Youssef Asad Alkhatib arrived as a teenager nearly a decade ago, now he’s a trained actor with plans to take on major Finnish roles.
The Finnish Refugee Council has chosen 26-year-old Youssef Asad Alkhatib as this year’s Refugee of the Year.
The award recognises a willingness to champion integration and positive contributions to society in everyday life, according to the council.
Alkhatib first arrived in Finland in 2017, after fleeing from threats of ISIS in Syria. The terrorist group had arrived in his hometown of Palmyra, and had even threatened Alkhatib himself. When he was 15 years old, his family decided it was time for him to leave.
As Alkhatib’s mother was packing his belongings for the journey, his father — a large and usually outspoken man — sat quietly on the couch with tears in his eyes.
He also wanted to bring his best friend along on the trip, but that wasn’t possible.
“It was crazy to leave my family behind. It was the hardest moment,” Alkhatib told Yle.
Alkhatib’s journey to safety was also longer than he had expected. What was supposed to be a relatively short trip ended up as a year-and-a-half trek through Turkey and Greece.
Alkhatib said the most challenging period was when the border between Greece and Macedonia was shut down and he found himself stuck between the countries for months.
Eventually, he got a message from the UNHCR saying he could enter Finland as a quota refugee.
“Is that a city in Germany?” Alkhatib said he wondered at the time.
“I’d like to be an actor”
After arriving in Finland at the age of 16, he immediately began pursuing his dream of becoming an actor. He sent emails to Finnish thespians asking them for tips on how to become one himself.
He had received contact information for more than a dozen Finnish theaters from a professional actor. After being in the country for about four hours, Alkhatib had contacted each of them.
“Hi! I’m Youssef. I’d like to be an actor. I have a lot of energy, but no experience. Could you help?” he wrote.
But due to limited Finnish skills, he had to apply to the Theatre Academy Helsinki three times before being accepted five years ago. Earlier this year he received his Master of Arts degree from the academy, with the distinction of being its first graduate with a refugee background.
“It’s unbelievable how quickly five years go by,” he marveled.
Alkhatib said he dreams of taking on Finnish theatrical roles and wants to challenge perceptions about who can portray Finns.
“I have to respect the audience and act in the language that the audience speaks. Of course, Arabic is my native language, but I have lived and studied here. I want to be seen as part of Finland, part of the culture here,” he explained.
Alkhatib said he will appear on the National Theatre stage this autumn, but did not reveal more about the role than that.
Looking forward, Alkhatib said he dreams of taking on a wide range of roles. He hopes to challenge himself and play Finnish characters – even legendary figures like Gustaf Mannerheim, the country’s most famous military leader.
He would also like Finland to be prepared for an actor named Youssef to appear in Finnish roles.
He said the country is becoming an increasingly diverse place, making it “more beautiful and richer”.
“We are all human beings, regardless of what color we are, how long our hair is, what color our eyes are, whether we are tall or short. We are different people, and diversity is beauty,” he added.
