A Syrian couple in Georgia are urging President-elect Donald Trump to take a “more humane approach” to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Throughout his campaign, Trump spoke against admitting refugees to the United States, likening Syrian refugees to a “Trojan horse,” and declaring that “we cannot let them into this country, period.”
In an interview with CNN’s Carol Costello, Samer, a Syrian refugee, urged Trump to soften his stance.
“The President should bring in and rescue more people for humanitarian reasons” Samer said.
Samer stressed that Syrians like him are fleeing their countries out of fear and in search of safety, not by choice.
“Your heart bleeds from the inside when you have to leave your country,” he said.
But despite missing their home, Samer and his wife, Dania, are happy living in the United States. Along with their three children, they are doing their best to create their own version of the American dream.
“We love the American people … we want them to love us back,” Dania said.
To live in America, the family underwent vetting by a number of agencies, including the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center, after paying a smuggler $100 to escape their war-torn country.
Now, Samer works at a restaurant in Georgia to support the family. He said he is grateful that he and his family are safe.
“Certainly I am lucky. I’m safe now. Safety is everyone’s wish,” he said.