Refugee crisis - Turkey & Greece - 2015

The refugee crisis - 2015

Europe has been facing one of the worse refugee crisis for a few months now.

Even if refugees and migrants have always come to Europe in search of better and safer lives, the continent has been in a difficult position lately.

Milions of people are fleeing their unsecure country and try to achieve Europe through Turkey and Greece.

The Greece Island such as Kos, Lesbos, Chios, Samos... are totally overwhelmed by the affluence of these people in desperate need of help.

I went in Bodrum, a Turkish holiday city, where migrants and refugees are waiting for their smugglers to give them a boat to cross the sea to Kos.

Then I went to Kos, a small Greek Island where the condition of living are way beyond good...

TURKEY - BODRUM

Bodrum, some call it paradise, other call it hell.The contrast in this city is terrible, in front of the world's most beautiful boats, all the refugees families, with most of the time new borns or old people. Believers, please pray for them.

Children asking for money in Bodrum

Bodrum, some call it paradise, other call it hell. These kids are Syrians, waiting in the city all day long for a boat which could bring them to Kos and then Europe. To ask for money, they wrote on a paper that they come from Syria, it seems to be the only, and the best argument. They are the only one I could decide myself to talk to, always too shy and afraid to disturb them. None of them spoke English, neither do the parents, but sometimes we don't need words because there is nothing to say.

Parents asking for food in Bodrum

I saw these people on my first day in Bodrum. They were silently sitting on the floor, waiting for an invisible hand to help them. I front of them, 4 children, asking for money, holding a paper which was saying «we are from Syria». 2 girls and 2 boys, between 3 and 7 years old. Yes, they are the children’s parents I took a picture of on my first day there.

GREECE - KOS

This small island has become an asylum for migrants from all around the world. and for refugees. The streets are full of tents, provided by the city or NGOs. In front of the police station, hundreds of people, waiting to see their names on THE list : the one which will allow them to continue their journey to Europe.

Refugees and migrants in Kos I went to discover this place : The Captain Elias Hotel. Abandoned for many years now, the city decided to "offer" it to refugees and migrants. After some time, it became a small community where everyone has its place. Senegalese, Gambian, Algerian, Pakistanis, Afghan.... Mattresses were put on the floor, inside, outside, on the roof..	Inside the Captain Elias Hotel	Inside the Captain Elias Hotel
Inside the Captain Elias Hotel	In front of the Captain Elias Hotel	The sun sets in Captain Elias
A Pakistani inside the Captain Elias A Pakistani old man sits on the edge of his "room" in the hotel, and looks at other hotel residents playing volleyball before the sun sets. There was no electricity in the hotel, and once the sun had set everything was quieter.	In front of the Captain Elias Hotel	Streets of Kos
Streets of Kos	Streets of Kos	A refugee with his sons I was on my way to leave Kos, when this guy approached me, he was holding the hands of his two little boys, 3 and 5, and asked me to take a picture of them. You can see the pride in his eyes, and the smile on this little boy’s face is just priceless! I showed them the picture, we laughed together, he thanked me many times and went back on the line. Let’s hope they will travel safe and find soon a good place to call home.

GREECE - LESVOS

Two friends from Afghanistan are asking me to take a picture of them in front of the sea they just crossed while they are waiting for the bus which will take them to Oxy.	An Syrian granfather is waiting for the bus which will take him and his family to Mytilini, after 2 days spent in Oxy, the transit camp.	Two brothers, coming from Afghanistan, are trying some hats to protect them from the hot sun. They are holding toys and balloons volunteers gave away a few minutes before.
Two brothers, coming from Afghanistan, are looking for some shadow during this hot day in the camp, and at the same time are playing in the middle of the dry clothes we will offer to the wet regufees a bit later...	Mother and daughter a few minutes after their boat landed in the Eftalou beach on the north of the island. Coming from Afghanistan the family (mother, father and four sisters) is now traveling through Europe to try to reach Germany.	A father is holding his son a few minutes after their boat landed on the north of the island of Lesvos. The boy was previously in the arms of a volunteer and couldn't stop crying, until he found the protective arms of his father.
An afghan boy in his father's arms just after their boat landed on the beach.	An old man from Afghanistan arrives to Skala, transit camp, after crossing the sea by boat with all his family.	An Afghan man is waiting for his sons to come back from the police office in the camp where they are asking for their papers.
Coming from Syria with her two daughters and her husband, this mother is looking for a place to stay and where her children will be able to get some sleep.	This mother started her journey with her five daughters, hoping to reach Germany. She enjoys of moment of calm to comb the hair of each one of them as she used to back home.	A woman is looking for carpets and blankets in the transit camp of Oxy. She and her family will use it to sleep on the floor. On some days, there are too many refugees in the camp and some of them will have to sleep without blankets because the volunteers don't have enough to give away...
A young girl in front of her "house" in the Kara Tepe camp. After a few days of rain, the sun is coming back and children can finally play outside.	Two brothers and a sister are enjoying the sun and are playing in the middle of the garbage in the camp of Moria. Moria is the camp where non Syrian people are sent. Du to the high number of refugees everyday it is really difficult to keep this place clean.	A young boy in the camp of Moria.
Two Afghan friends are having a rest on the hills above Oxy. They arrived a few hours before but because of the high number of refugees in the camp this day they will have to spend one night in Oxy before taking the bus to Mytilini.	Oxy is the transit camp on the north of the island of Lesvos. This is where refugees are sent when their boats land on the north. It is made to welcome 500 people, but is often hosts more than 2000.	A young boy is playing with his toy and his brother in front of their tent in the transit camp of Oxy. They are happy because the volunteers just gave away some toys to every child.
A doll is left on the side of the road, where a few hours before a family was spending the night before taking the bus to Mytilini.	A young boy from Afghanistan settles in what will be for a few hours or days, his new home in the Oxy camp. The nights are really cold and it might rain, but the tents are already full of people and there is no more room to accommodate refugees inside..

The refugee crisis - 2015

TURKEY - BODRUM

Children asking for money in Bodrum

Parents asking for food in Bodrum

GREECE - KOS

Refugees and migrants in Kos

Inside the Captain Elias Hotel

Inside the Captain Elias Hotel

Inside the Captain Elias Hotel

In front of the Captain Elias Hotel

The sun sets in Captain Elias

A Pakistani inside the Captain Elias

A Pakistani old man sits on the edge of his "room" in the hotel, and looks at other hotel residents playing volleyball before the sun sets. There was no electricity in the hotel, and once the sun had set everything was quieter.

In front of the Captain Elias Hotel

Streets of Kos

Streets of Kos

Streets of Kos

A refugee with his sons

GREECE - LESVOS

Two friends from Afghanistan are asking me to take a picture of them in front of the sea they just crossed while they are waiting for the bus which will take them to Oxy.

An Syrian granfather is waiting for the bus which will take him and his family to Mytilini, after 2 days spent in Oxy, the transit camp.

Two brothers, coming from Afghanistan, are trying some hats to protect them from the hot sun. They are holding toys and balloons volunteers gave away a few minutes before.

Two brothers, coming from Afghanistan, are looking for some shadow during this hot day in the camp, and at the same time are playing in the middle of the dry clothes we will offer to the wet regufees a bit later...

Mother and daughter a few minutes after their boat landed in the Eftalou beach on the north of the island. Coming from Afghanistan the family (mother, father and four sisters) is now traveling through Europe to try to reach Germany.

A father is holding his son a few minutes after their boat landed on the north of the island of Lesvos. The boy was previously in the arms of a volunteer and couldn't stop crying, until he found the protective arms of his father.

An afghan boy in his father's arms just after their boat landed on the beach.

An old man from Afghanistan arrives to Skala, transit camp, after crossing the sea by boat with all his family.

An Afghan man is waiting for his sons to come back from the police office in the camp where they are asking for their papers.

Coming from Syria with her two daughters and her husband, this mother is looking for a place to stay and where her children will be able to get some sleep.

This mother started her journey with her five daughters, hoping to reach Germany. She enjoys of moment of calm to comb the hair of each one of them as she used to back home.

A woman is looking for carpets and blankets in the transit camp of Oxy. She and her family will use it to sleep on the floor. On some days, there are too many refugees in the camp and some of them will have to sleep without blankets because the volunteers don't have enough to give away...

A young girl in front of her "house" in the Kara Tepe camp. After a few days of rain, the sun is coming back and children can finally play outside.

Two brothers and a sister are enjoying the sun and are playing in the middle of the garbage in the camp of Moria. Moria is the camp where non Syrian people are sent. Du to the high number of refugees everyday it is really difficult to keep this place clean.

A young boy in the camp of Moria.

Two Afghan friends are having a rest on the hills above Oxy. They arrived a few hours before but because of the high number of refugees in the camp this day they will have to spend one night in Oxy before taking the bus to Mytilini.

Oxy is the transit camp on the north of the island of Lesvos. This is where refugees are sent when their boats land on the north. It is made to welcome 500 people, but is often hosts more than 2000.

A young boy is playing with his toy and his brother in front of their tent in the transit camp of Oxy. They are happy because the volunteers just gave away some toys to every child.

A doll is left on the side of the road, where a few hours before a family was spending the night before taking the bus to Mytilini.

A young boy from Afghanistan settles in what will be for a few hours or days, his new home in the Oxy camp. The nights are really cold and it might rain, but the tents are already full of people and there is no more room to accommodate refugees inside..