Journey to a new life
From Syria to Pittsburgh
Nadar Khalof was employed in a market in his hometown of Homs, Syria, but some days the fighting made it impossible for him to go to work.
Homs, like many Syrian cities, has been ravaged by battle since the start of the country’s civil war.
It started with anti-government protests, Mr. Khalof said. The army moved in and gunfights ensued. Civilians were disappearing and shot dead in the streets. Tanks and planes arrived and bombing began.
When Mr. Khalof couldn’t get to work, he stayed at home with his wife and two young children with no way to earn money. The army cut off their water and electricity. Bombings became more intense, and whole buildings began collapsing around them. As conditions continued to deteriorate, Mr. Khalof, 39, and his wife, Kholoud Alteara, 30, decided to flee Syria with their son, Mohmad, and daughter, Mays, now 9 and 8 respectively.
“The most important thing was the kids,” Ms. Alteara said. “They couldn’t go out to play, or they’d get shot or kidnapped.”
It was the start of a four-year
journey the family would take before immigrating to the United States and coming to Pittsburgh. The family arrived in the city Feb. 7 and have settled into a house in Lincoln Place, where they spoke through a translator Thursday about how they arrived here.
The Khalofs are the only Syrian family to come to Pittsburgh since President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring people from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Yemen, Libya and Somalia from coming into the United States. The order has since been blocked by a federal judge.
If the order had not been lifted, it would have been a disappointing ending for the family after working nearly a year and a half to be accepted to come to the United States, a process that involved multiple interviews, background checks and medical examinations.
The Syrian Army had surrounded Homs before the Khalofs could leave, but after a short time a deal was reached allowing some roads to be open for people who wanted to leave.
The Khalofs went to a relative’s home in Damascus, Syria, then took a taxi to Beirut, where they spent one night before flying to Cairo. They remained in Cairo for four years before coming to the United States.
In Cairo, Mr. Khalof found work as a commercial painter, but the pay was not enough to support a family.
The family decided they would have to move somewhere else to have a better life — and provide a better opportunity for their children. They decided they would come to the United States and to Pittsburgh, where they had some family and friends.
The immigration process started with an interview conducted by Egyptian officials, who looked at passports and other documents, inquired about their extended family, and asked whether Mr. Khalof had been in the army or took part in the rebellion. Mr. Khalof said he largely ignored politics in Syria and spent his time with his wife raising their children.
“All my life was my work, my family, my kids,” Mr. Khalof said. “I never got into politics or the army or weapons or any of that.”
Egyptian officials returned for a second interview, asking similar but more detailed questions.
Following the second interview, their case was forwarded to the United States government. U.S. officials conducted their own interview, asking about the family’s political affiliations, why they left Syria and what they saw there.
In late August, U.S. officials returned for a fourth and final interview, asking the family more detailed questions and checking their names with various U.S. security departments.
After finishing the interview process, the family underwent medical evaluations and were given a cultural orientation. In late December they were told that their flight to the U.S. would be Feb. 7.
The family had no idea then that Mr. Trump would soon sign an executive order temporarily banning people from seven countries entry into the U.S. The order was lifted by a federal judge on Feb. 5, and the family was able to pack quickly and keep to their original travel plans.
“When the court stopped the ban,” Mr. Khalof said, “he saw the [officials] going with what the court said [not] what the president was saying. It [shows] you ... these people respect others and respect families and respect people from other countries.”
They flew from Cairo to New York, then into Pittsburgh — a 14-hour trip — arriving around 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 7. The Khalofs were immediately shuttled out to their new home in Lincoln Place and in the past two weeks began acclimating to the city.
The first night after they arrived, a storm in the area dropped inches of snow — more than they ever received in Syria or Egypt. Mohmad and Mays built a snowman in their backyard.
Assisted by Jewish Family and Children’s Services, the family have taken cultural orientation classes and have been trained to use public transportation. They are going to learn English, and the children will be enrolled in the Pittsburgh Public Schools.
JF&CS will help Mr. Khalof and Ms. Alteara find work.
The family has toured the city with relatives and friends, who took them to Mount Washington, where they were able to see the city skyline.
“What an amazing view there, especially at night when you can see all the lights,” Mr. Khalof said. “It was fun, it was exciting, it was something to be happy about.”