Starting Over

You wake up one day, and your whole world is flipped upside down. Nothing is in its right spot anymore, your house looks completely different, and most important of all, you look different. This is a reality for refugees, people who escape their countries in hopes of being free of persecution, war, violence, or human rights violations, and cannot return home safely.  

It is no simple task to leave a war-torn country. Refugees must plan quickly and hastily, taking only the bare essentials with them. They are then transported via airplane. But how can they travel without a passport or visa?

Let's take a look at a real life example- Faniel’s story. Faniel is an Eritrean refugee born and raised in Yemen. His parents fled the hostile situations that arose in Eritrea and arrived by boat in 1989. Yemen was one of the cities that hosted the most refugees and asylum-seekers. Approximately 63,000 refugees call Yemen home.  

Faniel continued to work hard in his studies. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in telecommunication engineering and earned a score of 90 percent. Faniel qualified for a scholarship at a university in France named Sciences Po. However, one legal obstacle remained- how will Faniel go if he doesn’t have any legal ways of going?

Faniel at first contacted the university and told them about his situation. The university contacted UNHCR, which is an organization that helps refugees when they have been displaced. UNHCR assessed Faniel’s situation and contacted the University Agency of the Francophonie (AUF) to resolve the legal and logistical barriers through the pathway for education UNIV’R – a safe  route that allows refugees to access higher education in France, outside traditional resettlement.

Faniel’s journey to Paris was not easy. He had to travel to the port of Aden for pre-registration with UNHCR, after which his travel document was handed to him. They then arranged for him to travel to Djibouti, a country in East Africa. With the support of French authorities, he received his visa and necessary documentation in order to travel to France.

He started university in September of 2025. Despite going to France academically, Faniel explored the wonders of France. Faniel quotes, “The Eiffel Tower left a very strong impression on me. I climbed all the way to the top and saw the whole city spread around me. It was unforgettable.”

He also visited the Louvre, which also had a lasting impact on him. He says, “Which was especially meaningful to me was discovering the Yemeni statues and inscriptions in the museum. That was really something nice to see.”

Faniel’s story is a reminder to always keep your head up, no matter what. Always try your hardest in life, and you will always be successful.

-Aleeza Bukhari

Citation:

Bremaud, Josselin and Mysa Khalaf. From Sana’a to Paris: A refugee student’s scholarship journey. UNHCR, 2026.