Syria’s youth and the temptation of leaving – Technologist

From around the fountain in the courtyard to the top floor, the old Damascene house was crammed with students focusing on their studies. A monastic silence reigned in the Bab Touma “study zone,” far from the hustle and bustle of the old city’s souk. Samia (like the other people quoted, she did not wish to give her last name, and her first name has been changed) has been coming there almost every day for the past three years, as soon as her classes are over at the Damascus University engineering faculty. For a small fee, she has internet access and electricity, as well as the peace and quiet she can’t find in her family home in the Kafr Sousa neighborhood, where she lives with her brother and sister.

Always ready with a witty remark and a broad smile, the 25-year-old woman has made many friends there, and even found a boyfriend. They are future engineers, doctors, graphic designers and architects who, like her, have only one thing in mind: Leaving for another country. The civil war that has raged since 2011 has already driven more than 5 million Syrians into exile. The economic crisis and military service have triggered a new exodus among young people who live in areas controlled by the Damascus regime.

Samia is preparing to leave in a year’s time, once she obtains her master’s degree. “All my friends want to leave; except for a handful of them, whose parents have forbidden them or who have the guarantee of a stable job here, after university. It’s a new phenomenon for women, especially Muslim women like me,” she said, wearing a black headscarf and a colorful tunic. “Before, we couldn’t travel without a chaperone, but now it’s OK, because we have relatives abroad,” she said.

Her mother refused a visa that Germany offered to the family in 2017. Her aunt was the first to leave, four years ago, with her children, after her husband died. Her cousin followed, and is now married with two children. “At first, it was a shock to the family. Now everyone is convinced that it’s the best thing to do,” said Samia. Even the prospects of starting a family in Syria are slim today. Samia and her boyfriend, who has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, have just broken up. “He wanted to get married, but he can’t afford to pay the dowry. He has to go into exile to save money. It’s going to take some time. We decided to end things and stay good friends,” she said.

Samia has become fluent in English through hours spent watching American films. She would like to emigrate to England, but visas are hard to come by. She is, therefore, considering Germany, which took in more than a million Syrian refugees during the war, and which still offers welcome programs for Syrian students and young graduates. She has been learning German through online tutorials, as she can’t afford private lessons.

You have 73.34% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.