Like millions of other Syrians, refugee Maan Abu Layla fled Syria to escape the violence in his country – especially the barrel bomb attacks from the Assad regime, but also the violence and restrictions that are a part of life in ISIS-controlled areas of the country.
Abu Layla, who is a university graduate, described fleeing Syria in 2013 and later Jordan in 2015 – both harrowing experiences requiring long drives in unreliable and dangerously overcrowded cars; bitterly cold nights spent outdoors; and enormous uncertainty. Abu Layla said he decided to turn himself in to Hungarian authorities “to keep my humanity.” Although he has requested asylum in Hungary, Abu Layla is eager to be reunited with his family who have been scattered by the war and now live in Syria, France, and Jordan. He is also eager to help rebuild his country after the war ends. “Syria will need people like me when the war ends,” he says. Until then, his main goal is to continue his studies in Hungary.
Read the full article on the Center for Conflict, Negotiation and Recovery (CCNR) website here.
Watch the full panel discussion below.