Afghan refugee children find safety, solidarity and brighter futures in Luxembourg
Afghan refugee children find safety, solidarity and brighter futures in Luxembourg
By Benjamin Mason and Frederik Bordon
Nestled among rolling hills in the picturesque northern-Luxembourg village of Munshausen, Maison Saint-Hubert is home to a group of refugee children who were relocated from Greece in April 2020. The accommodation centre was opened by NGO Caritas Luxembourg, who have been looking after the children since day one - organizing medical appointments, tuition, and one-on-one meetings with counsellors and asylum lawyers, alongside recreational and developmental activities.
“For me, painting is peace."
“For me, painting is peace,” says Asma, gazing proudly at the tapestry of sketches, portraits, and abstract watercolours on the walls of her bedroom. The peacefulness of rural Luxembourg was a source of comfort and relief for Asma after a long, dangerous journey - fleeing Afghanistan aged 12 with only her younger brother, she was forced to take on more responsibility than any child should have to.
“I was like: ‘I’m in a country I know nothing about, I don’t know the language, nothing. Now what am I meant to do?’… There were many nights when I felt so alone…and living without parents at our age is not easy.”
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Being able to communicate was a priority for both Asma and Tamin.
“When we went out, we’d say ‘look, these people can speak Luxembourgish, French, English…’ and we couldn’t at all. That was very difficult at the start,” recalls Tamim, who arrived in Luxembourg aged 14.
Settling into their new home and supported by those around them, Asma and Tamim soon found their feet. With the help of intensive language classes and support from Caritas, their dedication and hard work have paid off – and Tamim is clearly thriving in multilingual Luxembourg:
“I’ve learned three languages - now I have friends from Luxembourg and other countries. It’s much easier for us now because we can talk to people, get to know and connect with them… French, English, a bit of Luxembourgish.”
With their newfound language skills, the children have settled well into the local school system – with Asma rising to the academic challenge:
“I’ve always loved going to school. It wasn’t easy when I arrived… but I’ve tried really hard to catch up with the others and now I feel good there. I love French lessons, English too, economics and natural sciences.”
Outside the classroom, Caritas has laid on a range of sports and other activities for the children. Mini-golf, bowling and go-karting are among the highlights for Tamim, while Asma has enjoyed developing her artistic talents.
Asma and Tamim now have their sights set firmly on the future – as Tamim says: “Now I just want to focus on the future – for my family, for my career.”
Going forward, Tamim plans to study nursing. When asked why, his answer is simple: “Because I want to help people.”
Asma hopes to study law, but in the meantime plans to leverage her artistic talents for good causes. “There are people that helped me. Now it’s my turn to help others… I thought that maybe I could sell some paintings and use the money to help people in need.”
By receiving these children and investing in their futures, as part of efforts with other European Union countries, Luxembourg continues to set a great example of solidarity with refugees. Coupled with a warm welcome from the host community, relocation can allow children like Asma and Tamim to thrive and live out brighter, safer futures in their new homes.
As Asma says, “In my opinion, home is where you can relax, be at peace and feel loved. Luxembourg gives me all of that.”
The relocation programme featured in this article was led by the Government of Greece with participating European Union (EU) member states and coordinated by the European Commission, with the support of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in close cooperation with the then European Asylum Support Office (EASO, now EU Asylum Agency) and other partners.
For more info on relocation: Explainer: Relocation of unaccompanied children from Greece to other EU countries