Syrian refugee hopes to get asylum in Croatia

Tony Toumeh from Syria left his country in 2011 because he did not want to join the army and participate in the conflicts. He left to Lebanon and spent a few years there. However, living conditions in Lebanon were not satisfying and in 2015 he decided to leave Lebanon and try to reach Europe.

He went to Turkey by plane and was immediately imprisoned. After spending six days in jail, he was transferred to a camp. He managed to leave Turkey after ten days and was smuggled in a boat.  Unfortunately, the boat turned over and he lost all his belongings, but managed to reach the Macedonian coast. His journey continued towards Serbia. After walking all night he arrived to the border. He arrived to Croatia on 16 September 2015. After spending a few days in Croatia he left to Hungary again and then to Austria, where he asked for asylum. Unfortunately, his request was refused and he was deported to Croatia on 1 April 2016. He applied for asylum in Croatia and is waiting for the second interview.

He likes Croatia very much and thinks that Croatian people are very friendly. He is also satisfied with the accommodation and living conditions at the RCAS in Zagreb.

Tony started to attend language classes organized by IOM and is hoping to learn Croatian quickly. He hopes to be given a chance to live and work in Croatia. He used to work in agriculture and would be happy to continue working in this field.