Last November, I visited Helsinki for work. Snow blanketed the city, and the biting cold mirrored my visit the year before, during the same time. After landing, I took a taxi from the airport to the city center.

The driver was from Libya. He told me he had arrived in Europe as a refugee, with Italy as his first destination. Life was tough at first—begging for money and living on the streets. But he found kindness there. He recalled how elderly women would see him outside supermarkets and bring him food. Gradually, he got a job at a supermarket, and despite the struggle of temporary contracts and periods of unemployment, he remained grateful.

"Italy saved me," he said. "The people there are empathetic and generous. They helped me survive when I had nothing."

Eventually, seeking stability, he moved to Finland. The work was steady—construction at first, and now driving a taxi. "Finland is cold," he admitted with a laugh, "but the job is good." His wife still lives in Italy, and though he misses her, he feels more secure in his new home.