Modamani: Why I don't want to go back to Syria despite Assad's fall

Modamani: Why I don't want to go back to Syria despite Assad's fall

The return to Syria? Currently unimaginable for Anas Modamani (27). He became known in 2015 by a selfie with Angela Merkel in the refugee home in Berlin-Spandau. At that time, the Syrian came to Germany in the middle of the refugee crisis and has been pursuing his family's fate in the war -plagued home country since then. In view of the recent developments in Syria, where the BASHAR al-Assad regime was successfully overthrown by taking over rebels, Modamani observes the situation with great concern and uncertainty.

Modamani reports that despite the change of power, he has no hope of a safe return. The past nine years in Germany have made a new life possible, studies and a family are now in the foreground. "I have no apartment, no work and no more friends in Syria. I have everything here," he says. The 27-year-old, who now owns German citizenship, works as a freelance cameraman and married a Ukrainian. However, the longing to bring his relatives to himself is still present, and Modamani remains skeptical about the current situation in Syria. "Germany no longer wants refugees, although it is still dangerous in Syria," he explains how the legal framework makes family reunification more difficult, as the specialist lawyer Nahla Osman confirms, which indicates the strict requirements for asylum applications.

hopes for family reunification

Despite the threats from continuing fights in Syria, Modamani sees no reason to return home. His family still lives in Damascus, where she lives in constant fear through air strikes. "They had to sleep because of the attacks in the basement. The country is still destroyed, there is no more money," he reports. The hopes of merging with his parents will disappear, since the legal hurdles are currently high, while the discourses for the return of the refugees in Germany are gaining driving, as T-Online reported.

Life has shaped him in Germany and he hopes to finally be able to accompany his parents into a safe life. "I will probably fly to Syria for a family visit next year when the airport is back in operation," explains Modamani. The current situation remains worrying for the seventy thousand Syrians in Germany, which hope for a return.