would not fall into the “cauldron”, as in the same Debaltseve. We lived together with my husband for almost nine years, and moved to Russia with two bags of things - we couldn’t take anything with us, and how can you transport it if you don’t even know where you are going? We put our whole lives in two bags and drove off.”
A young couple joins the conversation - Evgenia and Denis, both from Dimitrov, Donetsk region. There are no hostilities in Dimitrov itself, just as there are no prospects for young people, they say.
“Mom is 62 years old - such an age that it is psychologically and physically difficult to move somewhere, so she stayed. I hope that over time it will be possible to persuade her to move to Russia, - Evgenia shares. - We left because there is no work for us in Dimitrov.
The attitude towards people at home is simply terrible. We have a mining town, two mines were simply closed, only one remained, and at the time when we left, the miners had not been paid their salaries for the fifth month. And our men have nowhere else to earn. There is still a meat processing plant in Dimitrov, but if you translate the salary to the current rate, you can earn about 5-6 thousand rubles a month. How to live on this money? Our prices are high right now. While we lived there, I worked as a shop assistant, and Denis worked in a mine for 7 years.
Now we are processing the last documents, one of these days we will leave under the resettlement program for Samara. Our friends from Dimitrov have already moved there, got a job at a ceramic factory. They say there are vacancies. Even if the situation changes, we do not want to go back, we want to take root here. We do not link our future with Ukraine.”
In the Rostov and Belgorod regions, the Russian Orthodox Church and American philanthropists provide assistance to refugees. By blessing His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, since April, a large inter-Christian humanitarian project of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate has been implemented in these border areas, charitable organization Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelical Association.
In total, from April to June, about 30,000 refugees received humanitarian assistance under the project. More than 58,000 individual kits have been distributed - hygiene items, bed linen and towels, baby diapers and long-term storage food.
In the near future, another 10 thousand sets for children will be formed and distributed: Stuffed Toys, educational games and manuals, school supplies.
”appeared after the First World War of 1914-18. to designate persons who left during the war endangered occupations or territories occupied by the enemy, or were expelled from these territories by order of military or civil authorities.
The concept of "refugee" has undergone some changes several times.
Initially, a group approach was used, according to which a refugee was considered a person who was outside his country of origin and did not benefit from the protection of that State.
In 1926 refugees were recognized as persons of the corresponding national or ethnic origin, who do not enjoy the protection of their government and have not received another citizenship (Final Act of the Conference on the Problems of Russian and Armenian Refugees in Geneva).
The most general and universally applicable definition of the term "refugee" is contained in the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, as amended by a 1967 protocol. According to it, "a refugee is a person who, owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion is outside the country of his nationality and is unable to enjoy the protection of that country or is unwilling to enjoy such protection owing to such fear; or, having no particular nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable and unwilling to return to it owing to such fear.”
Main legal instruments on the status of refugees are the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol.
Both documents are universal, now they are in total ratified by 145 states (including Russia in 1993) and incorporated into national law.
There are also regional conventions on refugees that significantly expand this concept: the 1969 Convention on Refugees in Africa, the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees in Latin America, as well as a number of conventions of the Council of Europe.
Number of refugees
There are 9.2 million refugees in the world today. But total number There are many more people under the protection of the UN Refugee Agency - refugees, internally displaced persons, asylum seekers, returnees. According to the United Nations (as of June 2006), there are a total of about 20 million refugees, displaced persons and stateless persons in 117 countries around the world. Many of them have been living in internal refugee camps for years.
From the history.
Refugees as a phenomenon have been known since time immemorial. The first refugees, as the story goes, appeared in 695 BC, when the Assyrian army of King Sennacherib I entered the lands of Judea. Then about 50,000 Jews hurriedly left their homes, rushing to Egypt, where they were also not expected.
In 375 (already AD), about 300,000 people fled from the invasion of the nomadic Huns to the lands of Rome.
In the 8th-9th centuries, as a result of the devastating Viking invasions of Britain, about 40,000 islanders moved to France, founded temporary settlements, and remained there, mingling with the local population.
A huge number of refugees appeared after the First crusade(1096-1099), when 500,000 Arabs and Turks fled from the places captured by the knights.
In 1492, all Jews who had not converted to Christianity were expelled from Spain, of whom more than 200,000 took refuge in North Africa and other lands.
In the first half of the XIII century, when the Mongol hordes passed from Pacific Ocean before mediterranean sea, many hundreds of thousands of Chinese, Arabs, Russians, Persians, Poles, Hungarians fled to neighboring countries to escape the invasion there.
Refugees came not only from wars. During frequent plague epidemics, the population of cities and entire regions in Europe and Asia left for different countries to wait out the worst times.
Some rulers used the refugees for their own purposes. So, due to the fact that in 1715 the King of Prussia Frederick II declared free entry and residence for "refugees of any religion", the population of the kingdom increased significantly. Many Russian Molokans, Baptists, Old Believers moved to Turkey, which accepted Christians who were members of any sects banned in their homeland, who had to take part in its wars for the right to live in the Ottoman Empire.
The practice of hiding behind church walls existed in biblical times, when Roman law allowed churches to shelter even criminals within their walls.
In the Middle Ages in Europe, the right of asylum in churches was almost universally recognized. However, it only applied to criminals.
The practice of sheltering in temples began in 1983 in Canada, when a Montreal church hosted a refugee from Guatemala who was about to be deported. Since then, hundreds of people have found shelter in churches challenging the deportation order. Some were able to prove their right to stay in Canada, while others were still expelled.
Under Canadian law, such a church shelter does not legally protect the people hiding there in any way. There are no laws protecting the custom of churches to hide citizens who are in danger of being expelled from the country. Canadian police only once showed up at the church - in Quebec in March 2004 - and arrested an Algerian hiding there. They handcuffed him right there. Was big scandal. Since then, the immigration authorities and the police have refrained from such visits.
In France, there is a law that allows the police to come to a church and arrest a person who has taken refuge there. In Britain and America, the police also do not hesitate to arrest people in temples.
Practically no one dealt with refugees until the beginning of the twentieth century, when the process of developing a system of international laws, conventions and rules began to protect refugees, who had the worst of it in the First and Second World Wars, when it suddenly became clear that when a dozen neighboring countries, then there seems to be nowhere to run.
It was at this time that the concept of “refugees” appeared in international law. In 1922, after the First World War, the League of Nations adopts the first agreement (supplemented by the agreements of 1924, 1926 and 1928) on the status of Russian and Armenian refugees. For the first time, the rights of refugees were defined, they received travel documents of a special type (Nansen passport, named after the polar explorer and the first High Commissioner of the League of Nations for Refugees Fritjorf Nansen).
Subsequently, the agreements were extended to cover all refugees from Turkey and Nazi Germany and culminated in the approval on July 28, 1951 by a special UN conference of the "Convention relating to the Status of Refugees", which is a key legal document defining the concept of "refugees" and their rights, as well as the legal obligations of states in relation to refugees.
The problem of refugees in the 20th century became especially acute more than once: for example, as a result of the seizure of power by the Nazis in Germany and a number of other countries; US wars of aggression in Korea and Indochina, Israeli aggression against Arab countries and Palestine, the policies of dictatorial and racist regimes in southern Africa, Latin America and other parts of the world.
After the Second World War, within the framework of the United Nations, states began to cooperate to create an international legal system for the protection of refugees. The international community created the United Nations Relief and Recovery Administration (UNRRA) and the International Refugee Organization (IRF). UNRRA assisted in the voluntary repatriation of more than 7 million people, and the IPS assisted in the placement of 1.7 million European refugees who did not want to return to their homeland.
January 1, 1951 as an institute international protection To address the issue of refugees and displaced persons, the United Nations General Assembly established the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, replacing UNRRA and the MPS.
For the first time, the UNHCR had to work in an emergency humanitarian crisis during the Gulf War, following the exodus of 1.9 million Kurds.
The turning point in his work was former Yugoslavia: for the first time, the staff took an active part in organizing such large-scale actions as air bridges and humanitarian convoys.
In 1994, a humanitarian disaster occurred in Rwanda, when about a million people fled to neighboring Zaire in four days.
In early 1995, UNHCR was providing humanitarian assistance to displaced persons in Azerbaijan, Chechnya, Georgia and Tajikistan.
In 1999, UNHCR played an active role in providing humanitarian assistance to thousands of refugees affected by the Kosovo conflict.
Today UNHCR is one of the main humanitarian organizations in the world, providing assistance to 19.2 million people in 116 countries.
The number of its employees is more than 6,500 people. During its half-century of activity, UNHCR has provided assistance to at least 50 million people, for which it was twice awarded the Nobel Peace Prize - in 1954 and 1981.
In October 1992, UNHCR and Russia signed an Agreement to open a representative office in Moscow. Currently there are branches of the representative office in a number of regions of Russia. Since May 1995 Russia has been a member Executive Committee UNHCR.
On December 4, 2000, the 55th session of the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that, starting from 2001, June 20 will be celebrated annually as World Refugee Day.
Today we have a very unusual and very detailed history immigration to Canada. A story about two guys from Ukraine. Both arrived as tourists three years ago. After a few months in the country, they decided that they should try to stay and get permanent residence through refugee status in Canada. What they went through and what they did, Andrei, one of the guys, will tell.
Hi Andrew, please tell us a little about yourself. How many years, what did you do 2 years ago before you came to Canada? Why did you decide to go to Canada and how long did it take?
Hello, I am 23 years old. 3 years ago I was an ordinary Ukrainian student, I worked in a travel company, as a bus guide in European cities. Never dreamed or especially thought about Canada. Everything came out somehow spontaneously. Someone from my acquaintances said that there is a way to easily and quickly open a visa to Canada. And since I have always liked such ways and methods of travel, I was very interested. After the New Year (2011) we decided with a friend to try to leave and see Canada. My friend's name is Cyril, so I will talk about myself and about him.
So spontaneously decided to immigrate to Canada?
No. There was no mention of immigration at all. I didn't even know if it was possible. I knew that somewhere in Canada there are my distant relatives, so if everything was very bad, I could turn to them. In general, we planned to go for a maximum of 6 months, no more.
How did you get a visa to Canada? Did you do everything yourself or use the services of an agency?
Getting a visa to Canada was not difficult. The easiest way was to open a visa through the ILAC language school. The bottom line is that you are going to study the language in Canada. You have to pay for your studies at school, and you receive an invitation letter, with which you then send documents to the embassy and receive a visa to Canada. Now for the second part of your question, unfortunately we didn't know anything about ILAC nor about Canada, so we turned to one of the travel agencies for help.
What was the agency's responsibility? In what format did the work take place and how much did you pay for the services, if not a secret?
To be honest, I don’t even know how the work with the preparation and submission of documents to school and for a visa to Canada went. All we did was bring our passports and money to the agency office. And after two or three weeks they took me along with visas to Canada. Unfortunately, they paid a lot, somewhere around $4,000.
$4,000 for a Canadian visa and admission to a Canadian language school? Somehow very expensive. What did they offer you so unique, is it really an unlimited student visa to Canada?
Yes, it is really very expensive. We realized this when we were already in Canada. This money included: full paperwork, the opening of a tourist visa for 6 months and 2 weeks of study at a language school in Canada. As we later learned, for such money it was possible to get a work visa with a contract for 2 years, and not a tourist visa for 6 months. But I'm glad that I managed to get to Canada anyway, although a lot of money was spent.
Note to blog readers: Language school costs approximately $300 per week. The minimum training period is 2 weeks. Entering the school is very simple - the main thing is to fill out the documents correctly, pay for your studies and write a motivation letter. Then you receive a letter of invitation to study and with this you apply for a visa. After the introduction of new rules, it became possible to go to college right after the language school, and in many cases without exams at all. Many agencies, especially in the CIS, take money for help in filling out documents for admission to a college or language school in Canada. But there are also accredited professionals and consultants who work absolutely free of charge and who have direct agreements with colleges and universities in Canada. You can find out more about this -.
We were met by families with whom we were supposed to live while studying at the language school. When you go to study in a language school in Canada, you have a choice - to find accommodation on your own or live with a host family for the duration of your studies at school. We chose the second one as it was much easier. But according to the rules, two students from the same country cannot live in the same family, so we had different families. And in different areas.
The first days and weeks were all very interesting. All the same, a new city, a school, in general, everything is different. By the way, you had to go to school and miss a minimum, otherwise your Canadian visa could be revoked without any problems.
As far as I know, many go to a language school to make it easier to get a visa to Canada. So more chances. But several students also wrote to me that not everyone is given visas for 6 months if you study at school for only 2 weeks or a month.
Yes, you are right, a lot of students go to a language school just to get a visa to Canada for 6 months. Since not everyone is given a tourist visa, and if they are, it is not very willing. Whereas under the pretext of improving English in Canada, the chances of getting a visa are much greater. But there are also cases when at the airport they ask what you will do after graduation, this is especially true when you go to study for 2-4 weeks. In such cases, I advise students not to get lost, but to calmly explain what your future plans. If you do not, then the officer himself will decide how long you will stay in the country. Fortunately, we were given a visa for 6 months and no one asked anything, although, as I said, we went to study for only 2 weeks in Canada.
Note for students: so that you do not reduce the period of stay in Canada, it is best to prepare in advance and explain to the officer your plans and actions after studying in Canada.
1. A map will be enough, a list of places you want to visit in Canada. If you want to be more convincing - provide a reservation in hotels in Canada or the United States (many hotels provide confirmation of the reservation without a single cent of advance payment).
2. The short term of studying at a language school in Canada can also be explained by your desire to try to study at other schools. Show a list of other schools or correspondence from one of them where you ask about the cost and curriculum. That is, you need to convince them that you need to spend more time in Canada.
3. Not many students know that a tourist visa in Canada can be extended for another 6 months (6 months of the visa of which you were given immediately + 6 more upon renewal). There are almost no refusals to extend the visa.
What did you do after two weeks of school? What were the plans?
Oh, then the problems started, many and all at the same time. Finding housing in Canada is a real challenge. We were more than confident that this would not be a problem at all in Toronto. They started calling, searching, but as it turned out, in order to find something more or less suitable, you need to start searching at least a month in advance. I had to move with a friend to live in a small basement (basement) on the outskirts of the city for $500 a month.
What advice would you have for future tourists and immigrants about finding accommodation in Canada?
Start looking for a month, even two or three before you want to change housing. Of course, you can start looking while still in Ukraine or Russia. In this regard, it is a little more difficult, but it is still possible to find something for the first time in Canada. You are unlikely to find something good while abroad. But if you know someone or you could find a Russian or Ukrainian agent or real estate agency, you are in luck. Be sure to try asking in VKontakte communities, Facebook, blogs, forums - they will definitely tell you something, and most likely they will give you contacts to whom you can contact about housing for newcomers to Canada. Of course you should also try sites like - kijiji , craigslist , viewit , masterpages .
Andrew, tell us how things were with the job search? Have you tried searching for something? Is it even possible to find a job with only a tourist visa without a work permit? What salary should I expect in Canada without documents?
Wow, lots of questions. As soon as we moved into our basement, we immediately started looking for work. As it turned out, it is quite possible to find a job in Canada without having any permission to do so. It's certainly not an office job, but it's still a job. The maximum that can be found is construction, cleaning houses, working in a restaurant, working in a factory or factory, working as a nurse with children or the elderly. And the salaries are quite reasonable. In a restaurant, in a factory or as a nurse, you can earn anywhere from $9-15/hour, cleaning houses from $11-15/hour, building from $12-20, it all depends on your skills and abilities.
Job searches can be started from the same site kijiji. If there is nothing, then try to look in free local newspapers. Such newspapers are available in almost all cities and towns of Canada in the subway, at bus stops, in shops and supermarkets. Toronto is full of these newspapers: in English, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish and other languages.
Since my friend and I were together everywhere, we wanted to work together. The first thing we found was cleaning big houses. Worked there for several weeks. Nothing complicated, the bosses brought us to the site, we cleaned it, and then they took us back, or they themselves went if not far. We were paid an average of $12 an hour.
Then I got a job in construction. Since there is a better salary and many hours, you can earn and save something. At the construction site, of course, they worked as assistants, since no one had much experience. Then, in addition to construction, they got a job as waiters in a Ukrainian restaurant, worked there on weekends. In general, there are a lot of Ukrainian and Russian restaurants in Toronto and banquet halls where you can work for cash and make very good money. Another very big plus in such a job is that you can eat and bring something home. Sometimes there were such weekends in the restaurant that they brought home so much that it was enough to feed themselves for almost another week.
Did you find time to rest? Or is vacation expensive?
No, of course, they rested, walked and worked. They managed to do everything, although sometimes there were weeks that they worked all 7 days without rest. On such days they walked and rested after work. I will not say that it is expensive to rest here. Let me just say, if you work, you can afford to relax. Many people get the impression that Canada is a country of immigrant robots who work 24/7. By the way, many people work this way, especially in the first years of their stay in the country.
How about legalization and obtaining documents? When did you start thinking about immigrating to Canada?
Of course, there were thoughts about this, but we did nothing for this, and were not particularly interested. But everything changed when we worked in a restaurant in Toronto. At that time we got along well with the owner of the restaurant - a very pleasant, sweet and kind woman. She really wanted us to stay in Canada and tried to help us somehow. She even found out about a work visa in Canada for us to hire us officially in a restaurant for work. Unfortunately, this option was almost unrealistic in big city and even more so for such a job as a waiter in a restaurant.
Note to readers: in big cities it is very difficult to get a job offer (job offer), as the government requires the employer to make every effort to hire a Canadian. If the employer proves that he could not find a worker, only then will he be able to hire a worker from abroad (LMO or LMIA). In small towns and remote provinces, everything is much easier and you can really get a job offer in Canada. You can get a job offer in a big city if you have a highly specialized profession, and this is provided that Canada needs such specialists. if you have working profession and at least average knowledge of English language, you can - free of charge assess your chances of employment in Canada and further immigration and obtaining permanent residence.
And then, one man advised me to try to make immigration through obtaining refugee status in Canada. We didn't know at the time that this was even possible. It was the most crucial moment in my life and in the life of my friend. Man already for a long time worked in the restaurant where we got a job and the owner of the restaurant knew him well, so we were quickly convinced that refugee is a quick and a good option immigration. He told us everything beautifully, said that he had a lawyer friend who had been successfully dealing with immigration cases for a long time and his success rate was somewhere around 90%. By the way, he then immediately told us that it would cost about $4,000 - 5,000 for each. Of course, this was a lot of money for us, but the stories about the quick receipt of permanent residence quickly convinced us and we agreed.
About what refugee status in question? And in general, by what type of refugee is it easiest to immigrate, or rather to obtain permanent residence in Canada?
There is no such type of refugee for which it is possible to get permanent residence faster, easier and more reliably. In Canada, it is easiest to obtain refugee status when you have strong evidence that there is a real threat to your life in your homeland. In my situation with a friend, it was easiest to collect evidence and apply for refugee status as gays (homosexuals) who fled Ukraine and seek protection in Canada. A lawyer can help you compose and write your refugee story and advise you on what documents and evidence you need to present to the court. Refugee is a very difficult option for immigrating to Canada, it's like a lottery. It all depends: 1) on you, how much you are willing to risk to go for this, and 2) on the judge, how much he will believe in your story.
Is there any difference at all on what type of refugee to go through the process and receive permanent residence in Canada? What are the risks with this type of immigration to Canada? What threatens you if you lose the court for refugee status in Canada?
No type or variety of refugee status in Canada special significance and doesn't really affect anything. Everyone has their own individual story, the story of life and the events that happened to you. In such a case as a refugee, everything is completely individual, there cannot be any templates, instructions, algorithms or action plan that can guarantee you the successful completion of the case and quick permanent residence in Canada.
If you failed the trial, then you are not in danger. You will be asked to leave the country in a certain order. It is impossible to remain illegal after the failure of the trial, otherwise you will be put on the wanted list throughout Canada. You can come here on a tourist visa and then live illegally for the rest of your life. And here, any violation and everything is serious. The Immigration and Refugee Board is an international organization that works with refugees around the world. If you surrendered as a gay in Canada, and then left for another country and surrendered as a religious or political refugee, then this will not work. You can also go to jail.
What to expect from the first meeting with a refugee lawyer? How it all began?
We just went to meet the lawyer and his assistant. As it turned out, the lawyer is Canadian and speaks only English, but his assistant speaks Russian and Ukrainian.
Note to reader: It is very common in Canada for a lawyer to have several assistants who speak different languages, thus attracting a large number of clients from different countries. Therefore, it is very often recommended to work with Canadian lawyers who have everything required licenses and permissions, and which work without intermediaries. In the CIS countries, such law firms are usually intermediaries, and sometimes just small-time lawyers who have never done or conducted such cases, but simply want to earn extra money. If you need free professional legal advice in Canada - use this form.
It all started with a free consultation and short story how it all works and how it will happen, as well as what results to expect. We were promised a lot of things and we certainly hoped for a positive outcome of our immigration case.
Also, my friend and I decided to implement an almost win-win plan for obtaining permanent residence in Canada. We decided: first we file two separate refugee cases, and if one of us loses the court, then we just marry each other and both automatically receive permanent residence in Canada (this is quite a normal practice and there is nothing illegal here).
Probably, some of our readers are faced with immigration to Canada for the first time through obtaining refugee status. Andrey, tell us in a nutshell how and what this process consists of. Many are now asking how to become a refugee in Canada if you are from Ukraine or Russia and are still there?
To obtain refugee status in Canada, you need to get to Canada in any way. I repeat, you need to be present on the territory of Canada, and not at the consulate, and not at the embassy. If one of your readers is on the territory of Ukraine, Russia or any other country and dreams of becoming a refugee remotely, then this will remain their dream. Once your plane has landed in Canada, you have 2 options:
Surrender right at the airport and immediately apply for refugee status. This is an option for those who do not have money for a lawyer. At the airport, tell the officer who will check your passport that you want to surrender as a refugee. You will need to explain that you cannot return to your country back, as there is a threat to your life. After that, you will be interrogated, questioned, etc. for a long time. Then, probably, you will fill out some papers, your passport will be taken away and they will tell you what to do. Usually they say that all further instructions will come by mail. I personally have not tried this option and do not know a single refugee who would have received permanent residence in Canada in this way, that is, independently, without any help.
The option of obtaining refugee status with the help of a lawyer in Canada. In this option, you need to calmly and peacefully leave the airport, tell nothing to anyone and not confess. Further, it will be necessary to look for a good lawyer, draw up the whole story and collect documents and evidence. Of course, we need very good and weighty facts and evidence. I advise this particular option, since it is almost impossible to do something on your own in such a complex matter, especially if you do not have perfect English.
To successfully and successfully go through the refugee process in Canada, you need to understand and present the following evidence and facts:
Gather evidence that home country violate/have violated your human rights.
Provide evidence that all of the above violations were a threat to your life and / or the lives of your loved ones.
Provide evidence that there were appeals or attempts to contact law enforcement agencies.
Evidence that appeals to law enforcement agencies did not bring any results.
Evidence that the threat to life is permanent and that this is not a temporary phenomenon.
You must prove that there have been attempts to change the place of residence or evidence that such a change will not help eliminate the threat to life.
If you quickly found a lawyer, completed and filled out all the documents, then in about 45 days you will have a trial. The Refugee and Immigrant Court will review your entire case and issue a verdict. They will either believe you and give you permanent residence in Canada, or they will say that you did not convince the court that you really need refugee status and will be ordered to leave the country.
Can I somehow prepare documents or evidence in advance to quickly obtain refugee status in Canada? I mean even before leaving, at home?
I'm not sure about the documents, since the whole history and documents are prepared by a lawyer. But if you bring something with you, it will only be a plus, even if it is a photo, newspaper clippings, references, statements. It is not possible to prepare 100%, and in principle it is not necessary. Unfortunately, it's not the same here as under the federal immigration program or with a study visa, when you went to the site, you found everything required documents, filled them out and sent them to the Canadian Embassy.
Everything I'm describing here was back in 2011. Then the process of obtaining refugee status was a little different. Under the old rules, we then had more time to prepare and collect evidence (now about 45 days). Therefore, perhaps now it makes sense to prepare at least some evidence in advance, even before arriving in Canada. Unfortunately, the option to call and ask a lawyer what documents I should take with me to obtain refugee status and permanent residence in Canada does not work. None of them want to talk to you until you walk into their office.
Okay, let's take your example of refugees in Canada. What kind of documents and references did you make for your story?
Personally, I prepared the following documents:
A certificate from the police - that I turned to them with a statement about a robbery attack on me. It is also good to indicate how many such appeals or statements were from you, the more the better.
A piece of paper stating that your applications and appeals were not considered properly or were completely ignored.
A certificate from a doctor stating that you have had serious beatings, fractures, concussions and other injuries.
Help from a psychologist.
Photos with injuries and beatings.
A friend had a similar set of pieces of paper. The main thing is that all dates and events in the pieces of paper coincide with your testimony and history.
It turns out that for successful immigration to Canada through obtaining refugee status - you need good evidence and facts? Without this, in any way?
Without evidence, it is unrealistically difficult to prove something in a refugee case. Everything must be properly formatted and compiled. In our case, it was exactly like this:
1. History.
2 Evidence, facts and arguments.
3 Properly executed and submitted documents.
Okay, you have filed all the papers and evidence, what's next, how long to wait for the trial?
According to the old rules, the court usually waited 1 - 2 years. In our case, we waited for two whole years. After completing and submitting all the documents, we were given:
1 Temporary work permit (valid for about 2-3 years).
2 Refugee certificate. With it, you can receive free medical care and other benefits of Canada.
We had everything Required documents to live normally, work and wait for the trial. We were also able to receive about $600 a month government assistance (Ontario) if we didn't find a job or didn't want to work. But we were not allowed to study, I'm talking about college. The language courses were completely free for us. This is how they lived.
Have you been checked in any way? Asked for additional evidence that you are homosexuals and the like?
In our case, no one checked us and no one followed us. Although the lawyer warned that this is possible. We were told that the authorities could ask our neighbors about us and the like. We lived only together with a friend, quietly and calmly, so that no one would touch us.
Also, the lawyer advised us to go to a gay meeting once a week. It's like psychological support for refugees. These meetings are important because they give out a card or a piece of paper that you attended them and were an active member of the group, and this is another proof. There we met guys like us, who used the same scheme to immigrate to Canada. We also had to volunteer at the annual gay parade in Toronto. We worked there for two years in a row. They also give a piece of paper to volunteers-participants. And we also had to take a lot of pictures in different gay clubs. In order, in which case, to show additional evidence in court. And not one or two photos, but as many as possible to convince the judge that we are there regularly.
And that you actually visited gay clubs?
Yes, we took a lot of photos. We also had to know the popular gay clubs and where they hang out. The lawyer told us a situation when the judge asked where the toilet was located in a particular club. And if you can not answer, then everything can end very badly.
How was your life before the trial, as I understand it was about 2 years. What did they do, what did they do?
As I said before, they worked at cleaning houses and offices, at a construction site and in a restaurant. After submitting the documents, the lawyer advised me to find an official job. This was necessary to show that I work, pay taxes, that in general I am a promising resident for Canada and can take care of myself and do without the help of the state.
My first official work I went to a local fast food restaurant. After working there for several months, I went to work in a furniture factory, where they paid more and in cash (not officially). He also applied for government assistance in the amount of $600 per month. As a result, very good money came out. Then he left the factory and went to work at a construction site in big company where they paid even more. I still work there to this day (also unofficially).
What is the attitude of employers towards refugees in Canada?
Here, no one knows that you are a refugee and therefore the treatment is the same for everyone. Also, no one knew that I was a gay refugee who was awaiting trial. And so on all immigration cases and in general with the whole personal information. No one here will know anything about you without your permission.
We turn to the court, otherwise we are dragging something for a long time. When does the invitation to court come? How should one prepare for this?
The invitation comes about two weeks before the trial. During these two weeks, it is worth learning the entire history of your refugee and all the dates. All this will be asked 100%. Dates may be asked several times during the trial, expecting you to make at least one mistake.
Let's talk about the court. How did everything go? What was asked? How long did this all go on?
My friend went to court first. My trial was scheduled 2 weeks after it (it was December 2013). The whole process took about 4 hours with two short breaks. I was asked by everyone from A to Z in history. It was possible to use the services of an interpreter in the courtroom, but I refused and answered all the questions myself.
In one certificate from the police, I had a discrepancy between dates and history (thanks to the assistant lawyer who allowed this). I hoped that they would not ask, but nevertheless they noticed and asked why different dates. I had to blame everything on our unorganized policemen, that they make and write all the papers through one place, and somehow it passed.
The judge asked a lot about Ukraine, why he didn’t move, why he didn’t change his place of residence in order to avoid threats to life. I blamed everything on corruption, on the irresponsibility of the authorities and law enforcement. He said that the threat to life was in any corner of the country.
When it came to me and how I was beaten and beaten, I began to speak more slowly, breathed intermittently and let out a tear (long workouts at home in front of the mirror helped). The judge even asked if I was okay and if I wanted to take a break. I remember answering that everything is fine and I can continue. After that moment, I already began to feel that the judge was on my side. At the end of the whole process, she (the judge) told me not to worry and that everything would be fine with me and I would soon receive an answer about the decision.
How long did you wait for a response? Have you suffered all this time? How was your friend's trial?
No, I didn't worry too much. My lawyer said that everything went well and that I would definitely get a positive response. My friend was not so positive. He got the worst judge, from whom it is almost impossible to get this very positive answer. Answers began to come somewhere only after three months. First to my friend with a refusal, and two weeks later to me. I won the trial.
Why was your friend rejected? And in general, what to do when a refusal to obtain refugee status in Canada comes? What are the options?
The denial and the reason for the denial of refugee status in Canada came to him in a 20-page letter. AT in general terms it was written that he did not convince the judge that he needed refugee status. The letter also sent a notice that he has 10 or 15 days to file an appeal, otherwise, his case will be considered closed and the deportation process will begin. It turns out that my friend spent about $ 5,000 on a lawyer and was refused. Thank God for 2 years he earned much more in Canada than he spent.
What to do in a situation when a refugee denial has come? Are there any other chances to stay and get permanent residence?
1. File an appeal. In such a case, the previous court decision will be annulled and a new court hearing will be scheduled. The price of the appeal is somewhere around $6,000 + a new hearing from $4,000 - 6,000 (this is the price of a lawyer's services). Bottom line: $12,000 and no guarantee that you will not be refused at any of these stages.
2. Fictitious marriage. In this case, if everything is done correctly, then the guarantee of obtaining permanent residence in Canada is almost 100%. Issue price from $10,000 - 25,000.
Unfortunately, the friend did not use any of the options. In addition to the appeal, he had an option - a fictitious marriage with an unrealistically low price of only $10,000, and he refused. He said that he was tired of Canada, tired of waiting, tired of living for 2 years waiting for a trial and did not want to wait for a new one. He said that he decided to return home to Ukraine. A month after the court decision, he was asked to leave the country, otherwise he would be put on the wanted list. He is back.
No, I will receive the documents only a year after I won the court. In general, everything is fine with me and I am happy that I am in Canada. I still work in construction, I plan to go to school, I'm thinking about college or courses now. I am very glad that I was able to stay in Canada and I hope my story will help someone to draw the right conclusions.
If I had known earlier how difficult and exhausting my process of immigrating to Canada through refugee would be - I would never have started this. It is much easier, safer and safer to immigrate to Canada through training. And according to the time frame, it turns out the same thing, but at the same time, in the end, you have an education and a 100% chance to get permanent residence. Immigration to Canada through asylum is a lottery, so the choice is yours.
This story was told to me by a fellow traveler with whom we had to travel two hours in the same car of the Helsinki-Tampere train. Story young man sincerely touched my soul, and I decided that his story would be of interest to my friends, you, my readers.
Summer that year in Finland did not indulge in warmth. The first two months were cold, the temperature did not exceed fifteen degrees. It seemed that the real summer would never come, but there would be a constant autumn.
One of those days, I woke up early, as always. After making coffee, I sat down at the computer to check my email. Suddenly there was a phone call.
Tanya, hello! How are you doing? - I heard the cheerful voice of my girlfriend Tatiana from Tampere.
Hello dear, good to hear from you. I'm fine, thank you! I answered.
What are you thinking of doing today? - the girlfriend was interested.
There are no special plans. I think to rest, I began to get tired of the car, and the pressure jumps.
Well, then get on the train and come visit me. The weather is so beautiful! The sun has finally come out! Tatiana was happy.
Yah! I don’t really want to go on the road, and Yucca is yours at home! I answered.
Tan, don't think too long! - insisted girlfriend. - Jukka has gone to Hyvink to live with his parents and will return on Sunday evening.
Good! I agreed. - I'll go by train, take a break from the car.
I hurriedly threw the essentials into my bag and hurried to the Helsinki railway station. The morning sun warmed, so the day will be warm. Joy settled in the soul.
There were few people at the checkout. With a ticket in hand, I hurried to the carriage.
Two hours on the road will fly by quickly! It's good that no one is sitting next to me! I thought as I sat down by the window.
The train started moving. Unexpectedly, the door of the vestibule opened, tall dark-skinned guy with black, burning eyes. He was looking for the seat indicated on the ticket.
Now sit down next to me. I suggested.
And exactly, having greeted me, he sat down next to me.
For a while we drove in silence.
Under the sound of wheels, I always remember the Motherland. These memories make me sad and longing.
Wouldn't cry. I thought this time. - It is necessary to distract somehow from touching memories.
To my surprise, my fellow traveler, as if sensing my whiny mood, said:
Hello!
Hi Hi! I answered.
You're russian?
Yes! What is written on me? I asked the guy incredulously.
Yes! Russians are immediately visible, they are not the same as Finnish women.
I did not want to focus on this, mumbling something in response to him with a slight smile on my face, I plunged into my thoughts.
How long have you lived in Finland? - the companion did not lag behind.
Yes, for a long time! And where are you from? I asked.
I am a refugee. From Kurdistan, from Iraq. I have lived here for five years.
I looked with interest at his sad, childish kind eyes.
I'm already over thirty. - this swarthy guy shared with me, calling me to a conversation. - I work and live here.
And the family? I asked.
The family is there in Kurdistan. I haven't seen any of my relatives for five years.
And how did you get here?
My name is Shamal. - stretching out his hand, introduced a fellow traveler.
Tatiana! Very nice! - I answered affably.
The guy spoke fluent Finnish.
I am Kurdish, born in Iraq. My parents, five brothers and four sisters stayed there, at home.
Bored, see?
Yes, I miss you a lot!
In the meantime, the train was moving at great speed. Small stations flew by one after another, and between them floated well-groomed fields in the form colorful squares: yellow rapeseed, golden wheat, pink buckwheat. Finnish houses with red and white roofs were full of flowers. Cleanliness and orderly order reigned everywhere. I involuntarily thought about the fact that such an order was once in my homeland, in my little Ninovka. My heart sank from resentment, tears rolled up in a lump to my throat ...
Somewhere in the depths of my soul, I realized that I needed to listen to the story of my fellow traveler in order to get distracted.
Sitting comfortably, I plunged into the world that this dark-eyed humble guy.
We lived in the suburbs of the city of Mosul in Kurdistan. I was the middle child in the family. I was often photographed because everyone thought that I - pretty Baby. he said, smiling. - In the mornings it was very difficult for me to wake up, until now this habit prevents me from living, I am late everywhere. My mother came up to me and woke me up:
Wake up my son! Wake up my honey!
From these warm memories his voice trembled slightly. After a pause, he continued:
I was surrounded by the love and care of my parents. Every morning, on a beautiful carpet, my mother spread a tablecloth and covered a simple breakfast: cheese, eggs, yogurt and lavash bread, which she managed to bake for breakfast.
I realized that this boy is from a kind family, because his memories of his parents are filled with tenderness and love.
The morning coolness gradually dissolved, giving way to the long-awaited summer warmth.
In summer it is very hot here, not like here in Finland. he continued, smiling thoughtfully. - The family was large, there was not enough money, they lived poorly. I went to school until my shoes were worn out. When the teacher, noticing this, gave me shoes, I stopped going to classes out of shame, it depressed me.
As a child, in order to somehow help the family, he traded ripe pomegranates, cold water and cotton candy. Running through the little streets small town from house to house, I shouted with all my might:
Hanar! Hanar for one dinar! (Khanar is a pomegranate.)
People looked out of the windows and, smiling, bought my goods, and the children ran after me for a long time, accompanying me with cheerful laughter! It was fun! cold water bought more than any other product. So I tried to help my parents.
Years passed, I grew up and one day, running past the gate of a rich house, I noticed a girl of extraordinary beauty. She also drew attention to me, We stood for a long time and silently looked at each other, I did not want to leave. Suddenly she became embarrassed and hid behind the fence. I began to visit their house more often. I learned from friends that her name was Pari.
What a beautiful name! I thought. - As beautiful as this girl.
And in the evening he put on a nice shirt and went to her house. For a while we could look at each other from a distance, but soon she was forbidden to see me.
My mother, noticing my condition, was worried about me, saying:
Son, you're still young! We are poor, you are not a match for her.
Since then, pain has settled in my heart. She was soon married. I decided to go to Europe.
Everyone in the family cried for a long time, did not want to let me go,
There is little money, and the path is not easy. - they answered.
But, apparently, my goal and youth won over the fear of future trials. Parents were reassured by the fact that I was not leaving alone. Five more of my friends decided to try their luck.
By bus, we quickly got to Turkey, where we lived for a week, looking for an opportunity to cross to Europe. Finally, we got lucky. In a small boat we went to Greece. The boat was filled with people. We were strictly ordered to sit quietly and in no case make noise. Even if something unforeseen happens, we must remain silent, otherwise the boat will be turned over, and we will all go to the bottom!
All around was salty oily water. I couldn't swim, so I didn't stop praying out of fear. Prayers were whispered by everyone who was near me. Allah protected us, and after two hours we reached the coast of Greece.
Longing crept into my soul home but the will to live complete person in a civilized country inspired confidence. I decided to boldly go towards fate, no matter what.
North of Greece! For three months I worked illegally selling shoes in the afternoon. The police often raided, we ran away, leaving the goods. I tried many times to cross over to Italy, but the police brought me back.
But one day I got lucky. I climbed under a large cargo truck, found a place where I could hold myself in the position of a baby in the womb, and froze. The car started off. Nobody found me and brought me back. For many hours I lay in one position, then I managed to roll over to the other side. The car rushed at a crazy speed, and I cautiously looked at the asphalt, which floated under me like a dark ribbon, and read prayers.
Finally, the car stopped, I heard an unfamiliar speech and guessed that this was Italy. Getting out from under the car, I saw a lot of the same trucks on the site. The drivers stood by and talked. Suddenly there was silence. They all looked at me with surprised eyes, and then laughed for a long time. My face and clothes were black with soot. This was the reason for the cheerful laughter of the drivers.
For a while, my companion was silent.
In Italy, I ran out of money, I was hungry. Some family helped me, they gave me clean clothes and some food. I understood that no one would feed me all the time! What to do? I looked for caterpillars and ate them. These caterpillars were inedible. I remember I was picked up half dead by an ambulance health care. I spent a week in the hospital, and when I got out, I found refugees like me. Together we crossed over to France, from France to Sweden. We were arrested in Sweden. By this time, I was weak, my condition was deteriorating, and a doctor was called. Fortunately, after a medical examination, I was allowed to stay in Sweden.
My ultimate goal was still Finland. Having sailed on a ferry to Helsinki, I set foot on Finnish soil and was immediately arrested by the police. I was sent to a refugee hotel.
You must have heard about this area of Metsäla in Helsinki? my companion turned to me. - Ten months I was checked. The police refused many times to obtain a status, but for my exemplary behavior, desire to study and work, I managed to get good performance and residence status in Finland.
The story of this tall, fragile guy made me worry. I took on everything he went through. I respected him, admired him and thought:
Lord, thank You for this meeting, for this acquaintance.
And the guy, silently, looked through the train window at the beauty of this small northern country.
A light sigh seemed to suggest that now he is sad about that very native beauty which had to be abandoned.
My soul shrank into a ball of empathy and powerlessness before the cruel laws of life.
The train arrives at Tampere station...
I wished this strong guy an angel on the way, in response, the kind eyes of a man who managed not to harden and maintain decency and kindness looked at me.
My friend Tatyana met me on the platform. We hugged. She quickly spread all her news. I couldn't concentrate and walked in silence for a long time. A friend, noticing this, asked cautiously:
Tan, what happened? In the morning you were in a completely different mood.
I tried my best to tell her touching story my travel companion. To my surprise, my friend reacted dryly, with hostility:
Tan, what are you? Look how many of them, these refugees, are climbing from all holes ...
It hurt me a lot to hear that.
Where is our humanity? When did we get cold? Perhaps for this reason, in recent times Are we haunted by endless troubles and catastrophes?
