He left everything behind to flee the war in Syria. What does the end of the war mean for his future?

When the Syrian dictatorship fell in early December, celebrations erupted around the world – including nearly 6,000 miles away in Toledo, Ohio.

Mohammed al-Refai, a refugee from Syria, now lives there. NPR has been following his story for nearly a decade.

In 2015, millions of Syrians fled the civil war in their country. al-Refai received a visa to enter the United States. His parents and siblings, who fled to Jordan, were not granted a visa. So he moved alone to Toledo, where he built a new life for himself.

He had long dreamed of visiting his family and perhaps one day returning to Syria.

With the Syrian Civil War now over, we spoke to al-Refai about what’s next.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider the following: Sign up for COnsider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Send us an email at (email protected).