‘We slept outside, we were hungry and thirsty! In Iran, we ended up in some mountains, stayed there for four days, and only had bread, eating very little so it would last. It was hot, and when it rained, we drank rainwater’
“I had terrible blisters, which bled from all the walking. From Afghanistan to Serbia, we mostly walked, sometimes we were transported by trucks, buses, and cars. It was a tough journey of three months,” Kočaj Arjubi (48), an Afghan who found peace in Serbia in 2016 begins his story for Kurir.
The war, which has been ongoing for over 45 years since the time of the USSR, forced this kind-hearted man to leave everything and head to France to secure a better life and future for himself and his family. Kočaj set off from Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, in 2016 on a journey of 5,425 kilometres. Alone. His wife and five children stayed behind, waiting for their father to find his footing.
KOČAJ AJUBI WITH HIS CHILDREN IN SERBIA, PHOTO CREDIT: PRIVATE ARCHIVE
“I left Afghanistan because of the war and the whole situation there. It wasn't easy to make such a decision. I started from Kabul, and when we reached the border with Pakistan, our group numbered 150 people. Then we crossed into Iran, and 70 of us headed to Turkey. Later, we arrived in Serbia by truck. The goal was France,” Kočaj tells us and continues:
He paid the smuggler 4,300 euros, and if he had continued to France, it would have cost him 6,500 euros. In our country, he decided to stay because of the kindness of the Serbian people.
“I must admit that I hadn't heard of Serbia and Belgrade before, I had heard of Yugoslavia. We didn't even know where we were. We got out of the truck and were told a van would come for us to take us to Belgrade. We got in, settled, and set off. Suddenly we heard voices, opened the door, and saw the Serbian police. They told us the driver had fled and not to worry. They took us to the station, where we stayed for three hours.”
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Enrolled in school
‘Children well accepted’
Kočaj's children started school here in October 2020. The family lives in a rented apartment in Zemun; the rent has increased, but he decided not to move to another part of the city because of the children.
“I can't describe how happy we are. They found friends. It's beautiful here; there's no difference among the children, thank God, it's been like that so far. They like it here. They will attend university here as well. I wanted us to move to Palilula, but the children didn't want to; they made friends here. They socialise outside of school, play football, and walk along the quay. My wife started volunteering at JRS, cooking for unaccompanied minors, and she made friends too.”
After leaving the police station, a girl saw them:
“She went to the store and bought us some food, water, and juices. Before that, when we were passing through a village, an older man ran after us to give us plums, apples, and other fruits. There is a different religion here, but they helped me... These people showed the good heart of the Serbian people, and because of all that, I decided to stay here!”
HE WAS ALSO AMONG THESE PEOPLE NEAR THE FACULTY OF ECONOMICS
He spent a week in the park near the Faculty of Economics before going to the camp in Krnjača, where he also volunteered as a translator. Kočaj speaks eight languages. He received asylum in our country in 2018, and after nine months, a work permit. He opened a translation agency and works with the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS). His wife arrived in Serbia with their three sons, aged 17, 15, and 12, and two daughters, aged 12 and nine, in 2020.
“I waited for them at the airport for a long time, fearing they would be sent back. The children received refugee status, but my wife did not; that's the law, she has temporary residence, which we renew. I haven't regretted staying here; I haven't met a bad person, and I'm grateful to Serbians for that,” says Kočaj.
Mina Branković