Inserts:

00:03 Report / Tessa Walter
00:21 Mohammad Al Najar / Refugee
00:58 Ali Selmi / Refugee
01:41 Jean-Nicolas Beuze / United Nations refugee council
02:22 Mohammad Al Najar / Refugee

Script:

00.0 ((looking at phone, Gaza, destruction //looking at family pictures

Whenever the connection is stable enough, Mohammad tries to contact his family. His wife and two children are still in Gaza, while he fled to Cyprus to apply for asylum. Their home was destroyed, and the three of them now live in a tent in the Khan Younis refugee camp.

00.20

+++++ Mohammad Al Najar, Refugee +++

I really fear that one day I could hear bad news about my family because of the war in Gaza. There is no safe place there. Nowhere. A person can be walking in the street and suddenly lose their life.

00.42 ((walks outside// shows us documents of his status// talks to family?))

Mohammad’s friend Ali is in a similar situation. Both were granted full asylum two years ago and are now waiting for family reunification. Ali received official approval in March 2025, but nothing has happened since.

00:56

++++ Ali Selmi, Refugee+++

I’m still waiting, and by now it feels like such a long time. I wish it had already happened — that I could have seen my children by the time the decision was actually issued.

01.15

When refugees like Ali and Mohammad are granted full asylum, they are entitled to family reunification according to international and EU law. But the reality for some families often looks very different. Critics say that as the EU tightens its migration policies, political and financial restrictions are making it increasingly difficult for refugees to claim those rights.

01.40

++++Jean-Nicolas Beuze, UNHCR++++

There is an attempt, we believe, by a number of countries to not expedite family reunification, allegedly because it's, bringing a burden on the communities. But at the end of the day, if we want those people who arrive and who are given sanctuary in Europe, the best way is to reunite them with their families.

02:01

The Cyprus government says delays with family reunifications are usually procedural, pointing to the difficulty of arranging travel for people living in war zones.

Ali and Mohammad keep trying. They hope that one day, they will be reunited with their families.

02.20

+++ Mohammad Al Najar +++

Living here in freedom would be my dream, so we can enjoy life again, so my children can play and have fun like children should. To have a normal life. I hope God and the people here will help bring them to safety as soon as possible.

02:42

Gaza is still far from a safe place, but the opening of the gaza Crossing gives him fresh hope.

ENDE: 02:50