Ten Borders: One Refugee's Epic Escape from Syria | Hacker News Reader

Ten Borders: One Refugee's Epic Escape from Syria

newyorker.com

14 pointsThevet22 comments

The map resembles one depicting the route taken by a Germanic tribe of the fifth century, only with the directions of the arrows reversed: http://www.newyorker.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/151026_r...

This "refugee" became an economic migrant shopping around for benefits as soon as he transited beyond Turkey, a modern, prosperous, 99% Muslim country into which he could have easily assimilated.

Have you ever moved somewhere in order to improve your economic prospects? (For a job, or school, for example.) If so, what makes you any better?

No, actually, I haven't. But it's quite telling that the concept of a nation has no greater significance to you and those who share your sympathies than the economic prospects it offers. And were I to emigrate, it would be to a country that I actually shared some cultural, ideological, or other sympathies with and not just the one that offered me the most free stuff, and I would actually make a good faith effort to assimilate into it and not demand special treatment and endless accommodations.

I didn't just mean between nations. Have you moved cities? Neighborhoods? Streets?

Please explain, if it's "telling" that the concept of a nation has little significance to me (and I would completely agree that it does not, for me) then what exactly does it tell you?

It tells me that you don't understand or outright reject the very notion of citizenship and the obligations it entails and should be viewed with suspicion by those who still subscribe to it.

That's hardly a surprise. It's just a special case of the eternal conflict between those who distrust authority and those who side with it.

It seems that also in this situation, money is key. Does this mean that most refugees that make it to northern Europe were rich people in Syria?

Also interesting that he left his wife behind. Is she not in danger? Or is the reason for going to Europe mainly for prosperity, with the idea that family reunification will allow his wife to come later?

Once he's in he'll be able to bring his wife and family cheaply by air.

EU regulations state that any airline that takes on a passenger that will be denied entry, seeking to enter the country illegally, or is likely to violate the conditions of his visa will be liable to cover the costs of deportation so airlines filter out any potential cases.

So they often send out young males to through the smuggling routes since they are more likely to prevail, that said even if the man isn't married they often sell themselves for marriage once they settle within the EU and then bring their new family.

In many cases this can run well pass a spouse and include additional family members especially when they can be put as dependents like parents and grandparents.

Because of this some countries like Denmark now published new regulations that delay the family reunion the new regulations in Denmark state that family reunions will only be possible after a year has past from the point in which the person has received their ILR and has been officially settled which in it self can take anywhere between 6 months to a few years.

This is one of the main reasons why the current refugee numbers mean absolutely squat with the majority of current refugee and migrants being predominantly male in their mid 20's to early 30's the final immigration numbers for settled refugees will inflated through family reunions once they've been settled.

Thanks for the explanation. That still leaves the question why he left his wife in Syria, and not in Turkey or Lebanon?

He's an Alawite (A relative minority but the ruling cast in Syria) which means that his an upper-middle class or even more likely upper class, due to this his family is for the most part more likely to be safer in Syria than in the refugee camps in Turkey or Lebanon, especially when considering that those Refugee camps are filled with Suni's, Kurds, and other minorities that do not look at Alawites in a very friendly manner.

He'd "escaped" by the time he hit Lebanon. Everything after that was just seeking economic advantage.

I guess that makes him human. Or would you settle for the worst paying job with bad career prospects? Because otherwise you'd be guilty of job-hopping. Why are you judging people who are trying to make the most out of life?

From my understanding, they are not even allowed to work in Lebanon. So, yes, contrary to what the top comment said, even in Lebanon they are still in a prison they need to escape from.

I hope you apply the same logic to the homeless that move into your local parks and community areas. They are just trying to seek economic advantage, wealthy people have more money to give. It normal to strive for maximum return on minimal output.

It just makes him human.

Not sure if you're being sarcastic but yes you could apply the same logic to homeless people. But minimal output? You can't prove that.

Lebanon is a tiny country flooded with refugees.

At ~10,000 km^2, it's only 50% larger than Delaware. There's close to a million refugees there, in addition to the existing population of over 5 million.

Not staying there is just common sense.

Also, is HN really the place to criticise someone for seeking economic advantage? This is a forum where people regularly discuss how to skirt US immigration laws e.g. to do YC on a tourist visa... There's that whole "ask forgiveness rather than permission" trope that startups swear by -- aren't illegal immigrants risking their lives in that spirit?

Aside from any moral, ethical or legal consideration surrounding this issue, I must say that I admire this guy's determination and perseverance that he set a goal to reach and worked very hard to realize it.

Now back to the story, I find it quite telling that he insisted on making the journey to the North and not to the South where his sister in Saudi Barbaria was helping him financially wiring the money for the smugglers payment.

He knew it that living in a hellhole like Saudi Barbaria isn't worth it even if you make tons of money and making a a modestly good living in Sweden is still the most prudent choice to make.

I wish him the best and that he be as tenacious in his efforts to integrate in Sweden as he's been during this long journey and I can't see why he can't do it.

Syrian and Lebanese people did it in the 19th & early 20th century when they immigrated in droves to South and Central America fleeing wars and political turmoils as usual and built a flourishing diaspora there that's the epitome of assimilation and integration in the society.

You make some great points which are sadly overshadowed by your custom spelling of Saudi Arabia. Trying to score points in that way is a good way to make people disagree with you, or agree with you but wish they didn't.

That's your "the fly in the ointment" moment but if you really think that alluding in my prior comment to the fact that the Saudi regime is barbaric would render any reasonable and substantive point I made void or would result in an inner conflict emerging inside you on whether to like me or not (which is beside the point by the way), it's a shame.

It's not the allusion that bothers me, it's the childish way in which you make it.

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