Bilag B Bilaget indeholder transskriberinger af interviews og feltnotater i følgende rækkefølge: - Interview med Amir - Interview med Daran - Interview med Anas - Mikkels feltnotater - Isabells feltnotater 1
Interview med Amir Indledningsvis fremlægges informantens anonymitet og de andre informationer inden interviewets start. Herefter bliver tankegangen om livet på Hotel Vigsø som et kapitel i en bog ydermere introduceret. Interviewer: as I said earlier the interview is about life in Vigsø Hotel but also life as a refugee in general. Being here in Denmark as a refugee. Thoughts you may have, feelings you have etc with your entire life here so to speak. First of all imagine that we are about to write a book about your life and in that book there is a chapter named the time you were in Denmark as a refugee. The time of your life in Hotel Vigsø. So what would you write in that chapter? Informant: a lot of things. I think, at the first time they just bring you here and let you in an open prison, you know, like open jail. There are many practical things you can do, there is a lot of activities that people who work here set up to entertain, you know, to offer to you, but it is still not enough to have a successes full daily life or to have a normal life or a normal day. It is really difficult, you just live for nothing, like you just wait for answer and that answer could change your life in a lot of ways. And it is good and bad in the same time because if you are coming running away from the war this is a safe place so you should thank God or which belief you believe in that you made it like you are fine and you succeeded to, you know, live and have a life and opportunity again and that is the good way. But in the other way it is really bad. You meet strange people you never know. Different cultures, they speak other languages and you don t know if there is a criminal. There are good people, there are bad people where you live, so you can never sleep safe. Even the one you live with, you can never trust. Yeah, you can have a daily life with him and you know each other more but your partner in the room you can never ever trust him in your life. I mean, I don t know. Everyone has his situation for why he run to Denmark or run to Europe and if you want me to talk about mine that s okay too. If you want to talk in general that s ok too. I can describe it both. Interview: Only if you want to. It s like your book and your chapter, so if you feel like talking about it, just talk about it, and if you don t no problem. 2
Informant: for my situation I love my country. I really love Tunisia and I really want to live there and. It s not meant as disrespectful for Denmark or Europe or nothing, it s nothing.. It is just.. I really love my home country and I never want to go out from it and I would prefer to go back and be fine there again but my situation, it is really difficult, I have a lot of problems down there, and it is just because of homosexuality and that stupid thing that law thinks is illegal to be gay, to be a bisexual and to be a lesbian, to be transsexual. That is not something you should be ashamed of, to be yourself, it s not..it is not a crime you should go to jail for or be harassed by police or be hidden by police and stopped.. Well, that s the reality, I come from a Muslim country, you know. And take it or leave it, they say it is a democrative country but I can never see that democracy, so.. It was the only option, I run before even the court. So I come here, I come to Europe. I come to Austria the first time, then to Germany and then to Sweden and then to Denmark. I think.. What I read, what I hear, what people tell me, they tell me Denmark is the best for your situation and LGBT association could take you and help you and a lot of things. I just take what people tell me and I take my knowledge too. So when I come to Denmark, I just give myself to the police and they just send me immediately to Sandholm center, where they take my everything, my ID, my pictures. Then I just wait there in a big camp (utydeligt) for two weeks and it was the worst nightmare. It was like, you sleep with four people. I m not saying that you should do something for me but at that time I was sensitive, I was scared. Every person has fear in his life, you know, that was my fear I don t know what could happen to me, if they just send me home immediately and directly, that was the worst nightmare. Then I start to hear from people how it goes the asylum seekers life and how it goes. Everyone gives his opinion but it is still.. You just read your own (utydeligt). Yeah, then I wait there, then they send me here to Hanstholm, then to Vigsø. The first time I come they put me with a Tunisian guy who was so much obviously crazy. I don t put the blame on anyone, but maybe they think; oh, he is Tunisian and he is Tunisian, so they put us together, but I really don t want to meet anyone from Tunisia, it is not even okay for me to meet or talk with people like that. And he was so crazy so the first night I come he makes problems with some people from Iran or whatever, and there was even knifes and police, I think came. So I was like..this was the worst nightmare I ve ever had and at that time I felt that maybe I could have a better life in my home country running away from the police that was better than to come and live with crazy people. So that was much a bad disaster for me, but I keep myself up, like I told you the LGBT society, the LGBT association sorry, they really take care of my case and they really talk to me and they help and they 3
make me relax and they invite me to come to Copenhagen a lot so I really thank them a lot for doing that, so I start to have my daily life I start to..like.. Just from distance say hej to people I meet in the camp. Just hejhej no more, just smile. Someone look at you in a bad way like he wants to hit you or see you as a stranger, just smile and keep away and go to your room and close the door and just sit in peace..sleep or doing nothing.. Interviewer: You talk about this like an open prison? Informant: it is an open prison. Interviewer: Is it because you can t do whatever you want? Informant: You don t have.. You have a limit, you know. You cannot work, you can t do anything, even study.. It is really so much like.. You study for only two hours! I used to study like from 8 o clock till 12 then I go training from 12.30 to 1:30 [PM] and then I train with other teams because I cannot train in 6 o clock [PM] because I have to get back to college and study again from 2 till 6, I do this every day in Tunisia. Now I only study for 1.5 hour 2 hours and it is really nothing. It doesn t give you any energy, it just gets you more bored like the same subject, I m sorry, you just learn Danish in a typical way. A lot of people.. It is not like.. Okay, this teacher talks English and Danish, we just learn English and Danish, you know. People talk Persian and they don t even understand the English so how can they even understand the Danish, so that is a little difficult. It is just annoying, if I go to school then I just feel annoyed to hear a lot of other languages those they talk Persian, those they talk Arabic and those talk.. I don t know. Then how can they learn the Danish, man? I am just saying, that it should be like more.. I don t know how to say it. Interviewer: I think I understand. To learn Danish is a problem when speaking all other different languages. And if you don t even understand English then how are you supposed to learn Danish? Informant: I don t say only myself, there is a lot of people who don t talk English, I talk English because I learned it in school but what about those how can they learn Danish without even knowing 4
English or other languages (utydeligt).. So that is a little bit difficult for them. There should be a more successful way to learn people.. Interviewer: during the day do you think a lot about Tunisia or about your case or..what comes through your mind during the day? Informant: I can say there is a lot of things you can think about in one day. Just when you wake up you can be a little happy like okay, maybe this day will be a better day, maybe I can get lucky, maybe they will today tell me something so that s.. The case is always in your mind 24/7 if you are real refugee, a real flygtning, not someone immigrant or someone come for fun to Denmark because it s Europe. So if someone has real problems in his country he will think 24/7 about his case (utydeligt), what will happen (utydeligt). But a lot of people they miss their country cause, I don t know, your country is you country no matter what you do, you were born there, you will love it, even if it is the worst country in this world. You were born there near your mother, your father, your family, good (utydeligt) you know, warm feelings, where real people care about you. That s a nice and cozy feeling but if you come here you have to be a real hard person like..i don t.. Those people [hentyder til familierne, der bor i b-byen] they come like a family, that is different, they are a family and they will always be fine, but if you come as a single man or a single woman or a father or a mother - that really could destroy your feelings and.. I don t know.. I really don t know to say it. But for me and my case my family never..like.. I leave my family since I was 14 years old. I live with my grandmother so, and my sister helps me a lot she lives in France and she studies there and helps me really a lot. She s the only one.. You know, when she was young she go to Europe and she understand homosexuality and the free mind but we ve never had a free mind not my father, not my mother, not my brother who lives in Germany. He s like strict and they are like..much religious, you know what I am saying. But for me I don t see.. They say there is a God, okay, there is a good, everyone believes in what he want, I don t believe in anything. That is my choice, you know, cause after you re born, just after 5 minutes, they will decide for you, that s your name Amir that s your name, Islamic is your religion, Christian is your religion, you will be like this and you will live a life like this no, hell no! I want to have my own life, I want to make my own choices, I want to live like a free man with a free mind! Everything! Not just to keep fighting for something, they choose for you and you never decide for yourself that is 5
so weak! And so idiotic and stupid. That s it. My country didn t respect what I want to be so I cannot live in it but I will still always have love for it. Interviewer: Okay, I understand. Time. If we speak about time, time as day-to-day, what do you spend your time on? I mean, I m sorry. We have been here for like almost two weeks, so we have seen what you spend your time on, but we can t get into your guys heads..what do you think about the activities you do and why do you do them? Can you maybe.. I know it is kind of difficult but.. Time, what does it means to you? Informant: Well, time as a refugee. Time is worth nothing. Interviewer: How is that? Informant: time is the same. It is like the same shit every day, you know. You just keep living that life till you get bored and stressed from the routines. Like.. You just wake up in the morning, go study, back, just do activities, yeah, go gym, go play, it s just not enough to put the energy out, you know. You just study for two hours and you just stay there in Vigsø, yeah, you can go to Hanstholm, but you can t go further than that, you need money but you can t have more money than what they offer you, so it is always about money too. Interviewer: So maybe that has something to do with the open prison? Informant: I say, they say.. Like.. They really think good, like.. They give him 1000,- in two weeks but you cannot go anywhere. Just spend it on food and it will not be enough. And we all know Denmark is a really expensive country, you know. So 1000,- is nothing. I am not saying they should give more, but 1000,- to go out to find out what Denmark is really and see cities and go learn and see some new people and see the culture it is really not enough. It s just like you live in your own country but just with different people from other flygtning-countries or whatever. So the time is really nothing, you just wait for.. All the people just wait for an answer and they just wait (utydeligt) to get positive and they just move away. But this time means nothing for them, just spend it to make the day go more 6
fast like.. Yeah, the time is worth nothing really.. I really hoped that Denmark was like other European countries where they make people work to get money. Even if you are a refugee you could go out and work, you could go learn practical things like cutting trees or making something, fishing, whatever, just easy things, learn Danish, make them work and then pay them. Don t pay them for going to study cause that s the most stupid thing. I go to study all my life for 16 years and I have never got paid to study, it is only here in Denmark so that is really soft.. Interviewer: but if I say time and waiting time, what comes through your mind? Informant: Well, waiting is like you look in a black hole and you can do nothing about it and just wait. cause the immigrations or authorities or who take your case or whatever they decide for you. They decide okay, you have this meeting, this interview, oh okay, we don t accept you you have another second interview, go to court.. That all makes you stressed so it is better that you put it out of your mind and just..okay, spend your life, spend your money, spend your time, just let it go and we will see what will happen. So time for people, I think, for more people who have their family and the dangerous countries they run away from, maybe that s the time for them, that s like okay, we need that time, we need it to go more fast, I need to see my wife and I want to see my kids for single men and the opposite for women I want to see my kids too and apply for them to come here and for family reunion. But for other single men or who just come for fun or I don t know..time is worth nothing really. If I can say for all the times where I can think for them (utydeligt). They just live their daily life again and again the same every day. So they don t have that successful mind where they should work to get something. They come the first time they come to Europe but then they start to kill it little bit by little bit, okay, they start giving you money for doing nothing so you will start to get lazy, you would like to sit in the sofa much, you would like to watch movies and be online or whatever. To do nothing will be the best thing ever. So that s how they kill you psychological, they kill your moral, you know, you will just wait every (second) Thursday for getting the pocket money and go to Fakta buying food and back. And the best thing you could do is just to go to Hanstholm and play or whatever. That s it. 7
Interviewer: During our time here me and Isabell, we often talk about how you guys seem so positive. You manage to look so positive even though this waiting time. It s like you are always smiling and laughing and joking.. Informant: I think.. I think everyone if they are real flygtning I mean..just take the real ones don t take the fake. They really start to like from the beginning.. They understand that nothing could change and they cannot do anything besides waiting. Waiting is still killing.. It s like a virus going through your body. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. So they start to be so bored and you will start to lose hope and you will start to have nightmares and you will start to look so much negative. But for example like.. They live always they see the same, each other. Twenty men they see each other from the same country but if someone Danish people come they will start always to smile okay, he really care about us and we can have a new friendship, we can be sweet and maybe it is the culture. If there is a guest, they should be happy, when the guest comes. And that s all in Africa, if we have guest, we will be so happy and maybe they have the same culture as we. So they just take it in a good way and in a positive way. But if you have a problem, you cannot be desperate all the time and cry all the time and think about it cause that will kill him and it will destroy him, so he has to find a solution to run a little bit away and give a smile and give happiness and think about positive things beside the negative things. Some people believe that if you all the time really thinks positive then that positive thing will really happen but if you will think negative then you will have the opposite. Interviewer: Privacy and private life in Hotel Vigsø. What comes through your mind? Informant: We really cannot have privacy at all. Interviewer: you cannot? Informant: never ever ever. It s just like you live with someone. If you live alone then okay you can have your privacy. But if you live with someone you cannot have you privacy. And still if you are a much going out like..going play or playstation or billiard or something people can still see you and talk to you, they are curious to know who you are. So I cannot see there is any privacy. There is a limit in 8
people cause you will live with them, you already live with them for six months or five months or whatever. So it s like a big family but that family you should always (utydeligt), cause you never know who they really are. You always keep yourself, okay, you give a distance and say hejhej and give a smile and if they joke don t joke back, just take it or leave it, you should not make a problem about stupid things and a lot of things could happen, silly things like stealing food or stealing some stupid things, it s like..it s a good hotel but there is a lot of bad people and good people in it. I am not saying if I am good or bad but there is many bad and many good. Only lords knows. Interviewer: if you want some kind of privacy. I mean, if I was living in Hotel Vigsø, me myself would try to find some kind of privacy, but you just simply can t do that or? Informant: it s really difficult cause privacy in which way? Like you don t want them do discover who you really are or? Interview: for instance, sometimes I like to be by myself not listening to anyone, not speaking to anyone and just be myself. Informant: I can tell you there is one and he succeeded on it actually. One from Malta, he is an old man and for me I think he lives like..it s awkward and like a strange life, where he just go in his room all the time and the only time he goes out is just to make the food. So he is not socialized with others but I don t know. Maybe he has that loneliness sick, you know, he just wants be alone and maybe he is just fine and he doesn t want to.. Maybe he succeed on it but for me.. I m a little bit outgoing type of man I like to.. I cannot hide who I am, I cannot have that much privacy but okay. Interviewer: Me and Isabell we also spoke about.. Sometimes people are in their rooms and if me for instance want to talk to you and you are in your room I don t come and knock your door and say hey I want to speak to you. It seems like people kind of respect that if you are in your room you don t come bothering. 9
Informant: I think.. Some people they come if they need something they come to you. Someone needs a cigarette, he comes and knocks on my room and he takes from my roommate a cigarette. If he needs something. I think it s more depending on your personality for example it is always different. You cannot find the same. But they are outgoing people, so they are okay friendly to each other but in the back there are some people who really pretend. They smile but in other ways they are really bad persons. They think much with their minds and don t take it easy so.. I cannot see there is a privacy in that hotel at all. I really cannot see that. Interviewer: it sounds like to me that people have like two faces. Informant: Yeah! [prompte] That s something.. Let s be honest, that is a typical culture thing. I will always say that they have a lot of immoral people if you understand what I am saying. They are so much like, okay, they keep smiling in your face but they will always hit you in the back, you know. I don t know, there are some people who like..who go and say to the office if one make problem for you okay, this man smokes marijuana, this man he sells something, this man he is a drug dealer whatever. And they will never come to you and tell to your face that they go to the office and say things like that. So they go to someone, I know they tell him he sells beer, he used to sell beer, you know. He go to fakta and buy some cheap beer and he just sell it to people who want to drink a little bit, so he buy it for 3 kr and sells it for 5. He just makes his money, it s business, you know, it s little things, it s just 2 kr. So they go and tell the office that he s kind of a drug dealer or whatever. A drug dealer living in a asylum camp or whatever, that s a shitty thing, so.. Interview: So it s like you never if someone is. Informant: You can never trust anyone, you can never never cause they can just.. They can do anything! Just call.. Like once..and I was there. One of my friends, if I can call him a friend or just person, he was from Algeria and come drunk, you know, he drinks too much cause he has problems in his country or whatever so he comes drunk here and they start to yell and cry, I don t know, he miss his mother or whatever. Then someone else call the police and call the office and call the ambulance and tell them I don t know what he eat, he s done drugs or smoked weed or he smoke hashish or 10
marijuana and then the police come and the office come but he just drank red wine and he get drunk by that so.. You get my point why I tell you, you cannot trust those people. So they destroyed all his life here like, he started to have opportunities and you know have his case but if they see okay, he smokes - the immigration or whatever the authorities say okay, he is a bad guy, we will not give him anything, we just bring him home, so why destroy his case. You can be proud of it or you can t.. And tomorrow you come and smile in his face. So it is really an immoral and stupid thing. So you get my point, you cannot trust people and you cannot give them real of who you are. I live.. I manage to live there, I manage to live there, and I don t think..no one find out why I even come here, I always.. Why you come here? I have my own problem. If I talk with people who doesn t who work in the authority, I will not tell.. Interviewer: You will not tell anyone about your case and other information? Informant: No no no, you cannot trust anyone believe me. I have a friend, he is a really close friend and he is from Ghana and he lives in Hanstholm and he is really fine I told him and we have really known each other for seven months or something like that. He is really like my brother, so if I feel like there is someone I can trust and who can know.. And I felt like I could trust him so I told him and it is okay. I feel relieved. I told Didde too. Interviewer: Yeah, I mean, you must feel relieved when you finally tell someone your story? Informant: yeah, exactly. You feel that satisfaction that okay, now I got someone I can share it with and know how I can feel like so.. Even if we have misunderstood, he can say okay, he has a problem, so he can understand me, and I understand him back. Interviewer: So you guys at the hotel, you don t speak with each other about your cases or why you ran? Informant: well, yeah, it s because of. I don t know.. I really don t know how to say it. Many really don t talk about it or.. I mean, they just pretend something else. I just want to talk honest here now. 11
Okay, I will just say it, like.. A lot of people they come here and they pretend to change their religion and they never think about it in their country, they never do it, but they come here to pretend okay, we are not Muslims, we are not Christian, so we should change it to I am not religious or we change it to other religions or whatever. They just pretend, they lie, they will be fake just to get stayment in Denmark. Just to succeed to leave and have a successful life here. Maybe they just think about money, they always think about benefits and that is actually the worst people ever you can know. Like.. I really hope that the authorities can really, like, find out those people and, you know.. Cause they only come for benefits, there are more flygtninge in this world, there are a lot of people starving in the war in Africa and the Middle East or whatever. They really deserve to have this opportunity besides them because they just come because of money or benefits, let me say it. They didn t come because they are really flygtninge, you know. I think it is really immoral thing.. Interviewer: Another thing we also see a lot in hotel Vigsø is people always either listening to music or singing or dancing. We would very much like to know if this music, dance whatever means anything specific to you guys. I mean is it like a sign of being happy that you sing or? Informant: the music its something different you know. you can hear music that you understand and it really hit you in the bottom of you like go inside you. so you can understand that music it represent who you are. Like, you hear this kind of sad music or happy music or whatever. I think I will not talk about myself because I listen to rap and street things and whatever so its just different. I just like it because I enjoy listening to it. But for them [de andre asylansøgere på hotellet] I think their music some people listen to that happy music or whatever..party music for them is for them culture. In my point of view I think its really annoying for me because I cannot understand it and I really find it so disgusting.. And I respect it, I respect what they listen to. But I find it..in my point of view. But for them they think much maybe that s their culture.. I talk about of course people from Iran so that s their culture or whatever. So they listen to it and maybe its just a typical thing. I cannot see any different of someone why he hear much music or not..all the world hear music today. Interviewer: yeah.. I mean..another thing we would like to talk about is friendship and community in hotel Vigsø.. Because from our point of view, I mean we watch some people they seem like best 12
friends, and some other people seem like best friends. Are you guys like all one big family, or? Informant: I cannot say its really big family. In a point it is like they are living with each other and really if you need something you can be helped, you know. You can always see the bad things and the good things..so lets be fair.. And I say there is good things too the reason people really like each other and they are friends and they could trust each other..but its maybe because they are from the same country I mean lets be honest its more than fifty procent they are people from Iran and the others they are from the middle east or whatever.. I think I m the only one from Africa here. so yeah.. That s strange and..but I m trying to move soon to Hanstholm so.. because there is more different culture there and more from my culture too.. Interviewer: So nationality has something to do with friendship? Informant: yeah, yeah exactly because how can I talk with someone from Iran when I cannot talk his language..how can I be his friend? And friend its really a big word so say friend. not that easy anymore, so.. Maybe they are..because they are from the same country and they just want to share their life together.. maybe they share it in thinking about bad this.. I don t know. maybe they share good things too. Friendship its really that. its not that much.. meaning for it.. its just meaningless you know.. because if someone will get positive then he will just move to other kommune or something, he will really never give a damn about you.. you know.. okay, you are my friend here but okay, I have my life now, get positive and go to live and studying wherever, so. Interviewer: what about religion? Does it have anything to Informant: yeah yeah..some people they have.. like.. some people they are racist in they religion you know they want to just believe in themselves.. lets be honest.. if someone was living here and now he move, he was so much racist and he was like so much racist about other.. he called them.. okay you don t believe in god or I m muslim and you are not so we are different and I don t respect you, I don t like you.. sothats something really stupid that people they are in Denmark, the most free country if I can say.. why the hell you come to Denmark and like say to.. think about things like this.. its a free 13
country everyone believe in anything he wants.. so you cannot be racist. Because that s just too stupid.. You can respect and accept okay you are not religious, okay I accept it, I respect it too.. As I do the same for..if you don t respect mine I don t respect yours.. if you respect me, I respect you back.. but I think its really.. there are a lot of racist people there and they think that always the European or the Danish people lets say like the German people they are much racist, but lets be honest.. they have a reason not to be racist, they have a reason to be angry.. you came here to Europe to ruin it, not to give it something like.. lets say those people who come from Palestine and Syria or wherever long time ago in Denmark.. they really.. they have so much down percentage of successful life and they just.. we can see obviously that its always.. they just here for benefits.. they don t want to integrate if you understand.. they really come here to.. and the terrorism that happened if you remember in Copenhagen.. and he [ham der begin terror] was even born in Denmark.. so lets see that we have a background here that.. that actually people to flygt before, who run away and come here in Denmark and.. when they start to have a family in Denmark and grow up in Denmark, they still have the same culture. The same disgusting racist..they use and.. the radicalsation.. lot of things like this.. and just to get benefits and never integrate.. and like.. ehm.. Interviewer: But for instance, if I m a Muslim and your not a Muslim..would it be a problem in the hotel if you and me were friends? Informant: well..that would never be a problem.. but believe me.. inside that man or.. like we are two.. there is one of us, is it me or is it you that will be always be given distance and never trust him.. you know what I m saying.. Interviewer: its just because..the way I see it.. people, for instance a guy who don t believe in anything and a guy who believes in a certain thing.. they can be friends it seems.. but if you are a Muslim and.. Informant: okay, lets say..its obvious that they are all from the same country and maybe its just.. i think its little bit like.. just a excuse to get a stayment in Denmark.. its jut an excuse to okay I m not actually religious, maybe I m. It could be for real, you know what I m saying? but it could be like just fake things like Those people who come here in Denmark and say we are Christian - okay, what 14
do you know about Christianity..give me the history.. if it was me.. I would ask you.. okay, give me something about the Christianity.. why you don t want to be Jewish, or why you don t want to be not religious at all? why you just choose Christianity and come to Denmark to apply.. you are question, and you come from a muslim country or whatever.. just give me something about the.. what is it the Christianity and where it come from.. then I can believe you, that you really want to be a Christian.. but just to use it as an excuse and go every Sunday to the church and say okay I m Christian and they will never accept me in my country.. then its just obviously that they just use as an excuse to have a stayment or whatever Informant: because..let s talk for real, you know. we don t hide something.. I want to be always honest, you know..and that s what I can see, and what I hear and what I know to.. and I really read a lot and see a lot and I cannot say I m better than the others but I always see myself.. I m always one step further than the others. and I m.. I feel proud of it, and I m not like arrogant or something.. I don t contact lot here in Vigsø..you can see that I don t even stay much.. I m not much stable there.. I can t..don t say I m arrogant but I cannot see those people from my level.. Because if I would just be with them.. I would just be like whatever.. Interviewer: We saw that people always, always have their mobile phone with them, I mean..its like you put on your slippers when you leave in the morning, and you have the cellphone in the pocket.. Informant: (grin) yeah, yeah.. Interviewer: the cellphone, the mobile phone..what does it mean.. Informant: okay. for me, yes it means a lot. I contact friends, I contact.. I play with it.. I listen to music..you know? ehm.. I m always in internet or whatever..online.. i see news.. i like things like this.. but its just the only thing I can have.. like.. really not.. its not boring.. you have a daily life.. and boring daily life so.. the phone is something that help you to.. to waste the time.. you know. and just use it as something the phone it could be good and bad at the same time too as well.. but hopefully we all use it for good things.. but.. I have the one I live with [hans roommate] he just use is 24 hours man, like he 15
talk so so much..and you can ask Didde too, she will tell you.. he makes me stressed sometimes.. I tell him close it please..just relax for god s sake, just let it away from you you know, he have two phones, and he just call.. when that battery die he just opens the other one.. man you are crazy, you are addicted.. people get addicted by drugs, and you addicted by phone. Interviewer: because, from my perspective the phone seems like some kind of privacy maybe? Informant: yeah, yeah..its like your little friend, you know.. the phone is important in life too, but there is some people that don t have phone at all.. so.. I knew, I know many they don t have phone at all. maybe they cannot offer enough money for it.. maybe they.. just don t want.. they just want to let the stress away.. but for me.. I really have friends I contact.. I have like..really a lot of friends here in Denmark.. Interviewer: yeah..because you are like the outgoing kind of guy.. you are very much way from Vigsø.. Informant: I really don t want to stay, because it would just stress me here. I want to see my friends, i want to go and see what is the real Denmark, and I really find out what Denmark really is. Interviewer: When you go out, do you meet other guys from Africa or Tunisia, but also Danish people? Informant: well.. Tunisia not really.. i don t have any friends from there here.. but from Africa yeah.. I speak French, we speak English yeah..and all the people from Africa they speak French, English or Arabic, you know.. so yeah.. I just see them, and they invite me a lot of people that have stayment.. or they are from Congo or Ghana they have a long time ago.. they just invite me.. I m not saying that..but most people when they see me, they like me.. you know.. because I m just honest.. and I m just much going out.. like I want to find out, I m curious you know. so yeah.. I can say that I have friends, good friends you know.. I would like to spend they even invite me, the tell me don t stay that much there [på hotellet i Vigsø], just come with us..we need you here.. we need to make fun.. and.. 16
drink sometimes.. and have a good time.. and.. that s nice you know.. Interviewer: Do you speak with many Danish people when you are visiting? Informant: lets say yeah..there is Danish people that I like to talk to, but there are other that could be a little bit racists like.. sometimes.. I want to be far away from that.. Interviewer: yeah..because we would like to get to know what you think about the Danish people in general, from your point of view, from the guys you meet.. what impression do you.. Informant: Well.. I think the Danish boys that I used to meet..sometimes they think when they see me.. I really wear much gangster clothes..and sometimes so.. they really think that I m so much cool.. like okay that s cool person.. he doesn t care if he just wear what he wants.. I can put my pants down much..and that s something I like to do.. so they just want to contact me okay Hi, how are you? and they want to drink with me sometimes.. and Danish girls too.. they are nice girls too and beautiful.. and yeah.. Interviewer: So you have like a good feeling with the Danish people you meet? Informant: yeah because..let me say that they are just honest people they are just who they are, they are not fake.. and I get tired from fake people.. I ve lived with them long time ago, and I live with them here..so.. I just want honest people. If you like me, you like me..if you don t like me then go ahead.. you know. The Danish people they are much honest.. they tell you we like you.. okay.. we don t like you.. we don t like you and that s it.. they don t have any reason to be fake you know.. I m not saying all of them. we have the good people and the bad people.. most of them are just sweet and kind and soft people you know and if you need help.. they will give you always that help (utydeligt) from my point of view.. I think the Danish society is really..only the background Danish [etniske danskere]. I cannot see that people from other country..those even born here they are not.. they just don t want to integrate or whatever.. but the Danish background.. the real Danish background they are just soft and nice people.. they are much smiling and thankful people.. like you always here tak tak 17
tak.. so.. that s something nice in the Danish society.. Interviewer: because from my point of view it seems like you are one of the guys who speak with other Danish people besides the staff because you are very outgoing and you try go get away from Vigsø.. Informant: yeah yeah, really.. Interviewer: and. do you sometimes watch media, news and? Informant: I do, I do, I do.. I do watch TV too.. I do watch DR1.. DR3.. (grin).. I do watch when I go to my friends I have the real background Danish people.. I go to stay with them like I even sleep there for three days four days..so.. I just watch with them.. I really watch a lot of good series like that Robinson, I watch that one in the Christmas time (der grines) the one for little kids.. Interviewer: yeah yeah (grin) julekalender.. Informant: I watch that..and I was so happy that two African girls win the X-factor I didn t like that Alex.. I hate him so much.. Interviewer: (grin) yeah same with me.. He was yelling all the time.. Informant: yeah..he is so much.. i didn t like The dream too.. But I like the two black girls.. they are the best.. yeah.. I watch that too..that s something nice.. I like the news..it s not like the fake news I used to watch in Tunisia like.. its.. its like war outside and they [medierne] say everything is just fine.. its okay.. the president.. he go out and do that bla.bla.. Danish news its good. If there is a bomb in Turkey..they just show it and there is something here.. that s nice too.. and I really improve my Danish by watching TV and listening and even ask others to i tell them.. can you please.. like you both of you can you talk Danish.. but when it comes to me, just talk a little bit Danish and English with me.. 18
that s fine.. I really (utydeligt) like I listen carefully what people say and..so I learn from that.. I used to know a lot of friends from England and they come as tourist to Tunisia and you know..we have a lot of.. its a touristic country so.. I used to learn them.. I really learned to speak well English.. I know how to write..you know I learned from the school.. but its still not enough.. I really..they learn me, I talk with them, I live with them and.. Interviewer: Do you ever think about how Danish people in general think about flygtninge, refugees. I mean, do you have an idea what picture Danish people paint of refugees? Informant: hm. It depends..there is like.. there is a red part, and a blue part.. I can see that they both they are right..the both they are wrong in the same time.. it should not be so much.. they should really not give much money for people like.. lets be honest.. Denmark is not Germany, its not Sweden they.. You don t have anything under ground you just make your welfare and society..you know. you have nothing like.. you do not have a petrol or gas, you know.. you don t even have a mountain here.. its just little country with 5 million or 6 million. so.. how can you take lot of people in the same time? its crazy man.. so.. Denmark they just take care of..they just stand of even without those things.. its nice when you should really cut little bit money for those refugees because they do nothing.. they are not giving any positive thing.. they just stay in the hotel and just cost Denmark money.. nothing more you know.. you should.. they should use people more like go and work and give them real work and give them real money too.. and in the same time (utydeligt) that would be nice for all.. that s real integrate you know.. if you want to integrate then make him work.. if he don t work he will not eat he will not have any money.. and then believe me then all the people will go and work and make it so much better life.. and that s something that disappoint me a little bit you know.. i wish it was making people work and to get money and.. not just stay in here and go for 2 hours school and yeah that s so much loser thinking.. you know what I m saying? Interviewer: yeah, yeah.. Do you think much like about yourself like a refugee or flygtning.. Informant: Well.. I can see myself that I m an asylum seeker, you know? So I can see myself that I m really scared for what is going on.. I have a fase 2 not long time ago and I don t know what could 19
happen but I have my proves my papers, my ID, everything so.. It could take time, that s what they told me..it could take time.. Interviewer: yeah, but I mean..when you travel away from Vigsø.. do you feel like a refugee being with your friends and being out in other danish Informant: I can..for me I can not see myself so much refugee anymore in Denmark because.. I m much outgoing.. I really integrate even without a program for integration. I m doing it by myself, I m seeing other people, I m seeing other culture, I m seeing the real Denmark, the museums.. I really want to see that.. I see a lot of museums in Aarhus you know? and in Copenhagen too.. and in Odense so.. I m really.. I didn t see Aalborg yet, I m seeing the biggest cites of Denmark and that s what I want to do. I want to discover..see what it is.. that s much better, you know? I try to..the money is a problem tho, but I try to save and I think I m fine.. I m wearing fine clothes, I m eating good and.. I m traveling too.. I manage to save money.. I don t smoke.. I do nothing bad so.. Interviewer: When you try to discover, so to speak, the Danish culture.. (der kommer en anden asylansøger ind i lokalet og spørger informanten om noget på et fremmed sprog) Informant: ehm. she [den anden asylansøger der kom ind i lokalet] ask me about the money, the pocket money.. I tell her..both of you don t know anything about that (der grines).. so.. yeah.. I still have ten minutes more.. Interviewer: its okay? Informant: yeah its okay, of course.. Interviewer: I was thinking the way you say it..it seems to me like. if you really try, and you really want to learn the Danish culture.. you don t feel that much as a refugee? Is that correct? 20
Informant: yeah. that s so much correct.. if you integrate for real, and.. integrate for yourself inside then really you will find yourself that your are not they [danskere] will not see you like you are refugee or flygtninge.. they will just see you like one of them.. because you will be outgoing, you will thankful, you will be helpful.. you will be smiling all the time, and saying hi all the time, and not be closed like this and be a real refugee and be just eh.. like little bit stupid.. like you don t know what train you should take, like you don t know where you buy the ticket bla.bla.bla. you know? Lots of things that you can not manage to do..you know? you should be like real Danish persons, like you born here like. you see what people do, and just do it.. then you will really have a good integration.. its not the language.. forget about the language.. because you can learn.. but.. we talk about real things to do.. like.. if you see someone who needs help, then just help.. you see a woman who has a baby and want to go out of the bus, then just help her to get out and like.. if you see an old lady she needs help, or she needs to sit in your place then just give it.. and be much thankful.. don t ruin anything.. don t steel, don t be a bad person.. and eh.. just be yourself and.. Interviewer: We haven t really been here during the weekends, so we would like to learn more about what guys do during the weekends? Do you travel away? or? Informant: eh..precise? We talk about Vigsø? Interviewer: yeah. Informant: eh, okay Vigsø hotel..well there is no bus in the weekend to Hanstholm.. and there is no bus station here, so we can t go nowhere.. Interviewer: what do you feel about that? Informant: Well..its a little bit disappointing.. but for me.. I use it.. I use it..something like this weekend I go out, next weekend I don t go.. just stay in Vigsø.. I work out.. I do real training.. I take shower.. I just relax my body, and eat good food..and just.. watch a good movie.. and that s a good strategy I use actually.. so.. You cannot see that the weekend is disappointing..its bad for you.. but in 21
the other way.. for people who have nothing or do nothing they like.. they just spend their money already.. and they should spend it in food.. so they don t have a lot.. so they cannot go anywhere. And let me say that even if they go - where will they go? they cannot integrate? they cannot speak english? they will go to disco, they will go to bars and that s little bit stupid, you know.. because they will just.. lot of people they will just laugh of them.. i don t know.. they are just strange.. they are not. ehh. Like I hear.. I read once about I think it even happened here in Thisted. People from the camp there, they go every Saturday and Friday for diskotek and they just follow Danish girl, and she don t want to talk to them..and the stupid fucking thing is that they don t even talk English or Danish.. so how that girl could understand you? and in contact with you.. and you just follow her.. Interviewer: yeah, so your like why even go in the first place, if you don t even speak English? Informant: yeah its just like..you see my point? why you should go? you don t even flirt? you just follow her.. give me your number.. can we go here.. whats your name.. and then that s it.. you just know: hi, how are you?, what s your name? that s stupid man.. you just make fun of yourself just forget it! Interviewer: what do you think about being kind of dependent of the bus, you know? Informant: well the bus problem..its a really big problem here in Vigsø.. its a countryside place.. so.. don t expect a metro here or.. (griner alle). even the airport its not working. so.. Interviewer: yeah.. Informant: Its just a countryside.. I hope its not a permanent place to live in..but for me.. my point of view.. I really love Vigsø.. Better than Copenhagen.. When I go to Copenhagen I have a headache.. I feel like the sky is so much close to me I can touch it..lots of people moving around, and lot of cars and yelling and.. I don t like it..here when I come.. its just peaceful, so much relaxing way.. and just go and look at the Ocean.. Its the best ever..its like you are in a real vacation in Panama or (der grines)..the carribean.. 22
Interviewer: so you like Vigsø? Informant: I like Vigsø in that way. but to have a daily life you cannot succeed in Vigsø.. you have a car or go work in Thisted? yeah, you that from Aalborg to here every day its really difficult.. and.. it cost lots of money in gas so.. Interviewer: the social activities. What do you think about the social activities? For instance, billiard, and PS4, but also like praktik and all these different things that the center offers you? Informant: I can say that the Danish weather encourage you for doing nothing. so.. I used to play football for twelve years..and I played in the nationality for two and a half years in Tunisia when I was a little kid you know like twelve.. but.. When I come to Denmark I really start to like, losing my shape..and just not playing football anymore.. and I don t find any people who want to play.. Its raining much sometimes..its just a desperate weather..hopefully now, its going out to be good in spring, in the summer..but in the winter..the best thing you can do as a refugee its just stay in your place and watch a good movie and.. Interviewer: What about going to klubben in Hanstholm..You told me earlier, sometimes you do it, and sometimes you don t? Informant: yeah..its like a mood.. if you feel for it, you go.. if you want to change your mood a little bit, if you are in a bad mood, you can go there and play whatever do good things.. I still thinks its a little bit, you know, someone who is more than 20 years old and he go every day to play PlayStation that s a little bit dumb..its not life..then just go read a book, make yourself more knowledge..good knowledge is better than going playing billiard every time or so I m not so much fan of playing.. I m much fan of training..but I m not doing good anymore.. you know.. I m not doing well that much more..because, you know there is no gym..that [træningsfaciliteterne på hotellet] its just little.. The only thing you can work is your chest. so.. if it was here Fittness DK or something, I would go every day. but here in Vigsø I cannot.. Activities? It depends.. If its inside, then its okay we can see that a 23