Programme Erasmus + Europe on the move : Migration Biographies Interviews
Iliana is an ex student of the New Moudania high school . She excelled while she was in school and entered the University with extremely high scores . She studies medicine and during the summer time she works . She is of Albanian origin but has got the Greek citizenship .
Question : How did your parents decide to immigrate and who came first ? Answer : My dad came first . Q : Why did he choose to come to this country instead of going elsewhere ?
A : My dad was thinking about leaving because there was a big migration wave from Albania . It was around 1997 or earlier when there was a civil war , my parents used to tell me about this , so the things were a little dangerous . At the beginning they were thinking of going to England but my dad decided to come to Greece because it was close to Albania and he could come illegally on foot . That ’ s why he chose Greece .
Q : Where did you live in Albania ?
A : My dad is from Koukes but I don ’ t know where it is because I never went there . I grew up with my mom ’ s relatives near Fushe Kruje which is 45 minutes north of Tirana .
Q : What do you mean when you say you “ grew up ”? I mean , how many years did you stay there ?
A : I can ’ t remember very well . I came here when I was about 1 to 2 years old , we stayed here for a short time and then my dad realized that this wasn ’ t right . We could not live with him and he decided to be reunited with our family back home . We returned with my mom , we stayed there for a little bit . I remember that I went to kindergarten there but I don ’ t have a lot of memories . Then my father realized that it was the wrong choice so he told us to come back . I can ’ t remember when we came back but when I came back I went immediately to the second year of primary school . I didn ’ t know the Greek language , I knew only the Albanian language . Until now my mom can ’ t speak the Greek language very well .
Q : How did you manage to collaborate with 15-20 children who could speak the Greek language very well ?
A : I can ’ t remember but I must have communicated with them a little bit because I was learning some Greek words when I was going to the village for a walk .
Q : How was it when you came here for the first time ?
A : I don ’ t have a lot of memories . I remember only the things that my mom has told me . We had been driven to the border by a taxi and then we walked secretly through the mountains . My mom remembers that she held me in her arms and she begged me not to cry because she didn ’ t want us to heard and when I fell down I didn ’ t cry and we passed into Greece . The situation with my brother was easier because it was a legal entry .
Q : Who did you leave behind , grandfathers , grandmothers ; who else ?
A : We left all of them behind , we came here alone with nobody else from my mother ’ s and from my father ’ s family because my father had moved from Kukes to my mom ’ s village . Their wedding was because of “ profit ” as my mom ’ s family was the most powerful family in the area so they told my father that it was a good chance for him to get related to a strong family .
Q : So you were the only ones to come here out of the whole family . A : Yes and my uncle ’ s family . Q : Did they leave Albania together ?
A : Yes , the 2 siblings came first ; my father and his brother who had got married with 2 sisters , my mother and her sister .
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