20/03/2018 by Ida Brink
Jalil's story
Jalil fled Iran because he had participated in a political demonstration in the city of Mahabad. When the Iranian police started looking for Jalil in order to imprison him, he took his family and fled to a nearby city. They managed to cross the border between Turkey and Italy and finally to reach Denmark. The family now lives at an asylum center and are waiting for their asylum application to be reassessed.
Meet Jalil (b. 1983), Kurd born in Ramadi, Iraq & Pouya (b. 2012), Kurd born in Iran.
Jalil fled Iran because he had participated in a political demonstration in the city of Mahabad. With a group of people he demonstrated because a local Kurdish girl had been raped by an Iranian officer and subsequently thrown out of a window from the 4th floor. After two days of demonstration, the Iranian police began to arrest the protesters and put them in jail. One of Jalil’s friends who had also participated in the demonstration was arrested and afterwards the police arrived at Jalil’s house and were looking for him.
He was not at home, but his sister let him know about the police’s visit and told him that he could not come back.
Jalil is an Iranian Kurd, but was born in a refugee camp in Ramadi, Iraq. His parents fled to the camp in 1981 due to the war between Iraq and Iran. Jalil and his parents moved back to Iran when Jalil was eight years old.
In Iran he met his wife Parvin and together they have two children, Pouya and Sama.
When the Iranian police started looking for Jalil, he, Parvin and Pouya fled to a nearby city. They managed to cross the border between Turkey and Italy. In June 2015 they came to Denmark. The family now lives at the asylum center ‘Slottet’ and has had their application for asylum denied. In March 2018 they will have their case reassessed before the Danish Refugee Board. Their hope is to get a residence permit in Denmark.
Photo by Martin Thaulow, Copyright © Refugee.Today/Good people.