Dejan Lovren opens up about his life as a refugee

Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren has given details about his life as a refugee, and said that he understands the current situation which the refugees around the world face, asking them to be given a chance.

Published : Feb 09, 2017 15:45 IST

Dejan Lovren's documentary My LIfe as a Refugee was released on the Liverpool website.
Dejan Lovren's documentary My LIfe as a Refugee was released on the Liverpool website.
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Dejan Lovren's documentary My LIfe as a Refugee was released on the Liverpool website.

Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren has given details about his life as a refugee, and said that he understands the current situation which the refugees around the world face, saying they deserve to be given a chance.

In an interview to TheGuardian, Lovren said “When I see what’s happening today [with refugees] I just remember my thing, my family and how people don’t want you in their country. I understand people want to protect themselves, but people don’t have homes. It’s not their fault; they’re fighting for their lives just to save their kids. They want a secure place for their kids and their futures. I went through all this and I know what some families are going through. Give them a chance, give them a chance. You can see who the good people are and who are not.”

Lovren was just three-years-old when the Bosnian war broke out in 1992, and he along with his family was forced to flee their home in Kraljeva Sutjeska, the village where the family grew up in."It was in small villages where the most horrific things happened, people were brutally killed. My uncle’s brother was killed in front of other people with a knife. I never talk about my uncle because it’s quite a tough thing to talk about, but he lost his brother, one of my family members."

He then moved to Germany with his family, and Lovren conceded that he was lucky since his grandfather was already working there "We had luck. Me and my family, we had luck. Our grandad was working in Germany and because of that he had the papers. If not, I don’t know what we could have done. Maybe I could see my parents and me under the ground. I don’t know what could’ve happened. One of my best friends in my high school – his dad was a soldier – and I remember he was crying every day. I was thinking: ‘Why?’ And he said: ‘My dad died.’ So, you know, it could have been my dad.”

His family was then asked to move from Germany and they moved to Croatia, but Lovren said it will always remain my second country. My mum said: ‘Germany is our second home’ and it’s true. Germany gave us their open hands. I don’t know which country could have done that, at that time, to welcome refugees from Bosnia.”

Lovren's documenatary titled My Life as a Refugee can be watched for free on LFCTV GO.

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