Blerim Skoro

I was looking to get hit, so to seek the asylum. And I was in the floor, everybody walked in the flight, they closed the flight right away, the door, now they jump all the police in me. What I did? I said, And they got stuck. When you mentioned deserter, meaning deserter, it was from Yugoslav military because that time a lot of Albanians were deserting the Yugoslav military. And they believe it.

They sent me back to Geneva. They gave me a translator. And I told the translator, look, I can bring my military IDs. I'm from former military. I came from war zone, from Vukovar. and they bring the translator and they give me asylum in Switzerland temporarily. That was December 1991. I stayed in Switzerland from 1991 to October 1994. in Switzerland. October 1994, I came to United States.

They sent me back to Geneva. They gave me a translator. And I told the translator, look, I can bring my military IDs. I'm from former military. I came from war zone, from Vukovar. and they bring the translator and they give me asylum in Switzerland temporarily. That was December 1991. I stayed in Switzerland from 1991 to October 1994. in Switzerland. October 1994, I came to United States.

They sent me back to Geneva. They gave me a translator. And I told the translator, look, I can bring my military IDs. I'm from former military. I came from war zone, from Vukovar. and they bring the translator and they give me asylum in Switzerland temporarily. That was December 1991. I stayed in Switzerland from 1991 to October 1994. in Switzerland. October 1994, I came to United States.

How did you get to the United States? It's very good question. And it's excellent answer. In 1994, my uncle came here in 1960. He emigrated from Albania. He was a US citizen. So I dreamed all the time. I have my aunt and a lot of first cousins. They came that time. So I always dreamed the United States, you know, because they used to come from U.S. to Kosovo to visit us.

How did you get to the United States? It's very good question. And it's excellent answer. In 1994, my uncle came here in 1960. He emigrated from Albania. He was a US citizen. So I dreamed all the time. I have my aunt and a lot of first cousins. They came that time. So I always dreamed the United States, you know, because they used to come from U.S. to Kosovo to visit us.

How did you get to the United States? It's very good question. And it's excellent answer. In 1994, my uncle came here in 1960. He emigrated from Albania. He was a US citizen. So I dreamed all the time. I have my aunt and a lot of first cousins. They came that time. So I always dreamed the United States, you know, because they used to come from U.S. to Kosovo to visit us.

And, you know, we see like all this is good, you know, to be in the United States. You know, my first cousins, they always talk nice. Some of them, they're born in U.S. at that time. We're talking 35 years ago because I have family members. They came 50 years ago, 60 years ago. And I was dreaming to come here. And Switzerland was not giving us asylum for good like in the United States.

And, you know, we see like all this is good, you know, to be in the United States. You know, my first cousins, they always talk nice. Some of them, they're born in U.S. at that time. We're talking 35 years ago because I have family members. They came 50 years ago, 60 years ago. And I was dreaming to come here. And Switzerland was not giving us asylum for good like in the United States.

And, you know, we see like all this is good, you know, to be in the United States. You know, my first cousins, they always talk nice. Some of them, they're born in U.S. at that time. We're talking 35 years ago because I have family members. They came 50 years ago, 60 years ago. And I was dreaming to come here. And Switzerland was not giving us asylum for good like in the United States.

They was giving us just temporary. All the former military was receiving status only temporary in Switzerland. So I asked my uncle, I said, can you send me an invitation? I want to come in the United States. He said, I would send it to you, but it's not easy to get that visa. I said, look, you send it to me, I'm going to get the visa. And he sent me the visa, and with his invitation, they denied.

They was giving us just temporary. All the former military was receiving status only temporary in Switzerland. So I asked my uncle, I said, can you send me an invitation? I want to come in the United States. He said, I would send it to you, but it's not easy to get that visa. I said, look, you send it to me, I'm going to get the visa. And he sent me the visa, and with his invitation, they denied.

They was giving us just temporary. All the former military was receiving status only temporary in Switzerland. So I asked my uncle, I said, can you send me an invitation? I want to come in the United States. He said, I would send it to you, but it's not easy to get that visa. I said, look, you send it to me, I'm going to get the visa. And he sent me the visa, and with his invitation, they denied.

So I did it. Now I used again my skills. I got the passport from somebody, a friend of mine, and I went in a U.S. embassy in Switzerland and got the visa myself. I got a visa with a different name, not my name, Blerem Skoro. Again, my skills to get the visa in the U.S. Embassy. And I went in Zurich and I got visa, they gave me multiply one year visa for U.S.

So I did it. Now I used again my skills. I got the passport from somebody, a friend of mine, and I went in a U.S. embassy in Switzerland and got the visa myself. I got a visa with a different name, not my name, Blerem Skoro. Again, my skills to get the visa in the U.S. Embassy. And I went in Zurich and I got visa, they gave me multiply one year visa for U.S.

So I did it. Now I used again my skills. I got the passport from somebody, a friend of mine, and I went in a U.S. embassy in Switzerland and got the visa myself. I got a visa with a different name, not my name, Blerem Skoro. Again, my skills to get the visa in the U.S. Embassy. And I went in Zurich and I got visa, they gave me multiply one year visa for U.S.

I got the visa, I came in JFK, I flew in October 1994, and my uncle was waiting for me in JFK, and it was funny because like I'm using my, skills not to trust still even my uncle but not to tell him what I'm coming with name so he's he's coming in information in JFK calling for blurring but my name was a different name Femi Husseini so totally different name now so He's waiting in the airport.

I got the visa, I came in JFK, I flew in October 1994, and my uncle was waiting for me in JFK, and it was funny because like I'm using my, skills not to trust still even my uncle but not to tell him what I'm coming with name so he's he's coming in information in JFK calling for blurring but my name was a different name Femi Husseini so totally different name now so He's waiting in the airport.

I got the visa, I came in JFK, I flew in October 1994, and my uncle was waiting for me in JFK, and it was funny because like I'm using my, skills not to trust still even my uncle but not to tell him what I'm coming with name so he's he's coming in information in JFK calling for blurring but my name was a different name Femi Husseini so totally different name now so He's waiting in the airport.

I took cab from JFK. I'm in Astoria going to his house. And then I see my uncle's wife. She's American, not Albanian, American born. And Patricia, she said, welcome. She's asking me, I did a few words, where's your uncle? I said, I don't see my uncle. Then she paged him, that time there was no cell phones, and then my uncle responds, said, where are you? I said, I'm in your apartment.