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“In many ways Shana has more courage than I have. She says whatever she wants to and I really admire her for that. Our dad came to Austria while we stayed behind in Syria with our mother. We were counting on family reunification so that we could come to Austria as well once our father would have obtained all the right papers. In the meantime I turned 18 which meant that I was no longer allowed to come and join my father in Austria. My mother wasn’t leaving without me. We tried a lot of things and we ended up traveling to Lebanon where there is an Austrian Embassy. Finally with the help of UN Refugee Agency, we all ended up coming to Austria. I do feel that our situation has a big impact on our family but I am so happy that we are together. I am also happy that my little sister can be a child again here in Vienna. She has so many dreams. The other day she told me that she wants to be a princess and live in a castle. Just like in fairy tales. Of course fairy tales do not represent reality but I just love that she still believes them.”
Shana, 8 years old, from Syria (Austria, Vienna)

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