Hassan Abdo Ahmed Mohammed, his wife, Gulistan, and their four children wanted a peaceful life away from the violence in their home country of Syria. Upon arriving in Russia, however, the Kurdish family ended up fighting a long battle with Russian authorities. As a result, the family has been forced to live in Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport for the past 50 days, according to CNN.
After the family left the chaos in Syria, which has claimed 300,000 lives and forced 10 million people from their homes, the family travelled to Ibril, a Kurdish city in north Iraq. From there, they attempted to seek asylum in Russia, since Gulistan's sister and cousin live in the country.
However, upon arriving in Moscow, the family's progress came to a sudden halt.
"When we arrived the airport in Moscow, we were told to wait for a security check. After few days we were told that our visas are fake," Mohammed said.
The family's documents were later confirmed to be genuine, though Russian officials remain suspicious. As of writing, the country still has not granted the family asylum status, forcing the family to set up a temporary home in one of the terminal's smoking areas, reports NBC News.
Since the family is not allowed to go outside the airport's premises, they are relying completely on aid brought to the airport by human rights workers. They also utilize the airport's facilities, such as restrooms, to wash their clothes.
Despite the family's plight, however, Mohammed states that moving back to Syria is out of the question.
"If I go back, the regime will kill me and my family," he said.
Watch a video of the family's plight here:
For more news about the refugee crisis, click here.
