Refugee families find a house and a home in Luxembourg
Refugee families find a house and a home in Luxembourg
By Frederik Bordon and Ben Mason
The Khalil family from Syria and the Al Enezi family from Kuwait were relocated from Greece to Luxembourg in 2019, following a renewed global appeal by Pope Francis for solidarity with refugees. Luxembourg’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs took care of bringing the families over, and the Luxembourgish NGO Reech Eng Hand found a suitable house - a former presbytery in the small village of Feulen, 40km north of Luxembourg City.
“The happiest and sweetest moment in our lives was when we were told that we had been selected to go to Luxembourg,” says Mohamed Al Enezi from Kuwait, who arrived with his wife, Amina and their two sons, Fahed and Hussein.
As soon as Marie-Christine Ries from Reech Eng Hand, which means “a helping hand” in Luxembourgish, heard that the families were coming to Luxembourg, she sprang into action. “One evening, the Archbishop called me and said: ‘There will be two families coming over, and you’ll be welcoming them, Reech Eng Hand!’,” Marie-Christine recalls, smiling. Marie-Christine immediately started making arrangements to prepare the refurbished presbytery for the two families to move in – the Khalils on the ground floor and the Al Enezis on the first. Having found a house, both families could begin rebuilding their lives in their new-found home of Luxembourg, with Marie-Christine and local volunteers by their sides.
“One thing that’s been important from the start is the philosophy of our project: we work with people, and not for them. It’s about letting them take control of their own lives,” she explains.
The two families are now working to put their experience and newly acquired skills to use. In Syria, the Khalil family’s dad, Sarbast, used to be a chef and pastries were his specialty. His wife, Nshtman, is developing her skills as an esthetician and they both hope to open their own businesses in Luxembourg one day. Mohamed Al Enezi, who is passionate about cars, has his mind set on becoming a taxi driver.
The families have also taken the time to get to know the local residents. The Al Enezi boys, Fahed and Hussein, and Sarbast have also joined the local football team where they are forming new friendships. “I have a lot of friends from Feulen, especially from the club. We often stay on the football pitch late at night and play together,” says Sarbast, smiling.
The Khalil and Al Enezi children are going to school and can already speak French and Luxembourgish. For Mohamed and Amina, this has meant the world to them. Being stateless in their home country meant their children couldn’t go to school there. “The nicest moment was seeing them on the school bus on the first day. I couldn’t believe they were going to study,” says Amina with tears of joy rolling down her face.
Both families have welcomed new additions since arriving in Luxembourg – baby boys Kazem Al Enezi and Ivan Khalil were born in 2021. Kazem is a Luxembourgish national. “Kazem was born in a safe country. He will grow up in a proper way and will get an education. We dreamt about this.” Mohamed says with a sense of relief.
The support offered by the Luxembourg Government alongside NGOs like Reech Eng Hand has allowed families like the Khalils and the Al Enezis as well as many more refugees to find not only a house but also a home. “We are happy to be here, and thankful to everyone who made the effort to bring us here. Luxembourg is generous,” Mohamed says. “A home is the country that embraces us, and gathers us together with our children.”