A new community is growing in Luxembourg

War in Syria has forced millions of people out of their homes and communities, some living in limbo in camps others having to restart their lives in foreign countries, like Luxembourg.

For the 200 or so Syrian refugees currently living in the Grand Duchy, there appears to be fresh hope, however, as a small but determined community begins to grow. Here, Syrian Christians, Muslims and Kurds are coming together with the help of the “Association de la Communauté Syrienne du Luxembourg”.

“Before the war there wasn't much of a Syrian community here in Luxembourg,” Co-founder Yolande Al Bandakji explained, adding: “We created the association because they were more and more numerous. We saw them come to the mosque to ask for help or to ask for asylum. The first month we saw there were people who had lost everything. Some came with families. Some with as many as five kids.”

Yolande explained that Syrian refugees of all religions, who had given all of their money to traffickers to get them to a safe European country would arrive at the doors of the Muslim Cultural Centre in Mamer, in the hope of finding a Syrian, or at least someone who could speak Arabic and help them.

Yolande and her husband, both French nationals who lived in Syria before the war, could not turn their backs. Initially, they did what they could, offering comfort and reassurance. Then, three years ago they founded the association to support the Syrian refugees.

“We would welcome the families, eat together and the children would play together. That's how it started,” she said.

The group aims to bring the Syrian community, which is scattered around the country, together.

In addition to organising outings, the association hosted a community day on Saturday, to welcome the 43 Syrian refugees who came to Luxembourg at the beginning of May.

This group, which is housed at the Foyer Héliar in Weilerbach, was able to meet with refugees who had been in the country longer, including the 28 refugees who were brought over in April 2014 and who are now living in their own homes.

Of the latter group, Yolande explained that they were settling in well. “The children go to school and they speak French. The younger ones learn more quickly. They're having conversations in French already. Some of the kids have joined the Scouts.”

The association also organises fundraising activities to provide medical support to people in Syria. To find out more, visit www.facebook.com/pages/Communaute-Syrienne-du-LUXEMBOURG

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