INTERVIEW WITH S
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[9:31 PM, 2/12/2020]
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Riya: When and where were you born?
S: I was born in November 2002 in India, in the same hospital as my cousins from my mom’s side.
Riya: Where are you currently living and why?
S: Currently in the United Arab Emirates because of my dad’s job.
Riya: Have you lived anywhere else besides the UAE and India?
S: I have lived in India for the first five years, then we moved to Mauritius where we stayed for four years, then it was Kenya and Dubai ever since.
Riya: Have you enjoyed moving? If you haven’t, could you explain why?
S: I have to say I was mostly neutral. It's funny you ask that because even in India we moved cities twice and whenever we used to come back home my grandparents would ask me which city/country I like better and I would say none, they all had their pros and cons. I was actually too young to form an opinion on the moving so I didn't think much about it, I can make friends in a new school and do the same things... But our last move from Kenya to Dubai was probably the hardest because I had friends and for the first time, I was old enough to remember and understand what it means to leave a place where you knew your favorite places and restaurants to an unknown place. It was quite hard, but I don't regret it.
Riya: What is home for you? And do you consider the UAE to be your home now?
S: Home is where I am with the people who I care for and who care for me. Therefore, the UAE is my home. Home is where I want it to be. But I haven't found that place exactly at the moment. In Dubai, I am labeled as an Indian immigrant. In India [I am] an NRI (Non-Indian Resident) which makes things problematic since no side is willing to say I belong to it.
Riya: Do you feel like you face any sort of discrimination? Being an Indian in the UAE and a NRI in India?
S: No discrimination just a few more looks, and people just ask different questions. The kids in India are more interested in my accent or what Dubai looks like.
Riya: If you had total control over your future, would you like to remain settled in UAE? Or would you like to move somewhere else? If so, then where?
S: I would like to move somewhere else. Where? That is hard to say but it would either be the UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, or Japan. These are my favorite destinations to live and work in.
Riya: Do all your relatives live in UAE? Or somewhere else? If somewhere else, how often do you meet them?
S: None of my relatives live in Dubai. Some lived in Kenya which made Kenya harder to leave but most of my family is in India in a very small town.
Riya: How often do you visit them?
S: Every year.
Riya: What about visiting Kenya?
S: They are actually part of the extended family and very settled in Kenya so we are actually not that close to them. They come for weddings and other big events once in a few years.
Riya: Do you feel as though you enjoy the same human rights as citizens of the UAE, Kenya or India?
S: I am not that sure. As an expat I feel there is a toll which somehow decreases the amount of rights I have as a tax for me living and enjoying life here as an immigrant. But that is just socially, legally I think living the UAE allows me equal access to the rights as any other resident.
Riya: Lastly, what does freedom of movement mean to you?
S: Freedom of movement is the sign of a better world because of all the talk about limiting immigration in America and the refugee and asylum crisis in Europe. I would love for freedom of movement to exist, but it doesn't for everyone.
Riya: Thank you so much for your time and sharing your story! If there is anything else, you would like to add or tell others who read your story you can now!
S: Thank you very much but I think I have said enough.