Mahabad Quasemi

Safety is what matters the most. In Denmark I feel safe and secure. But at the same time, we live with the insecurity. How long can we stay in the country? It is hard. And it makes you stressed.

The uncertainty means that I don’t have the courage to put children into the world. What kind of life can I offer them? The future is far too uncertain - and it looks difficult.
We are okay for now, because we are safe here. We have hopes like everyone else. I don’t want to be a refugee, but I don’t have much of a choice.

For me, Kurdistan is a real country, but we are not accepted. Although we have our own language, we are looked down upon. I don’t have a real country, but I feel like a Kurd. I am grateful for the way Denmark has accepted me. I hope the Danes will visit Kurdistan once we get our own country.

My parents and two of my three siblings live nearby. I visit my parents every day. I often ask my parents why I was born.

I like to live in Bjerringbro. Here I go to fitness and yoga, and every Wednesday I attend a meeting at the Red Cross. Here we can eat together and get help with reading or writing a letter.

It was Halloween, the day I came to Denmark. Many were dressed up and looked as though they were anointed with blood. Are they always like that, I thought?

But we got food. On our flight we came through Serbia, Bosnia and Germany. We had no money and didn’t get anything to eat other than oranges and bananas. I was hungry when I came to Denmark.

At the refugee centre, we got money the first day. I went to the supermarket to shop. But it was hard to find food when I didn’t know what the different things were.

32 / female / married / no children / student / Bjerringbro / Kurdish Iranian / came to Denmark in 2015 / temporary residence permit