Ahmad Diab
Ahmad Diab is born in 1996 in Darʿā in southwestern Syria. As a teenager, he joins the protesters against the Syrian government there. When the war breaks out, his school is closed. To earn some money and stay active, he starts helping out at a pastry shop. When a bomb falls near his workplace, his worried mother gives him an ultimatum: “If you don’t leave Syria immediately, you are no longer my son!” Ahmad is shocked and flees to Jordan against his will the next day. He stays there for two years and works in a café to earn money for the next leg of his journey. His employers are aware of his precarious situation and exploit him: long working hours, inadequate pay, and racist attacks are part of his daily work life. When he has saved enough money for a flight to Turkey, he sets off with a cousin towards Europe. From Turkey, they initially travel by sea to Greece with other refugees. “When we saw the waves in Turkey, many became afraid of the crossing and didn’t want to board the boat. However, the smugglers threatened us with weapons and forced us onto the boat. At sea, we went off course and ended up on an uninhabited Greek island. When it got dark, we made ourselves noticeable with a large fire.” After being rescued in Greece, they continue their journey via the Balkan route. In autumn 2015, two and a half years after leaving Syria, they arrive in Germany. His cousin moves on to Denmark, while Ahmad stays. He is interested in the German automotive industry and sees his future in it. His father also worked in this field. “My father did so much for the family. He worked in Kuwait with cars for ten months a year. I rarely saw him. He died shortly after I arrived in Germany. I couldn’t say goodbye to him.” In May 2016, Ahmad finally arrives in Bremerhaven. He quickly gets involved with the Kreuzkirche as a volunteer for other refugees, completes his school diploma, and finds an apprenticeship as a vehicle mechatronics technician.
A portrait of Ahmad Diab is one of the faces that has been displayed on the facade of the new German Emigration Center since June 2021. Before the opening of the extension with the artistically designed facade, the Nordsee-Zeitung introduced the people behind the faces. You can watch the corresponding film portrait of Ahmad Diab here.