Hind & Raed
Raed arrived in Luxembourg in September 2015, having left behind his family of six in Baghdad and a job as a head of works in the Institute of Fine Arts and lecturer at the Institute of Material Design.
Marginalised in Iraq and suffering from sectarian discrimination at his work place, his family encouraged him to leave his country where, on top of everything else, he could not get adequate medical treatment for cancer caused by exposure to radioactive waste from uranium tests carried out by the military (from past wars and current bombings).
Raed travelled by sea and completed the trip overland like many other refugees heading for Europe.
Before coming to Luxembourg, Hind was a TV journalist and programme producer in Baghdad, Iraq. She fled Iraq in 2013 after receiving death threats because of her work.
Hind travelled through Turkey, took a boat to Greece and crossed through Macedonia, Hungary, Austria and Germany before arriving in Luxembourg on September 5, 2015, along with her mother, sister and sister's family. She and her family have applied for international protection in Luxembourg.
Hind shares a room with her mother in one of the many refugee centres set up in Luxembourg, and she writes regular articles in the local press about her experiences as a refugee.
“Could anyone imagine leaving everything behind and starting life again from zero? Experiencing death and the treacherous journey to get here? But it is ok now; the start of a new life is difficult, that’s for sure, but we need to be patient…I know that life is not simple and I am not getting everything I wish for easily, but I need to learn, be more patient and persevere to achieve my dreams.In the end though, my family is with me safely here in Luxembourg: that’s the most important and beautiful thing to me”