KUALA LUMPUR – For the past two months, 33-year-old Syrian national Alassad Ahmad Aleoub has called Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) his home.
Stranded after being denied entry into Malaysia and unable to travel to another country, he spends his days assisting travellers by translating Arabic and Turkish for those struggling to communicate with airport staff.
However, Alassad is not part of KLIA’s workforce. His current predicament stems from a series of desperate decisions and unfortunate circumstances.
In 2013, Alassad fled the Syrian Civil War alongside his father, wife, and three children, illegally entering a neighbouring country in search of refuge.
“I was forced to leave Syria through illegal means in search of safety and eventually arrived in Turkey,” Alassad told Scoop.
He lived in Turkey for 12 years, but as the number of Syrian refugees grew, tensions escalated, making life increasingly difficult for them.
“Unfortunately, my family and I faced discrimination and racism in Turkey, leading to my forced detention and coercion to sign deportation papers,” he claimed.
Alassad left his family behind and arrived in Malaysia on October 5. After a month, he attempted to move to Europe on November 6, hoping for better opportunities.
On a friend’s advice, he used a fake British passport, as strict visa requirements make international travel difficult for Syrian nationals.
The plan failed. Alassad was detained during transit in Qatar and deported to Malaysia the following day, November 7.
“I was deceived by someone who promised a better life for my family and me in Europe. A friend gave me the British passport and advised me to use it for travel. But it ended with my arrest in Qatar and my deportation back to Malaysia,” he explained.
Upon his return, Malaysian authorities issued a “Not to Land” order, preventing him from entering the country. With no valid documentation to proceed to another destination, Alassad has been stranded at KLIA ever since.
“I can’t use my original Syrian passport because it lacks an exit stamp,” he said.
“I’ve informed the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Syrian Embassy, but with the recent change in government, I don’t know when they’ll respond to my case.”
Alassad originally fled Syria to escape atrocities under former president Bashar al-Assad’s regime. While that regime has since fallen, he remains cautious about returning to his homeland.
“This new government, we don’t know where they’re from or what they’ll do,” he said.
At KLIA, Alassad survives by assisting travellers with language barriers, occasionally receiving small donations in return, which he uses to buy food. He spends his nights sleeping in the surau.
“It’s been stressful. I spend my days questioning why I’m in this situation, talking to myself. I’m trying my best to find a way out. Speaking to the media is my last hope for help,” he said.
Alassad’s plight is reminiscent of Viktor Navorski’s story in The Terminal, a film where Tom Hanks portrays a man stranded in a New York airport due to geopolitical complications.
It also mirrors the experience of Syrian refugee Hassan al-Kontar, who spent seven months at KLIA in 2018.
After overstaying his visa in the UAE, Hassan came to Malaysia and later attempted to enter Cambodia, only to have his passport confiscated.
He was eventually resettled in Canada after being stranded at KLIA for months. – December 27, 2024