Afsana, hailing from Kashmir in Pakistan, and her husband Omar, originally from India, met and fell in love in the United Arab Emirates two decades ago. They married and welcomed three children into their lives, but the political strife between their home countries and familial threats have made living safely together impossible. Their only option to preserve their family was to flee, leading them to reside in Barcelona since 2019.

Despite their efforts to secure international protection for a normal life, the Spanish Ministry has repeatedly denied their requests, overlooking what their lawyer argues are crucial humanitarian reasons. "Our marriage is born out of love," Afsana recalls, lamenting that neither her nor Omar's family accepted their union. Her dependency on a Dubai visa linked to Omar's sister, an influential Emirati citizen due to her marriage to a military official, made their situation precarious as she opposed the Indo-Pakistani marriage vehemently.

In early 2019, Omar faced a work-related accident, suspected to be orchestrated by his sister-in-law's circle. A fall on the stairs caused a severe head injury, paralyzing an arm and a leg, leaving him with persistent headaches and memory lapses. During Omar's recovery, his sister-in-law pressured Afsana to sign divorce papers, threatening to send Omar to India with the children to remarry. Afsana recounts with tears how she was physically assaulted and threatened with a knife in front of her children.

Despite reporting to the Dubai police, no action was taken due to the sister-in-law's influence. Forced to escape, their first flight was to Barcelona. Arriving on December 21, 2019, with only their clothes and documents, the family faced homelessness, sleeping on the streets before finding temporary shelter. Now, they live in an official protection apartment near the Sagrada Familia.

The Interior Ministry recently denied their asylum request again, which their lawyer, Sílvia Lidón from the APIP-ACAM foundation, criticizes as incorrect, citing inaccuracies like misidentifying India as Afsana's origin. She feels disappointed, noting the disregard for the children's post-traumatic stress from migration and Omar's 73% disability due to his neurodegenerative condition. "I can't think straight," Omar voices in distress, questioning his suicidal thoughts, with his wife and middle daughter silently listening.

Afsana shares, "My children say, 'Mom, this is our country.'" She has embraced the local culture over many years and doesn't wish to change it. Her daughter Aisha, 15, emphasizes their connection to friends and life in Barcelona. The family fears exhausting all legal avenues against the Ministry's decision, leaving them stranded without residence permits, unable to return to their bomb-ravaged home in Kashmir.