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Fahad began his irregular journey at the age of 13. “It was never my intention to embark on a journey to Europe,” says Fahad, a young Somalian man in his twenties who was born and raised in Mogadishu. When Fahad was 13 years old, Al-Shabaab forcefully tried to recruit him. It was then that he made the decision to run away to Ethiopia. He ran away without his family’s knowledge, in fear that they would be forcefully asked to reveal his whereabouts.

“They think that as soon as they arrive here, they will get a well-paid job and be able to support their families. But it’s difficult to get a job and there’s a long process to go through before you can stand on your own feet.”Daniel speaks about the cultural shock asylum seekers experience when they arrive in the country of asylum and realize that nothing is what they had expected.