A single father from Iran and his 14-year-old son left their country last year hoping to get to the European Union, but when they arrived in Sarajevo they reconsidered the plan and applied for asylum in Bosnia.
The UN Refugee Agency covered the story about Majid and Muhammed, the father and the son, who looked for a temporary shelter in Bosnia on their way to Europe but, instead, found a home.
Upon arrival in the capital city of Sarajevo, they met a man who offered them a place to stay, which made two of them to reconsider their plans.
“I felt (man’s) warmth and kindness. It is the human connection that matters,” said Majid.
He volunteers in a migrant centre near Sarajevo five days a week, cooking for his fellow migrants. Other two days he cooks for locals and tourists at nearby sightseeing.
The son trains football and dreams about a career of a professional football player.
“For some people, football is just a game but for me it is life,” said Muhammed.
Now their only hope is to have their asylum application approved, so they can start a new life in the country they liked from the beginning.
“I’m going nowhere,” said Majid. “I’m staying here. I love Bosnia.”
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, says the country needs donor support to cope with increased arrivals and process applications. Dorijan Klasnic, a UNHCR public information officer, said 1,600 people had registered asylum claims since January 2018.
