Travel bags are best sellers in war-torn Syria

Shop owners in central Damascus claim that they can spot customers wishing to make the life-threatening sea trip to Europe or travel through legal ports by their choice of travel bag. According to Walid, who sells bags in Al-Khaja Market, a backpack means that the customer has decided to take the sea option.

“The backpack is comfortable for a long journey on foot and can be removed easily in the event of an emergency,” he explains to a young couple standing outside his shop. “Most importantly, though, it floats on the water.”

He claims to be selling 20 such bags a day to customers of all ages, even families, and another shop owner says that around 1,000 backpacks are sold every day in the market. Abu Mohammed adds that the demand has increased dramatically over the past few months. “Workshops are working day and night to meet the demand,” he explains.

While illegal migrants choose backpacks to hold their most precious items, traditional travel bags are bought by those with visas; just two or three such bags are sold on an average day, says Walid.

Students and professionals who have chosen to apply for visas for Germany are devoting their time and energy to learning the German language, prompting around 25 language centres to start German lessons to meet the growing demand. Nearly 1,000 students are learning German at these centres. In fact, the demand is so high that the Ibn Sina Centre for Languages in Damascus has replaced English language lessons with courses in German, the centre’s Director General, Mohamed Omari, told the French media recently.

Mumin Zarzour is a 26 year-old doctor who specialises in internal medicine. He wants to further his studies in Germany because of all the medical facilities there. “The requirements to obtain a student visa to Germany requires registration on a language course and providing financial guarantees worth €8,200,” he explained. “The procedure takes up to two months.”

A German official revealed that 6,500 entry visas were issued to Syrians in 2011 but that number has now increased five-fold. The visas are granted primarily on humanitarian grounds, for study or for family reunification, he added.

Meanwhile, a photo-shopped image of German Chancellor Angela Merkel dressed in traditional Syrian clothes with the caption “Mama Merkel” has been circulated on social media. She is believed to be more lenient with her country’s policy towards refugees; Germany has accepted the largest number of refugees in Europe so far in the worst refugee crisis since World War II. More than 11 million Syrians have been displaced from their homes because of the conflict which began in March 2011. Four million are refugees outside their country.

This item was first published on HuffPost Arabi on 27th September 2015.