What is "the list" as noted in the memoir, When Stars Are Scattered?

The list is a symbol of the themes of waiting and fairness. The list means the UN list for resettlement, and if your name is on the list it means you are getting an interview with the UN for this opportunity. The authors first mention this in Chapter Eight when one of Omar’s friends is chosen, then repeated throughout the rest of the memoir when Omar and Nimo are then put on the list. The list represents both the end of waiting, as they could be resettled, but also the possibility and torture of more waiting. After their first interview they have to wait for a second interview - which for Omar and Hassan turns into years of waiting. It becomes torturous, especially as Nimo’s family receives a second interview and is eventually resettled. The list also seems fairly arbitrary as no one seems to know how people get on the list or how they are chosen.