Sawla Aldyab

After two years alone with six children in Syria, I finally got family reunification with my husband, who had obtained residence permit in Denmark and now lived in Skagen. When the war broke out, he was working in Saudi Arabia, but chose to travel to Denmark instead of back home to Syria.

After two months of being together again in Skagen, it became clear to me that our marriage could not continue, and we divorced. I had been granted a 2-year residence permit, but due to an error from my caseworker, it was not extended. So right now, I do not have a residence permit, and they have also cut my benefits. The children and I were all very well received, everybody helped us a lot, but then this error occurred, and everything is now so uncertain. But I do believe we will get the residence permit extended eventually. In Syria, we don’t have a home to return to. My mother was killed in the war, and the rest of the family is scattered everywhere.

My monthly benefits amounted to 6,000 kroner in addition to which I had child support of 3,000 kroner. Now we don’t get any money. However, we do get a weekly basket of fruit and vegetables from the Red Cross, and sometimes we get things from the local shops. We have been allowed to remain in the flat, but every day it is a struggle to get food on the table. In Syria, I worked away from home as a seamstress, and I would love to find a job here in Skagen, so I don’t have to rely on benefits. I would like to work with the care of the elderly, and I have offered to become a volunteer at the care home when I am not at language school. But the council says no, because I must take care of my children. I don’t understand their argument, because if I get a job or a job training place, I am away most of the day anyway.

32 / female / divorced / children / jobseeker / Skagen / from Syria / family reunification 2016 / residence permit not extended