When I arrived in Calais I was very sorry I came. I realised I could not wait on the border like other Syrian people for four or five months in order to travel to the United Kingdom.
When I walk in the street I feel like I have come from another world. French people in general are very kind, but we are sleeping in the park because the police have destroyed all the camps. Sometime I feel like I am an insect. When I go to a hotel they always say it is full, because they think we are dirty.
It takes a lot of time and money to get to the UK. Nothing is guaranteed. It depends on your luck. Your chances are about 10%. The UK is not paradise. It is a good country but there are many choices for Syrian people. Twenty-seven countries will give us refuge.
It has been a hard journey. Sometimes I wish I had stayed in Turkey. Not because Europe is bad, but because I feel lonely here. In my dreams I return to Syria. But at the same time, I have discovered countries. I would would like to visit all European countries, all twenty seven. But it is expensive, so I choose what is suitable for me.
I will pack my bag and go to Denmark. It was my first choice.
This is an extract from the exhibition ‘Syria in Transit’ by Jon Davis and Kemal Vural Tarlan which ran at the Kirkayak Arts Centre, Gaziantep, Turkey, between 20 September and 20 October 2014.
Image: Kemal Vural Tarlan
