Podcast
Questions and Answers
Why did Ahmed find it easier to listen to Ibrahim without looking at him?
Why did Ahmed find it easier to listen to Ibrahim without looking at him?
- He didn't understand Ibrahim's accent when he looked at him.
- He was distracted by the surroundings in the park.
- He was being disrespectful to Ibrahim.
- He was trying to hide his true feelings about the bad news. (correct)
What was the original basis for Ahmed's father's friendship with Ibrahim?
What was the original basis for Ahmed's father's friendship with Ibrahim?
- They both came from the same village in Iraq.
- They had worked together in Brussels before seeking refuge.
- They formed a pact while stranded at sea to look after each other's families. (correct)
- They were cellmates in a detention center in Lesbos.
Why were refugees, including Ibrahim's family, forced to sleep in the Red Cross camp in Parc Maximilien?
Why were refugees, including Ibrahim's family, forced to sleep in the Red Cross camp in Parc Maximilien?
- They had not yet registered with the Office of Foreigners due to long wait times. (correct)
- They preferred the communal living environment of the camp.
- They were waiting for their asylum applications to be processed.
- The Office of Foreigners was located inside the park.
Why was the interior ministry planning to close the Red Cross camp?
Why was the interior ministry planning to close the Red Cross camp?
What specific concern did Zainab raise regarding Ahmed's situation if they appealed the refugee status decision?
What specific concern did Zainab raise regarding Ahmed's situation if they appealed the refugee status decision?
What does Ahmed's reaction to the prospect of being alone indicate about his experience as a refugee?
What does Ahmed's reaction to the prospect of being alone indicate about his experience as a refugee?
The refugees weren't eligible for housing until they had registered across the street at the Office of Foreigners. What does this suggest about the bureaucratic process for refugees?
The refugees weren't eligible for housing until they had registered across the street at the Office of Foreigners. What does this suggest about the bureaucratic process for refugees?
What does Ahmed's attendance at the school in the camp with Bana suggest about the camp?
What does Ahmed's attendance at the school in the camp with Bana suggest about the camp?
What can be inferred as the most likely reason Ibrahim's family was denied refugee status?
What can be inferred as the most likely reason Ibrahim's family was denied refugee status?
How did Ahmed learn about the smugglers and routes?
How did Ahmed learn about the smugglers and routes?
What is Ahmed's primary concern about being perceived as older than his actual age?
What is Ahmed's primary concern about being perceived as older than his actual age?
Why does Ahmed consider traveling to Calais, France?
Why does Ahmed consider traveling to Calais, France?
What does Ahmed's desire to watch David De Gea's goalkeeping suggest about him?
What does Ahmed's desire to watch David De Gea's goalkeeping suggest about him?
Why is Ahmed torn between going to Calais and staying in Belgium?
Why is Ahmed torn between going to Calais and staying in Belgium?
What does the phrase 'all those hard-earned kilometers in reverse' suggest about Ahmed's journey?
What does the phrase 'all those hard-earned kilometers in reverse' suggest about Ahmed's journey?
What is the significance of Ahmed stroking the face of his watch and wondering what his father would tell him to do?
What is the significance of Ahmed stroking the face of his watch and wondering what his father would tell him to do?
What does Ahmed's memory of his imagined life with Baba in England reveal about his motivations?
What does Ahmed's memory of his imagined life with Baba in England reveal about his motivations?
What does Ahmed's decision-making process reveal about his character?
What does Ahmed's decision-making process reveal about his character?
What does the detail about smugglers hanging around Parc Maximilien suggest about the refugee situation?
What does the detail about smugglers hanging around Parc Maximilien suggest about the refugee situation?
Why does Ahmed tickle Bana?
Why does Ahmed tickle Bana?
What is Ahmed's primary concern about staying in a reception center for unaccompanied minors?
What is Ahmed's primary concern about staying in a reception center for unaccompanied minors?
Why was Ahmed traveling to Belgium in the first place?
Why was Ahmed traveling to Belgium in the first place?
What does Ibrahim mean when he tells Ahmed, "You will have a better outcome without us"?
What does Ibrahim mean when he tells Ahmed, "You will have a better outcome without us"?
What is Ahmed's biggest fear about registering as an unaccompanied minor in Belgium?
What is Ahmed's biggest fear about registering as an unaccompanied minor in Belgium?
The forged passport presents what specific risk to Ahmed?
The forged passport presents what specific risk to Ahmed?
Why does Ahmed wince at the thought of reception centers?
Why does Ahmed wince at the thought of reception centers?
What does the comparison of Belgium to a 'pebble in a shoe' suggest about Ahmed's feelings toward the country?
What does the comparison of Belgium to a 'pebble in a shoe' suggest about Ahmed's feelings toward the country?
What can be inferred about Ahmed’s relationship with Ibrahim and Zainab?
What can be inferred about Ahmed’s relationship with Ibrahim and Zainab?
What does the phrase "their real passports had been destroyed on that terrible day" imply?
What does the phrase "their real passports had been destroyed on that terrible day" imply?
How does the text portray the difference between short-term help and long-term commitment, as demonstrated by the Belgian volunteers?
How does the text portray the difference between short-term help and long-term commitment, as demonstrated by the Belgian volunteers?
Flashcards
Wartime Vow
Wartime Vow
Friendship formed quickly under duress; a promise to care for someone's family if something happens to them.
Refugee Status
Refugee Status
A formal request to a government for protection, often based on fear of persecution in one's home country.
Office of Foreigners
Office of Foreigners
Government entity responsible for processing asylum claims and managing immigration.
State Custody
State Custody
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Unaccompanied Minor
Unaccompanied Minor
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Smuggler
Smuggler
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Refugee Camp
Refugee Camp
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Unsettling
Unsettling
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Appeal (a Decision)
Appeal (a Decision)
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Nearby
Nearby
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Reception Center
Reception Center
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Asylum
Asylum
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Ineligible for Asylum
Ineligible for Asylum
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Forged Passport
Forged Passport
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Passport
Passport
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Asylum Rules
Asylum Rules
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Fear of Being Trapped
Fear of Being Trapped
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Feelings of Uncertainty
Feelings of Uncertainty
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The Jungle (Calais)
The Jungle (Calais)
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Calais, France
Calais, France
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Parc Maximilien
Parc Maximilien
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Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
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Asylum System
Asylum System
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Seamaster Watch
Seamaster Watch
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England
England
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Decision Dilemma
Decision Dilemma
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European Fear
European Fear
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Study Notes
- Ahmed listens to Ibrahim Malaki's bad news while in Belgium.
- Ahmed no longer considers Ibrahim as just Iraqi, but as his father's friend.
- They formed a bond when they were in the water and vowed to look after each other's families.
- The Belgian Office of Foreigners denied Ibrahim and his family refugee status.
- They are being pressured to return to Iraq.
- Refugees must register at the Office of Foreigners to be eligible for housing.
- The lines at the office were long, forcing people to sleep in the Red Cross camp in the park.
- Volunteers at the camp provided clothes, blankets, meals, and diapers.
- A small school was set up at the camp, where Ahmed attended with Ibrahim's four-year-old daughter, Bana.
- The interior ministry announced the camp would be closing.
- The camp's presence contrasted with the surrounding office towers.
- Authorities could no longer justify the tent city in the European Union's capital.
- Ibrahim's wife, Zainab, hopes to stay with relatives in Molenbeek while Ibrahim appeals the decision.
- An unaccompanied minor must go into state custody while their case is processed.
- Ahmed is terrified by the idea of being alone.
- Thousands of child refugees are traveling in Europe alone.
- Ahmed met some who exchange information about smugglers and routes.
- Some children are orphans, while others were sent ahead of their families.
- Ahmed had assumed he would stay with Ibrahim in Belgium until he finished high school.
- Ibrahim says Ahmed will have a better outcome without them because he is Syrian, and they are taking Syrians.
- Ahmed barely knows anything about Belgium and only went as Ibrahim was headed there.
- Ahmed is directed to a reception center for unaccompanied minors.
- Ahmed winces at the thought of reception centers, remembering his experiences in Greece and Hungary.
- They were overcrowded and provided expired food.
- Ahmed fears the fights, nightmares, strange food, medical exams, and language classes in the centers.
- He knows it will take months for them to figure out what to do with him.
- There were kind Belgians who volunteered at Parc Maximilien; however, it is different than adopting a teenager.
- Ahmed will be in state custody until he comes of age.
- Ibrahim assures Ahmed that they will go together to register and keep in touch.
- Ahmed knows they cannot provide much help from Iraq, and registering in Belgium would make him ineligible for asylum elsewhere.
- He would be trapped in Belgium forever.
- Ahmed's only proof of being Syrian is a forged passport bought in Turkey.
- He fears the authorities will not believe he is Syrian, especially since he has been traveling with Iraqis.
- Ahmed reflects that he would have been better off arriving alone.
- Ahmed is only fourteen, but people think he is older.
- He worries the police will see him as a possible terrorist and send him back to Turkey.
- Ahmed reminisces about his imagined life in England with his father, including school, football, and food.
- He considers that fate might be telling him not to give up on England.
- He knows that the best chance of getting to England is through Calais in France and the "Jungle" camp.
- Smugglers around Parc Maximilien offer rides to France.
- Ahmed must decide whether to go to Calais or stay in Belgium.
- He has less than forty-eight hours to make this life-altering choice causing him to stroke the face of his watch.
- Ahmad wants to know what his father would tell him to do.
- He tickles Bana to distract himself.
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Description
Ahmed supports Ibrahim after his refugee status is denied in Belgium. They bonded and promised to support each other's families. They navigate refugee camp life, attend a camp school, and face the camp's closure, hoping to find refuge with relatives.
