Photo Gallery Meet the Muatis
Adel and Yusra Muati stand together with their children in front of their apartment in Hamburg's Billstedt neighborhood. The Syrian refugee family are trying to establish their lives in Germany and integrate into the country's culture, which has so far proved to be challenging, despite considerable effort on the family's part.
Daughter Ghofran Muati plays the violin in the family's apartment. If members of the family want to become German citizens in the future, they will have to learn many trivial details, including the name of the composer of the country's national anthem.
Adel Muati stands in front of assorted master craftsman's certificates and craftsman's diplomas from Syria on his kitchen table. Despite his strong enthusiasm and desire to do so, he still hasn't landed a job, even after a long search.
Mr. and Mrs. Muati in their living room: "Germany isn't going to give us all the time in the world," says Adel. He believes the Germans will give the refugees no more than three years to settle in."
Ghofran Muati shows her Syrian report card. She got straight A's at school in Damascus, where she wanted to become a doctor. But at school in Germany, where she is still learning the language, the grades she is earning aren't good enough to get her into a university. It's a challenge faced by many Syrian refugee children in the country and just one of many hurdles that refugees must overcome to successfully integrate in Germany.
