Trapped between borders
Sinking into a swamp on the Polish-Belarusian border – that's how our project team found Sainab. The then sixteen-year-old refugee from Somalia recounts her perilous escape to Europe in an interview, explains why the assistance provided by our partner organization Egala in the border region is so crucial, and discusses what EU policy should change.
How did you feel when the aid workers found you in the border region?
When they arrived, I was completely exhausted and had almost given up. I had spent a night in a swampy area in the forest, perched on a small island to avoid sinking in. I had hardly any strength left and many injuries on my legs. It was an indescribable relief when they finally arrived and took me in their arms. They gave me everything I needed – fresh clothes, food, and medicine. Without them, I probably wouldn't have made it.
How did you end up in the border region?
I had to leave Somalia because I wasn't safe there. The threats of forced marriage, violence, and female genital mutilation were constant, and terrorist groups like Al-Shabaab made life impossible. I left in March 2023, flew to Russia, and was then taken from there to Belarus. From Belarus, we were taken directly to the border—and that was the beginning of an endless, dangerous wait.
Why was it so dangerous?
We hid in the woods and tried to cross the border. There's a large river there, and the Polish border fence is very high and covered in barbed wire. Many people had been there for months without food or water, often injured. Some were turned back by soldiers, beaten, and robbed. This happens there every day, and there's no consideration for anyone, not even children or families.
What does it mean that no consideration is given to children and young people?
Children need protection, they need a kind of home and regular meals. The hardest part is the violence they experience: pushbacks, beatings, the violence they witness. The hunger, the thirst, the cold. Since I left Somalia, I've never felt safe. There's only one way, and it always leads onward—there's no going back. The feeling of being alone is the hardest, and I know that many children there feel the same way.
What happened to you after the helpers found you?
From Poland I eventually came to Germany, where I live today. In Poland, the soldiers treated me like someone who had no rights. That's when I knew: I had to move on.
What do you wish for in the future?
My greatest wish is to see my family again – my father, my mother, my younger siblings. And I want to become a doctor or a human rights activist to help others, just as I was helped. It's important that people know what really happens at the borders.
What would need to change in the EU to help young people like you? What would you like to say to EU politicians?
I would say to European politicians: Be human! See us as human beings. There needs to be more humanity and respect for human rights, especially for children.
And what would you like to say to the people who are helping?
Without the volunteers in the forest, I wouldn't be here today. They risk their lives to save us, and I am so grateful to them. This is especially vital for children and young people, because many, like me, are unaccompanied.