From Syria to Berlin, Carlos’ journey, a symbol of Germany’s openness to asylum seekers

From our special correspondent in Berlin

Under his black curls, Carlos has a laughing look. Yet life has not always smiled on him. In 2016, barely 25 years old, the young Syrian was forced to flee his country with his little brother to escape the war. “I lived in Lattakia with my family. We are Christians, hence my first name which does not sound very Arabic, he says. I had finished college and was forced by the government to join the army. Some of my friends had already died there, I didn’t want to. “

At the time, it had already been a year since Chancellor Angela Merkel, who will step down after 16 years at the head of the country following the federal elections scheduled for Sunday, made the decision to open the borders of the Germany to Iraqi and Syrian refugees. Carlos decides that he will start a new life there. “I had heard around me that it was a stable country where I had good chances of finding a job, especially with my training”, explains the young man, then freshly graduated from a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. , robotics and electronics. “I was also told that it would be possible to do a master’s degree there. And then me, what interests me are cars. Germany is famous for automotive engineering, ”he adds.

“This is the most dangerous and scary thing I have done in my life”

But if the European country opens its borders wide to refugees, it does not charter flights to get them out of Syria either. Carlos first drove to Beirut, Lebanon, before taking a plane to Turkey. From there, he finds a ferryman to cross the Mediterranean. “It is the most dangerous and frightening thing that I have done in my life”, confides the one who has however just left a country at war. “We spent seven hours on this boat in the middle of the night, lost in the middle of nowhere, without GPS so as not to be spotted by the police and, finally, arriving in the early morning on the island of Samos in Greece. Then direction Macedonia, Serbia, trains, coaches, taxis… Carlos gets lost in the memories of this trying 16 days journey to Austria then, finally, to the south of Germany.

“The police were waiting for us at the station. They kept us one day to verify our identity, our papers, our phone… It went very well. Carlos and his brother quickly obtained a document authorizing them to stay in the territory for three months. They then have to go to court to obtain refugee status for three years. “As we were Syrians, with the measures taken by the government, we had the authorization immediately,” said Carlos, who then joined another of his brothers in the north of the country.

German courses for free accommodation and 400 euros per month

In exchange for this right of residence, the two brothers must learn Goethe’s language. The German equivalent of Pôle emploi finances them courses from beginner to pre-intermediate level (A1 to B1). At the same time, refugees have the right, like the Germans, to the social minima provided for by the State: free accommodation and 400 euros per month. “On the other hand, you have to go to class all week, six hours a day, otherwise they cut you off. ”Not a worry for Carlos who asks for more and obtains from the administration to continue the courses until the level known as“ autonomous ”(C1). “I wanted to put all the chances on my side to find a good job and go to German university”. Carlos finds a job as an engineer just two years after his arrival. “I responded to an ad on a platform, I took the interview, they took me on the test right away. After six months, they even increased me because they were very satisfied with me! “

For two years, Carlos has settled in Berlin. There again, he found a job easily and above all negotiated to work there only three days a week. “The rest of the time I study because I started a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at the university. That’s why I came to this city first and foremost. His ultimate goal: to develop programs for electric cars, to work hard, to set up his own business and to earn more money. “Here, if you pay your taxes, you are always welcome!” And if you have the money and the desire to start your business, the government grants you the right to stay all your life! But Carlos will not a priori need that to obtain German nationality. With a job, a C1 level in German and a stay in Germany for nearly six years, all the conditions to obtain the precious sesame.

German except for Germans

A job, accommodation, nationality, language… Seen from the outside, Carlos is a young man of 31 like any other. But not for all Germans, obviously. “Even after six years, it’s not easy to integrate into society. While the subtleties of the spoken language and a slightly different sense of humor may have been a drag at the start, Carlos encountered other barriers. “From my own experience, most Germans I have met are not interested in the idea of ​​sympathizing with strangers and making them part of their circle. They help you without problem if you are in need, but stay between them. Yet I tried, because I wanted to know Germans. At my work, for example, I offered drinks, activities… They always had an excuse. “

The young man who loves going out to bars, tasting specialties from around the world and meeting new people, finally socialized by practicing kickboxing in the parks during confinement. Today he has made up his mind: he has some German friends, but most of his relatives are not native to the country. Not enough to make him regret his choice of life, however. “My whole family is here now. I have my friends, I speak the language better than English. It’s my house. I can see myself staying there for at least another five or ten years. “