"I was 14 and kind of lost."

When Hassan Torabian* arrived in Ireland in Christmas 2008, he hid in the toilets at Dublin airport for two days.

The young Iranian stayed in a cubicle, only venturing out to warm himself under a hand-dryer. 

“I thought they would arrest me. I was terrified.”

A separated child, Hassan is one of almost 15,000 children who arrive in Europe every year seeking asylum. Close to 100 come to Ireland.

Some are reunited with family members already in Ireland.

Others, such as Hassan, have no choice but to leave them behind them.   

“I was very happy in Iran. I had friends and was doing well in school. Then one day I was sitting in class when my uncle came and took me. At the time I was too young to understand why he did so, but things have since become clearer.”

His father, mother and younger brother were arrested by the secret police.

Afraid that Hassan would also be taken, his uncle took him from school and moved him quickly. First to another uncle. Then to a friend, after which he was moved from one place to another. Eventually, he was smuggled under darkness with some other children across a border in a lorry.

“Honestly, I started crying. All I can say is that I am glad I was not a girl. I saw some awful things and even now, I find it hard to watch anything on TV about trafficking.”

In all, he believes he may have travelled for close to 5 months. Some of that period was spent in a stranger’s houses, others making a run for it while being shot at by border guards. 

“We would creep through forests in middle of the night and they told us to keep our head down or we would be shot by Special Forces. It was an awful feeing as you feel you are doing something illegal and can get caught at any time.”

Eventually, he was given a fake passport and put on a plane. From where he does not know. He had no English and it was his first time travelling.

“To be honest I was 14 and kind of lost. But I think anyone in that situation will always find a way to cope.”

Hassan received refugee status in Ireland, a “relief” he says, even if the experience of being interviewed was at times traumatic. “Answering all the questions I was asked made me feel like I was still on the road. I was scared what might happen if they sent me back.”

He stayed under the care of the Irish State Agency that cares for separated children, first in a house with other children and later with an Irish family.

“Everything I have now is because of them. They taught me everything.”

His mother and brother have since joined him in Ireland, and Hassan has done the state Leaving Cert. He is now studying business management and accounting although his main focus is elsewhere right now.

“I am looking to pass my driving test.”

• Name changed to protect anonymity