Abdul, an Iraqi asylum seeker I photographed in 2010, finally received refugee status in the Netherlands this week after years of waiting in Damascus, Syria. Without the finances to leave Syria as war enveloped the country, he continued to wait in Damascus.
Not knowing what the future held whilst waiting patiently in a city gently disintegrating into chaos, it must have felt reminiscent of the Baghdad he left years before.
His What'sapp message was definitely the best of 2014 so far. Happy New Year Abdul!
Not knowing what the future held whilst waiting patiently in a city gently disintegrating into chaos, it must have felt reminiscent of the Baghdad he left years before.
Smuggling himself to a neighbouring country he was then able to take his flight to Amsterdam, where he says he's happy.
Despite this being only a small piece of positive news coming from Syria, it reminds me that there is some good news to receive from this catastrophe.
As news filters through from Syria of further homophobic executions committed by extremist groups, I'm happy to see a friend far away, safe, and in a country that has led the world in LGBT rights for decades.
His What'sapp message was definitely the best of 2014 so far. Happy New Year Abdul!
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