KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 12 — The Syrian refugee, who practically “lived” in the arrival halls of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) for seven months back in 2018, is now a Canadian citizen.
Hassan Al Kontar took his oath yesterday in a virtual citizenship ceremony from his hotel room, marking a long-awaited milestone in his life after years of uncertainty.
Al Kontar said that taking the oath yesterday also marks his declaration of winning after all these years of being in a stateless limbo.
“Today I am stateless no more,” the 41-year-old Canadian Red Cross case worker told Al Jazeera in a phone interview just before his citizenship ceremony yesterday.
Al Kontar made headlines in Malaysia after he made KLIA his “home” in 2018 to avoid deportation to his country and being drafted into the Syrian military.
In the Al Jazeera report published yesterday, Al Kontar said his long fight to find refuge has finally been vindicated.
However, he also reflected on the sacrifices he made to arrive at this point.
“For this, I lost a destroyed country. I was not able to be there for my father when he needed me the most or to be by his side when he passed away.
“I watched my brother’s wedding over Skype when I was stuck at the airport. I was jailed and faced a racist system,” Al Kontar told the international news organisation.
At present, Al Kontar works in the Canadian Red Cross which is his chosen career path.
Since arriving in Canada in late 2018, he has worked to adjust to life and overcome many obstacles as a newcomer in a new country.
His first job was as a barista, serving tea and coffee as he pursued a career as a case worker with the Red Cross. After completing many online courses, he is now a part of the Canadian Red Cross,
Since then, Al Kontar has helped with Covid-19 vaccination efforts and serves on a flood recovery team.
He has also found time to write a book about his experiences, titled Man at the Airport: How Social Media Saved My Life.
Al Kontar said that as a former refugee, he wanted to contribute to the country that he now lives in.
“We will be a good addition to any community we live in,” he was quoted saying.
With the prospect of finally having a Canadian passport, Al Kontar hopes he can realise two of his dreams: travelling to a refugee camp as a case worker to assist those struggling with statelessness and reuniting with his family after nearly 15 years of separation.
Al Kontar was able to help his family escape Syria and said they have been living in Egypt for the last four months.
“I hope to see them as soon as I can. In the future, I will bring them to live in Canada.” he said.
On his newly adopted country, Al Kontar said the people in Canada have been welcoming
“The people in Canada are kind and polite,” he said, adding that Canadians say ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’ countless times for no obvious reason.
Al Kontar was working in the United Arab Emirates in 2011 when civil war broke out in his native Syria. He refused to return for the compulsory military draft and became homeless and without a visa or countries that would admit him.
Al Kontar was eventually deported to Malaysia in late 2017, and later would find himself stuck in KLIA.
The following year, the former insurance marketing manager made international news after he chronicled his experience of living in KLIA, sharing his ordeal of being stateless and highlighting the predicament affecting millions of displaced Syrian refugees like himself.
Over the next seven months in KLIA, from March 7, until his arrest on October 1 in 2018, Al Kontar’s tweets and video diaries grew in popularity with many comparing his situation as the Malaysian version to the 2004 comedy-drama The Terminal starring Tom Hanks.
