"We've been together since Montenegro," Ebrahim and Javad are telling the story of their journey along the refugee highway. They are traveling with two other young men from Afghanistan. It's Monday, and I'm serving coffee at the outreach center, where Andy and I volunteer once a week when I stop to join their conversation.

When Javad mentions Greece, I notice Ebrahim's face darken perceptibly. Javad was in a closed camp in Greece, but for Ebrahim, Greece is where he lost his future.

Seven Years and One Last Paper

"I was in Greece for seven years. I had an apartment and paid my bills on time every month. I had a job and attended university. I learned fluent Greek. I was just about to graduate with my nursing degree and was sure I was finally on the road to the secure future I'd lost in Iran. Then everything changed."

His words are bitter with anger and confusion as he continues.

"There was a change in administration. Laws changed overnight. I had one last paper that needed processing for a practicum I was required to fulfill. Then I would have graduated with my degree in nursing. But no one would sign my paper. No one would help me. I was left with an almost completed degree that was a ticket to nowhere - a dead-end life with no future. I paid an immigration lawyer four times. Thousands of Euros later, they still had done nothing to help me."

I can tell the pain is crushing.

I look at this young man who is once more a refugee through no fault of his own, and my heart grieves at the injustice. He has worked so hard to integrate well into the society he found himself in, only to lose everything again so suddenly. I can tell the pain is crushing.

Three Borders Tell a Shocking Story

I think of my family's recent trip to Italy to attend a conference. We drive across three countries and pull out our little blue passports at each border stop. We are waved through quickly and easily each time. My husband calls our passports a "ticket to anywhere." The contrast in the ease of movement we experience is shocking. I am never afraid for my life on this trip. I have food and shelter because of this little blue booklet.

Meanwhile, many of the refugees we meet try very hard to integrate into a society where they think there is a path forward for them. Then all of a sudden, their lives crumble because of politics, changed laws, or the clerk who is having a bad day refusing to sign their document.

A Rest Stop In Sarajevo

This place where we work in Sarajevo is like a rest stop along the refugee highway. We express our tangible support at the center through showers, clothes, laundry facilities, and cups of coffee. And we hope that in listening to their stories and welcoming our refugee friends as people, we can inspire a bit of hope in their onward journeys, as these brave men and women refuse to give up in their search for home.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR WORK IN SARAJEVO