In Transit​

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One day in 2007, soldiers returned to Yin Bay’s home in Kachin State in northern Myanmar. Once again, he was forced to carry weapons and supplies into the mountains. He was sick, but had no choice. Many men from his village were taken with him, and those who could not keep pace were beaten. Deaths during these forced marches were not uncommon.

After three days, Yin Bay decided to escape. He fled through the jungle for three days without food. In a nearby village, he managed to contact his wife, and they later travelled through Thailand to Malaysia with the help of smugglers.

In Malaysia, Yin Bay, his wife Ninbu, their daughter Mimi, and other Burmese refugees were recognised by the UNHCR. They were resettled in Romania, where they were promised safety and access to education and basic support.

But conditions in Romania proved extremely difficult, with limited access to food, schooling, and healthcare. In 2012, the family fled again and sought asylum in Denmark. Under the Dublin Regulation, they were to be returned to Romania, where they had previously lived in hardship.

Yin Bay and Ninbu now have four children: Mimi (15), Brinbrin (5), Alot (2), and Abraham (1), born in Malaysia, Romania, and Denmark.

The family lives in relative safety in Denmark, but conditions remain fragile. There is no regular financial support, access to healthcare is limited, and the children cannot attend school. Savings are essential for their survival — once they are gone, there is nothing left.