Personal stories

A refugee's story of resilience and hope

At the end of July, Skopje hosted the biggest sporting event in North Macedonia — the European Youth Olympic Festival. Among the 4,000 young athletes is 16-year-old Tahora Ismaili, a refugee from Afghanistan who fled to Switzerland alone three years ago.

'Nobody thought we would make it': A migrant abandoned in the Tunisian desert tells of his ordeal

Ibrahim* was arrested in Sfax at the end of May while trying to reach a boat to cross the Mediterranean Sea. Along with around 50 other sub-Saharan Africans, the 23-year-old Guinean was released in the desert, on the Algerian border, without food. After more than a week of walking in extreme conditions, he managed to reach Sfax, then Tunis. Here is his story.

'I lost my child' – A South Sudanese refugee's journey towards Europe

In a desperate attempt to escape political persecution in his hometown of Malakal in South Sudan, Sistnol Michael embarked on a perilous journey to Europe. Tragically, he lost his child while crossing the sea between Turkey and Greece. His story reflects the suffering of thousands of displaced people whose lives have been upended by persecution and loss.

'Friday of Death': Sudanese migrant documents Melilla tragedy, three years on

Alhafiz Trjok was among a group of about 2,000 migrants who attempted to cross into the Spanish enclave of Melilla on June 24, 2022. The attempt was met with violent response by Moroccan and Spanish forces, and at least 23 migrants died in one of the deadliest incidents at Europe’s borders in recent years. Trjok has now published a book to echo the voices of migrants involved in the tragedy.

Video: Claude — the Congolese who made it to Eurovision

Former DRC refugee Claude Kiambe reached the top of the Dutch charts with "Ladada" and even got the royals to sing along. Now he is representing the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest with "C'est la vie."