This is the story of Hassan al Kontar (37) who works in the insurance sector. He arrived in Malaysia on March 7 and was unable to leave the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 because the authorities refused to grant him a visa. He was stuck in the airport and finally, thanks to a Good Samaritan, he has secured asylum and permanent residency in Canada and is now in Vancouver.

New Zealand Herald reports that the person who came forward to help him out was Laurie Cooper, a complete stranger from British Columbia. She and a group of friends contacted the immigration minister of Canada.

They wanted the authorities to admit the Syrian as a refugee. The team went to the extent of raising sufficient money through a crowdfunding campaign for private sponsorship of a refugee for resettlement.

It was a torturous time for Hassan al Kontar

He was from Damascus and had left Syria when the civil war broke out in 2011. He worked in the insurance sector in the United Arab Emirates where he spent the past decade and the authorities seized his passport when he refused to participate in Syria's civil war. That was the reason why the Syrian embassy in the UAE did not renew his passport in 2012.

Hassan al Kontar had a difficult time when stranded at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

This airport was in the news sometime back with regard to the assassination of Kim Jong-un's half-brother. Anyway, the Syrian could not leave the premises and had to spend most of his time in terminal two, sleeping under staircases and showering in the public bathrooms. Whatever little money he had was insufficient. It was running out and he was grateful to an airline that provided some form of food.

However, he made good use of his time. He took to Twitter and created a fan base to describe his plight at the airport. He shared videos and pictures related to his living conditions that helped him gain international attention. That is how Laurie Cooper entered the scene.

Hassan al Kontar is a relieved man

According to Indy100, the 37-year-old Syrian who was stranded in Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 since March is now in Canada.

The authorities have granted him asylum and permanent residency. He has around 20,000 followers on Twitter and he has thanked them and all others who helped him during his trying times. His confinement in the airport premises will bring back memories of Tom Hank’s character in “The Terminal.” Thanks to the involvement of Laurie Cooper who got hold of sponsors, Hassan al Kontar has recovered from a sort of nightmare and has entered a new phase in his life.
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