Syrian refugee who lived in an airport becomes Canadian citizen

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It was 2018 when Hassan al-Kontar found himself stranded in a Malaysian airport for seven months, unable to leave for fear of his life. Five years on the Syrian refugee, now 41, has become a Canadian citizen. Mr Al-Kontar's arrival in his adopted hometown of Whistler, in British Columbia (BC) had been preceded by a sojourn that saw him bouncing between countries before becoming stranded at Kuala Lumpur airport. He joined Newsday to talk about what it means to him to become a Canadian citizen. "I did not only find a future, I found a place where I can call home, and that's the most important thing. Somewhere I can establish some roots, people I can belong to, a culture I can embrace and support". (Photo shows: Syrian Refugee Hassan Al - Kontar in Canada. Credit: Hassan Al-Kontar)