Taha fled Syria when he was 16 years old: “Behind every case file there is a person”
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Taha (19) came to the Netherlands from Hama, Syria, without his parents when he was 16. He learnt Dutch and obtained his first diploma. Now, after waiting for almost 2.5 years, his asylum application has been rejected. “That is why this decision hurts so much.”
Taha shared his story in the House of Representatives
On 30 June 2026, Taha appeared before the
"My name is Taha," he told the members of parliament. "I came to the Netherlands as a 16-year-old boy without my parents. Not as an adult, but as a child seeking safety."
For Taha, that moment in the House of Representatives was important. Not because everything was resolved straight away, but because his story was heard in an official setting.
"For me, it is not just about where I live," says Taha. "It is about safety, freedom, humanity and my future."
"For me, the Netherlands meant peace"
Taha is from Syria. He grew up amidst war, fear and uncertainty. He did not have a normal childhood.
“A child should be going to school, playing and feeling safe with their family,” he says. “But my childhood was different. We had to keep moving because of the war.”
Taha was unable to finish school in Syria in the way other children do. He had to start working at a young age. As a result, even as a child he was already thinking about things that children do not really need to think about.
“I was thinking about work, money and survival,” he says. “My mind was always on safety.”
As Taha grew older, he felt more and more strongly that he had no future in Syria. That is why he left. On his own.
Only on the way to the Netherlands
Taha was 16 when he left Syria. His parents were unable to come with him. The journey to Europe was difficult and dangerous.
He travelled through various countries. Part of the journey was by sea. He will never forget that. “I was afraid of the sea,” he says. “But sometimes I was even more afraid of the people I met along the way.”
Taha arrived in the Netherlands in February 2024. He applied for asylum. He was still a minor at the time. “I was scared,” he says. “But I also felt that I had to be strong. There was no one by my side. No father, no mother. I had to do it on my own.”
Taha made a fresh start in the Netherlands
It was in the Netherlands that Taha first felt at peace. He attended an
“I was not afraid of making mistakes,” says Taha. “I thought: if I speak, I will learn. If I stay silent, I will not learn anything.”
Step by step, Taha built a new life for himself. He obtained his first qualification in the Netherlands at ROC Twente in Hengelo. He also did a work placement and began working in the healthcare sector with people with disabilities.
“I put my heart into that work,” he also told the House of Representatives. “I want to keep learning, keep working and give something back to the society that gave me a safe place.”
The uncertainty remained
Whilst Taha was attending school and working, he continued to wait for a decision from the
“Sometimes I would be sitting in class, but my mind was not on the lesson,” he says. “I kept thinking: what is going to happen to me? Can I stay? Do I need to leave?”
In his speech, Taha explained that the uncertainty was taking a heavy toll on him. It was causing stress, anxiety and health problems. “At my age, my life should be about learning, growing, working and building a future. Not about living in constant fear that everything I have built up could suddenly vanish.”
Yet Taha carried on. He learnt Dutch. He went to school. He worked. He tried to fit in. “I have tried to do what the Netherlands expects of newcomers,” he says. “Learning the language, going to school, working, getting involved and taking responsibility.”
"The rejection hurts"
On 12 June, Taha received a negative decision on his asylum application. The IND considers his statement that he has renounced Islam to be credible. However, the IND does not believe that this means he would be in personal danger if he were to return to Syria. Nor does the IND consider the security situation in Hama to be bad enough to warrant granting him protection in the Netherlands. Taha takes a different view. “I am afraid that in Syria I will have to hide my identity and conform to the religious expectations of those around me.”
He was almost on his way to work when he read the decision. At first, he fell silent. Later that day, he found himself in tears. “I have not been sitting idly by,” says Taha. “On the contrary, I have done everything I can to participate, to learn, to work and to be a good person in this society. That is why this decision hurts so much. ”
For Taha, it feels as though everything he has built up has suddenly become uncertain: his school, his job, his colleagues, his friends and his future.
"I am asking for a human perspective"
Taha knows that members of parliament cannot decide on his personal asylum case. Nevertheless, he wanted to share his story. Because he wants to show what prolonged uncertainty does to young people like him: “Young people who were learning the language. Young people who were going to school. Young people who wanted to work, get involved and give something back.”
That is why he launched his petition.
Taha does not yet know what his future holds. But he is trying to stay hopeful. “I am not asking for pity,” he says. “I am asking for a humane and fair perspective. Do not just look at rules, figures and files. Look at the people behind them too.”
His message is clear: take his safety seriously. Take his health seriously. Take his future seriously. “I will keep hoping,” says Taha. “I will remain honest. I will keep telling my story.”