Crossing borders legally and illegally, overcoming ordeals to get to Europe, and applying for refugee status just to be given the opportunity to receive life saving medical care – this is what Armenians with terminal illnesses often do to try to survive and prolong their life.
In the Düsseldorf refugee shelter, there are Armenians who have been undergoing treatment for years, awaiting to either fully recover or be deported. Days, months and years pass like this.
They are provided with medical care and the basic amenities at the shelter: a bed, medication, and equipment for physiotherapy. Most of those staying here applied for refugee status anywhere from three to seven years earlier. There are people who still do not have a temporary residence permit and are at risk of being deported at any given time.
Alone and Ill: From One Corner of the Map to the Other
“I went to Ukraine from Yerevan, then to the Czech Republic, and from there to Germany,” says Mane, when recounting her journey to find treatment. She was willing to share her story, but did not want to be identified by her real name.
Due to the lack of medical specialization and the high price for medication in Armenia, doctors advised her to go to Germany or Israel for treatment. Mane, however, did not have the money to cover the cost of treatment.
“I had lived, studied and worked in Artashat for 26 years. I rarely needed to go to Yerevan, and if I ever did, my brother accompanied me. Then suddenly one day they told me, ‘You are sick. You have to go to Germany all by yourself,’” Mane recalls, reliving the emotions she experienced four years ago. “There was a lot of panic and sobbing involved, as I didn’t want to go. Facing the big world alone, with just a suitcase in your hand, you go to save your life and get treatment.”
Filing an application for asylum was a very difficult moment, Mane explains. “They told me to go and say (asylum in German) and that’s it. I was stressed out for a few days, thinking what if they ask me something else? I do not know the language. What will I answer? What if they send me back? I have traveled so far, spent so much money. There were personnel in uniform at that refugee reception point whom I approached and fearfully said asyl. They said ‘OK’ and took me inside,” she says.
Mane, who had been to a camp as a school girl, had a rough idea of what to expect; much like camp, the building was located in a forest, with a canteen and a doctor. Everything was structured according to a schedule, with strict rules and regulations.
Later they transferred her to the refugee shelter.
“I got there and thought ‘this is the end of the world…I am returning to Armenia,’” says Mane, remembering how dirty the rooms were and how she had to adapt to the living conditions.
However this was just the beginning.
“Then letters started coming in, urging me to leave the country. They did not believe that I was seriously ill, until the letter from Armenia’s Minister of Health came, stating that my heart condition could not be treated in Armenia. I also had seizures and that was when they realized I was not lying and they saved my life,” says Mane, noting that a lot of money was spent on her treatment by the German government, money that she would not have been able to able to secure in Armenia, “What kind of job do you have to have in Armenia to make 5,000 euro a month to buy two drugs, not counting all the tests that are free? I have been here for exactly four years,” Mane says. “How can I not be grateful to the German government for saving my life?”
Although she currently holds a temporary residence permit for three years and the risk of deportation is small, she faces other challenges: she has to learn German and find a job, otherwise she will face deportation.
It is a bit challenging for someone with health problems to work. According to Mane’s doctors, she can only work three to four hours a day.
“I want to work as a hairdresser, but the work schedule is eight hours,” Mane says. “I will probably study to become a manicurist just so I can begin working.”
Mane notes that the notion of a prosperous life in Germany is sometimes exaggerated.
“When I am asked for advice on whether or not someone should come to Germany, I say if you have the possibility, do not sell your house, do not take out loans, just come and try it. God willing, everything will go well, but if not, do not lose what you have back home. Nobody knows for sure whether they can stay here or not. It’s a shame to leave all that you have, come here and then go back again,” Mane says, adding that often, Armenians misrepresent their lifestyle in Germany. While you are provided with medical treatment and money for living, it is often barely sufficient for food. “This country is not obligated to do everything for you either. But the most difficult part is the longing for family and friends, overcoming difficulties all alone is really not easy.”
Read the full story HERE
By Anahit Harutyunyan
The story was published in Еvnreport.com in Jun 15, 2022 within the framework of the Berlin School of Journalism project.