Syrians Abroad

Understanding the migrant crisis in Denmark

Based on sheer numbers, the media has described the refugee crisis as the defining moment of this generation. By the end of 2015, more than a million refugees had applied for asylum in the EU, whereas 292,000 of them had been offered a home. Amnesty International reports that 4.5 million refugees fleeing Syria are located in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. A total of 9 million Syrians have been forced out of their homes, with a vast majority of them being internally displaced.

Mahmoud Al-Tamir (27) represents one of many individuals, each with their own narratives and dreams. Mahmoud arrived in Denmark in August 2015 with his brother Ahmad (23) after a grueling one month journey that hundreds of thousands have attempted to undertake. His trip took him illegally and dangerously across the Mediterranean towards the Greek island of Kos, with the assistance of smugglers. During their short trip, the rough waters of the Mediterranean capsized their dingy, and they were forced to accept help from the Greek Coast Guard. His options were simple: either accept help from the Greeks and be escorted back to Turkey, or drown in the sea. As he tells it, Mahmoud's captain called the Greeks' bluff and said they would drown in the waters before returning to Turkey. Fearing for their survival, the Greeks begrudgingly allowed them safe passage through their country. Going off of tips from online message boards and local activists, Mahmoud connected with human traffickers who helped him make the journey over a half dozen borders to Denmark. For a moment, he was detained in Hungary and finger printed. Fearing he would be extradited, eventually they were allowed to continue but Mahmoud lives with the fear that at any moment he may be deported from his new home.

Originally a camera operator whose work took him all over the Middle East, Mahmoud left friends and family behind for the promise of a more stable future. After planning for a near year, Mahmoud left with his brother, a chef by trade, and his sister. During his time in Denmark, Mahmoud and his brother have tried to be as productive as possible. Together they lead an impressive team of cooks at a Nørrebro refugee center, preparing meals for over 100 asylum seekers in Copenhagen every week. In addition to cooking, both attend English and Danish classes twice a week. While Ahmad has been offered work at a Copenhagen bakery, they find their future uncertain. At any moment in Denmark's politicians decide they are unhappy with the migrant population, he and his family could be deported due to his brief detainment in Hungary.

This work attempts to educate the audience on the importance of visualizing a statistic as an individual. It’s easy to understand the enormity of the number, “9 million migrants,” but understanding that each migrant is a human being with their own complex backgrounds and desires will help the audience realize the immensity of this crisis. Mahmoud is not a number. He is a chain smoking, jovial, endearing, and enormously kind character who seems more like a larger than life book protagonist than the humble man I know him to be.

Click through each photo to hear more about Mahmoud’s story.