A Syrian family reunited in Germany - in pictures

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  Syrian refugees Wael Al Awis, 31, right, embraces his wife Reem Haskour, 30, while their son Ali Al Awis, 6, watches during a visit at the harbour in Hamburg, Germany. The family was reunited three weeks ago after Reem and Ali made it to Germany following an arduous journey. The two rode a small inflatable rubber boat from Turkey to Greece, then continued their trek via the Balkans, Hungary and Austria before finally reaching Germany and Hamburg by train. Astrid Riecken / Getty Images

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  Syrian refugees Wael Al Awis, 31, centre, and his son Ali Al Awis, 6, throw stones into the Elbe river while taking a stroll along the shore near the harbour. Wael arrived in Germany on his own eight months ago and lived for the first five months in a shelter for migrants in Hamburg’s Wilhelmsburg island district. German authorities initially sought to deport him to Spain after they found out that was where he first entered the European Union. Astrid Riecken / Getty Images

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  Reem shows Ali how to fold napkins while helping to prepare a breakfast for a pastors’ meeting at a church in Hamburg. The family is seeking asylum in Germany, which is expecting to receive over a million migrants this year and while German Chancellor Angela Merkel has refused to close the border, her critics charge Germany will be unable to cope with so many newcomers. Astrid Riecken / Getty Images

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  Reem and sit on the bed in the basement room of the community centre of the church congregation Kreuzkirche where they live in Hamburg. Wael arrived in Germany on his own eight months ago and lived for the first five months in a shelter for migrants in Hamburg’s Wilhelmsburg island district. German authorities initially sought to deport him to Spain after they found out that was where he first entered the European Union. Wael, who speaks English, made contact with a local aid organisation called ‘Die Insel Hilft’ (The Island Helps), who offered legal assistance and eventually offered him to stay at the community center of the Kreuzkirche church congregation. Astrid Riecken / Getty Images

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  Wael takes a walk with his son Ali outside the registration office where he already spent more than four hours to register his wife in Hamburg. After spending almost the entire day at the registration office, the family was told they had to return the following week to start the whole procedure over. Astrid Riecken / Getty Images

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  Ali wears a rabbit hat his father found at the Kleiderkammer (a clothing donation place organised by the refugee non-profit Die Insel Hilft) in early morning before leaving the community centre of the Kreuzkirche where he lives with his parents in Hamburg, Germany. Ali is pretending to be a rabbit after one of the church members, to whom he has become very attached, showed him her rabbits at her home. Astrid Riecken / Getty Images

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  Wael drew a heart with the name of his son Ali in the sand at the Elbe river shore at the harbour in Hamburg. Wael was reunited with his family three weeks ago after Reem and Ali made it to Germany following an arduous journey. Astrid Riecken / Getty Images

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  Wael, Reem and Ali pose for a portrait inside the room of the basement at the community centre of the Kreuzkirche where they now live in Hamburg, Germany. Wael arrived in Germany on his own eight months ago and lived for the first five months in a shelter for migrants in Hamburg’s Wilhelmsburg island district. German authorities initially sought to deport him to Spain after they found out that was where he first entered the European Union. Astrid Riecken / Getty Images

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  Wael, right, looks at the departure times of the bus he and his family will take to the register office in early morning before leaving the community centre of the Kreuzkirche where he lives with his wife and son in Hamburg, Germany. Reem, 30, and son Ali, 6, were reunited three weeks ago with the father of the family after they made it to Germany following an arduous journey. Astrid Riecken / Getty Images

For nearly eight months, Wael Al Awis did not know if he would see his family again.

The 31-year-old Syrian managed the long trek from Spain to Germany in search of asylum.

But it was a journey he made alone. His wife, Reem Haskour, and son Ali remained behind.

In the long days of summer, Reem, 30, and 6-year-old Ali set out to join Wael. They began with a dangerous trip on a small inflatable boat from Turkey to Greece that gave them entry to the European Union.

From there, mother and son passed through the Balkans to Hungary and Austria before taking a train to the German city of Hamburg.

It was there, three weeks ago, that they became a family again.

What happens next is far from certain. Wael spent his first five months in a refugee shelter while the Germany authorities considered deporting him to Spain, his point of entry to the EU.

Today, they live in the basement of a community centre run by the Kreuzkirche church. The going will be tough in a country whose language they do not speak and where they have no jobs or a proper home.

Under the terms of their refugee status, the family must return to Syria if peace is restored within three years. For the moment, though, it is enough that they are safe and together.​