Refugees
All topics-
Syria after AssadTo stay, to leave, to return
As many refugees return to Syria, queues are forming outside passport offices as people try to leave. Four personal stories reflect the hopes, fears and unresolved questions of a country in transition.
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Al-Hafiz Tarjok's "Friday of Death"A survivor's account of the Melilla massacre
In "Friday of Death", Sudanese activist al-Hafiz Tarjok recounts his survival of the deadly 2022 events at the Melilla border between Morocco and Spain. His book sheds light on the tragedy faced by thousands of Sudanese risking their lives to cross the desert in search of safety in Europe.
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Displacement in GazaA whole life in one bag
The Israeli offensive in Gaza has displaced thousands of people multiple times. Many carry with them a single bag containing identity documents, a few personal belongings and traces of the lives they left behind.
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Afghans in PakistanRuthless displacement
Pakistan's border with Afghanistan is the site of one of the largest mass displacements in modern times. Since 2023, more than a million Afghans—many of whom lived in Pakistan for decades—have been forced to return to a country where they face few prospects.
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On fleeing to GermanyPoems that strike a blow for freedom
The new collection "Sei neben mir und sieh, was mir geschehen ist" (Be beside me and see what happened to me) features works by 29 poets who arrived in Germany as refugees. Their texts, written in German, Arabic, Kurdish, Persian, and Ukrainian, provide insights into their experiences.
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Syrian-Kurdish politician Elham Ahmed"Syria should be governed federally like Iraq or the UAE"
Elham Ahmed, the foreign representative of northeast Syria, voices concern for minorities in Aleppo following the city’s recent capture. In an interview with Qantara, she outlines her vision of a decentralised Syria and comments on the German debate over the deportation of criminal refugees.
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Sudanese refugees in ChadAn uncertain future
More than half a million people have fled war in Sudan into neighbouring Chad. Humanitarian workers are scrambling to provide support amid overcrowding, limited funding and widespread trauma.
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Turkey and SyriaA renewed partnership?
Damascus and Ankara came to blows following the outbreak of civil war in Syria. Now, the Turkish government and the Assad regime are seeking rapprochement. A diplomatic breakthrough would have consequences beyond regional relations—including for Germany.
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Syrians in LebanonNot safe to stay, not safe to go home
Desperate Syrians are weighing up whether to stay in an increasingly hostile Lebanon or risk a precarious existence in areas held by the Syrian opposition. The return journey is deadly and conditions in Syria are tough
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Grammy-winning producer Ian BrennanRecording Rohingyas' raw emotion
Brennan's "Once We Had A Home" is a searing document of the reality faced by Rohingya refugees squeezed into the massive Kutupalong refugee camp near Cox's Bazar on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border
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One family's flight from Gaza"We escaped hell"
Bombs, destruction, hunger: the situation of the people in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic. Those who can afford to flee to neighbouring Egypt. Mohamed Isbitah managed to do just that. He speaks to Qantara.de about his dramatic escape
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Nassir Djafari's "Der Großcousin"On the run
A man who has lost touch with his Iranian roots meets a distant relative fleeing to Germany at the height of the refugee crisis in 2015. "Der Großcousin", Nassir Djafari's third novel, makes for a thrilling and topical read