NGG High School expresses sympathy for its student Rowan after her residency was revoked and releases a press statement
The private NGG V school and high school in Hørsholm, Zealand, published a press release regarding the decision to deny one of its students residency and place her in a deportation center. This is what the press release stated:
“The Story of Rawan – A Dream and Lost Potential”
Rowan will finish her studies at HF this summer and is expected to pass her exams at the private NGG High School in Hørsholm. Her dream of studying nursing has now been shattered by the news that the 18-year-old has been sent to the Kærshovedgård deportation center to an uncertain future.
No one doubts Rowan's integration; her high school teachers describe her as curious, sociable, and highly capable, while her classmates describe her as caring and affectionate.
“It’s up to me to look after others. I think it’s because of how I was raised and everything I’ve been through. It’s important to me that my family and friends are okay. Only then can it be about me,” says the young student who moved into her own apartment in North Sheeland while also looking after her school.
Rawan's life is unlike that of her Danish friends. She was born in Syria and lived there with her parents and siblings until she was eight years old. Her father was a real estate agent, and both the Assad regime and the opposition had a significant role in monitoring the residents of the properties he managed. The daily life, marked by fear, pressure, and threats, drove the family to flee illegally. First to Egypt, then by boat to Italy, and finally to Denmark, where they obtained residency permits. The long and traumatic journey ultimately tore the family apart.
Rowan has lived through difficult moments and many memories, which are very difficult for a young girl to face. Instead, she prefers to focus on the future, a better future, where she can freely choose the education she dreams of, enabling her to work freely and make a difference.
Daily life and dreams are suddenly replaced by fear, and the family must be separated once again because Rowan and her parents' residence permits have not been renewed. While her brother is of conscription age and can therefore retain his permit, thus having the opportunity to complete his education, Rowan is denied this opportunity. Just a few months before she was due to finish her HF education, her stay at the controversial Kærshovedgård departure center deprives her of her right to study and to live freely without fear of the future.
Unlike almost all other EU countries, Danish authorities have declared parts of Syria safe. However, due to the lack of a repatriation agreement between Denmark and the Assad regime, Syrians cannot be returned to their homeland. They are deprived of their daily lives, spending years in detention centers—a situation documented as deeply traumatic for residents who had previously enjoyed a comfortable life within Danish society.
Can Rawan's conviction be overturned? Yes, according to her lawyer. Among other things, if her life and well-being are in danger upon her return to Syria. Any criticism of the government is considered hostile and carries consequences. Rawan participated in anti-government demonstrations here in Denmark. Her face and name are known, and therefore she fears for her life if she is returned to the dictatorship.
Now Rowan has a few weeks to pack her bags, say goodbye to friends and daily life at Nordsjælland (NGG) Primary School and the gymnasium. “I can’t even cry. I’m completely empty inside. I’m actually in shock,” Rowan commented on the decision.
At NGG High School, both classmates and teachers hope that the decision can be reversed and that Rowan will have the opportunity to complete her education and one day become one of the many caring nurses that Denmark so desperately needs.”
I finish.
