After many delays, errors in the procedure and several rejections, she finally received the liberating news last year that she could stay in Greece. In 2023 she started working with Boat Refugee Foundation as an interpreter. 

Initially, Asmaa lived in Kara Tepe, a smaller camp on the island. “I came with my sister and her children. It was incredibly difficult for us to live in this camp. I was scared constantly. It’s a hard place, especially for women.” Asmaa tried to stay active and hopeful: “I worked as a barber and I volunteered with an organisation supporting pregnant women.” But as her asylum claims were repeatedly denied, the psychological burden grew heavier. “It was so stressful, I almost couldn’t cope. After my third rejection, I couldn’t leave my isobox anymore. I couldn’t go back, and I wasn’t allowed to stay. I was depressed and had lost all hope.”

When Kara Tepe closed, she was moved to the larger Mavrovouni camp. “It got a bit better after moving to Mavrovouni. There’s organisations here that provide support. Medical and psychosocial support, practical support, information, food and items like clothing when needed. But living with so many people, especially when you are sharing accommodation with strangers, is hard. Everyone faces challenges. Dealing with each other, having to share the limited space and resources, with no privacy, can be a huge challenge.”

“When I was depressed I received invaluable support from organisations such as Boat Refugee Foundation.” In 2023 Asmaa started working as an interpreter at the clinic. “I love my job as an interpreter. It gave me new hope. I felt reborn. The support we provide, both medical and psychosocial support, is so important. Boat Refugee Foundation is a place of huge importance for the people in camp and for us. As interpreters we play a crucial role in providing quality, accessible care for the many people who need it. And I have learned a lot in the time I have been working here, developed myself professionally.

It’s the psychological consultations that touch me most. Especially the stories of women, mothers, often alone with their children. They share so many stories. Sad stories. People have gone through so much. Like me. There are sad moments, people feel despair. But we are there to help. To help people to stay alive, to keep going. Knowing that, seeing that, gives me strength, too.”

In 2024 Asmaa finally heard she could stay. Asmaa: “It’s only temporary: for now, I can stay for three years. But I can work and I am recovering and building a life. I live in my own place outside camp. Because of my job I can pay for everything myself. I am loving my privacy, my own space. I want to feel human again – I lost this during my years staying in the camp.”

Asmaa hopes her words will be heard: “Listen to refugees themselves. Hear the stories of people who had to flee their country and left everything. Don’t judge us. Don’t assume you know our situation. We are people like you with our own histories, our own stories. When I left my country, I was looking for safety. That’s all we want—to be safe and to feel human.”