The Story of Amer (41)

I come from Northern Syria. I’m Kurdish. For sixteen years, I worked in the administrative and legal department of a government organization after studying law at the University of Damascus. I had built a stable life, a career I was proud of. But when the war started, everything changed. I had to leave everything behind and flee—alone—to the Netherlands.

The Story of Amer (41)

Those first months here were hard. I spent a year and a half in an AZC. It was a time of uncertainty, but I didn’t want to sit still. I worked with COA during that period, trying to contribute in any way I could. Eventually, I was given a house in Groningen. That’s where I began to build something new, piece by piece.

It was a time of uncertainty, but I didn’t want to sit still. I worked with COA during that period, trying to contribute in any way I could.

I’ve been in the Netherlands for just over three years now. I don’t have a wife or children here, so I can fully focus on my future. My dream is to return to the kind of work I did in Syria—to support people, to work in the legal or social field. But I know I can’t do that without a Dutch diploma. That’s the goal I’m working toward. First, I need to reach B2 in Dutch so I can start studying at an MBO or HBO, ideally in Social Work. If I want to return to law, I’ll need to reach C1. That feels like a big step, but I haven’t ruled it out.

Outside of studying and volunteering with Humanitas, I find peace in small things—drawing caricatures, biking through the countryside, and walking in the woods. Dutch nature is something I’ve come to love. There’s a feeling of freedom here I didn’t know before. I see a society where freedom—of work, of faith, of being—is part of everyday life. That openness and respect really speak to me.

There’s a feeling of freedom here I didn’t know before. I see a society where freedom—of work, of faith, of being—is part of everyday life.

What I’ve learned over the years is this: there’s always a way forward. Even when the path you imagined disappears, another one will show up. You just have to be willing to look for it—and to believe in yourself enough to keep going. That belief is what carries me, even on difficult days.

Even when the path you imagined disappears, another one will show up. You just have to be willing to look for it

Amer's interview was conducted in Dutch and has been translated to English for this initative.