VOICES From Migrations | Fatima Kassir's story

“VOICES From Migrations” is a project co-funded by the European Union exploring untold migration. Fatima Kassir moved from Lebanon to Belgium to reunite with her husband, who left their country in 2001 as a political refugee. This is her story.

Fatima Kassir, in the European Institute of Arab Culture | VOICES From Migrations

“On September 11th, I arrived in France, and after five days, I came to Belgium. On October 4th, we got married, and around the 27th, the war worsened in our country.

We lived the pain of war, of course, because our people, our families, our acquaintances… They were there. The war felt unplanned. Random. Something unnatural. 

After the war ended, we started to see the beauty of Belgium. The country is beautiful. It’s nice here. No one interferes with anyone; there’s freedom, as much as possible. If you follow the law, you are free.

There are a lot of migrants like us, really a lot, in Belgium. To the point where I said: 'What’s the difference between Lebanon and Belgium?' 'Why did I come?' I came for this beauty. The freedom, the distance from politics and war.

You also constantly remember where you come from when you see so many migrants.

Here, no one really goes hungry, for sure. People eat, drink, but you still see homeless people. Here, next to the [European Institute of Arab Culture] Center, there’s someone who sets up a place for himself in the streets. In my opinion, that’s wrong. 

As long as we can feed you and give you better places, why stay on the street? Regardless of whether it’s a center, hospital, or something else. Let those places be better, and let people have somewhere to be happy."

Interview conducted by: Jonathan Bender, Ylliona Ismajli, Ni Yi Rong, Erin Smith, and Antonious Atef Shehata”

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Co-funded by the European Union

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.