Hassan al-Kontar documents his fight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
A Syrian man who has been living in limbo at Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport for seven months has now arrived in Canada, where he has been granted asylum thanks to the sponsorship of a number of that country's citizens. .
The story of Hassan al-Kontar, 37, attracted worldwide attention when he regularly uploaded videos from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Initially living in the airport transit corridor, he has spent the last two months in a detention center. Kontar's sponsors are trying to expedite the resolution of the case in Malaysia so that he can immediately fly to Vancouver, Canada.
Two local organizations, the Muslim Association of British Columbia and the Canada Caring Society, sponsored him to come to Canada as a refugee.
Laurie Cooper, a volunteer with the Canadian Concern Society, previously told the BBC that she learned last Thursday that Kontar would be flying to Canada.
“It’s a huge relief, it’s still incredible,” he said.
“Until I gave him a hug at the airport, it wasn't real. It was a long, long process full of pitfalls.”
Contact 'lucky'
Cooper said Kontar sent a short message from the gate in Malaysia saying he was looking forward to meeting.
“Her situation reflects the challenges faced by all refugees around the world,” Cooper said.
“It's getting harder and harder for them to get to a safe place. He was one of the lucky ones.”
According to the Caring Society of Canada, people from many countries helped raise funds to bring Kontar to Canada.
When war broke out in Syria in 2011, Kontar was working for an insurance company in the United Arab Emirates.
He cannot renew his passport because he has not yet completed his military service in his country, but he does not want to return to Syria for fear of being arrested or forced to enlist in the army.
Hassan al-Kontar, a Syrian stuck at Kuala Lumpur airport
Thus, the man from Suweida, south of Damascus, was living illegally in the United Arab Emirates, but was arrested in 2016.
In 2017, he managed to obtain a new passport, but was ultimately deported to Malaysia.
The country is listed as one of the few countries in the world to offer visa-waiver-on-arrival facilities to Syrian passport holders. He was granted a three-month tourist visa.
When his visa in Malaysia expired, Kontar attempted to travel to Turkey, but was barred from boarding the plane. He then traveled to Cambodia but was returned to Malaysia.
For months he lived adrift, staying in the passenger arrival area and surviving on food assistance from airline employees.
He had already requested asylum in Ecuador and Cambodia, but without success.
Kontar's story reminds audiences of the film The terminal with Hollywood actor Tom Hanks.
“Amateur problem solver. Hipster-friendly alcohol lover. Beer buff. Infuriatingly humble tv geek.”
