A Syrian refugee who was forced into military service under Bashar al-Assad’s regime dreams of returning home to Syria after more than a decade of building a life in Malta.

Since arriving in Malta in 2013, Maher Ibrahim has built a family and a successful business, Ta’ Vera Paints and Building Materials, in Tarxien. 

“I have been here for 11 years. At this point, I feel Maltese,” Ibrahim said.

Raised in Al-Sukhnah, a small town about 70 kilometres from the ancient city of Palmyra, Ibrahim once aspired to become a computer engineer. However, those dreams were shattered when he was conscripted into the Syrian army after finishing secondary school. 

“If I said I didn’t want to be in the army, I would have been sent to prison, and this is nothing like a Maltese prison; it is much, much worse,” he said.

Maher Ibrahim with his daughters, who were born in Malta. Photo: Maher Ibrahim

Ibrahim recounted stories he had heard about the brutal conditions in Sednaya prison, infamous for its reports of torture, starvation and rape. The tipping point for Ibrahim and his family came after his return from military service when Assad’s soldiers entered his village. 

“As they arrived, people went to welcome them, but they ended up killing them all. I thought, if you’re willing to kill those who welcomed you, what would stop you from killing me?” he said.

Thousands of people from Al-Sukhnah left the town after that to find safety nearby, including Ibrahim and his family. However, his family knew they would not remain safe for long and slowly, one by one, each member of Ibrahim’s family fled towards the Turkish border without passports or identification.

From Turkey, he took a boat to Greece where eventually he boarded a plane to Malta, where he has lived ever since.

“Maltese people have opened their hearts to me and my community, and I am incredibly grateful,” Ibrahim said, expressing profound appreciation for the island’s hospitality.

As well as setting up a business, he and his Syrian wife married in Malta and their two daughters were born in the country.

Maltese people have opened their hearts to me and my community, and I am incredibly grateful

With the fall of Assad’s regime, Ibrahim’s thoughts have turned to reuniting with his family, who are now scattered across the globe – cousins in Malta, a brother in Saudi Arabia and a sister in Qatar. 

“I felt like a bird finally being released from a cage on Sunday,” he said.

“I woke up scared every day for me and my family. Now I feel free.”

However, despite his elation, Ibrahim remains cautious about the future. His dream is to return to a safe and rebuilt Syria, where his young daughters can thrive. 

“I don’t want a country run by soldiers or the sons of soldiers. I want to see Syria as a democracy, led by professionals and businessmen who can rebuild the country positively,” he said.

‘Go back to your country’

But while Syrians are planning a cautious return home, some of the local reaction to the regime downfall has been dispiriting. 

Omar Rababah, a Maltese-Syrian human rights activist, took to social media to express his joy about the future. But his post was littered with racist comments saying the Syrian community should now go back to their own country. 

“The reaction didn’t totally surprise me,” Rababah, who was raised in Malta, said. 

He said they are told to go back to their country or similar cruel comments every year when there’s traffic because of people heading to the Mosque for Eid prayers.

“Sometimes it feels like we’re their favourite punching bag,” he said.

“Judgmental people make sure to leave their two cents, and that’s what it is more than anything: judgement and a lack of understanding.”