(By Kurdishblogger.com)

I was recently asked to translate a letter for a family who are seeking asylum in Norway.

In this letter, the father of of the family, pleads with the immigration authorities in Norway to allow him to work legally to make ends meet. He has been living in Norway for eight years.

Over the years I have translated so many letters for Iranians and Kurds who have been in similar dilemmas.

They can not go back to the oppressive regimes they have fled from, nor can they live as ordinary members of society, in the places that gave them some sanctuary, because they have no status – their application for asylum has been turned down.

This is the translation of the final paragraph of the letter, which reflects the unbearable lives of hundreds of families who are stuck in Europe.

“At the end, I request again that you have mercy on me and my family and do not allow us to endure this difficult condition more than this.  After living in Europe for 12 years it is not fair that I do not know where I belong and who is responsible for my well-being. As to my country Iran, there is no way I can go back there as long as the Shiite clerics rule and my problems with the government and the revolutionary guards remain. And as to my status here, even though I have lived here almost for eight years, I do not still have a personal identity card. Therefore I have become like a stateless person and the hope of my family and myself now rests with your kindness and generosity.”

Read the article and a snapshot of the letter, translated by Kurdishblogger.com, here.