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REFUGEES PASSING VIA GREECE ON THEIR WAY TO NORTHERN EUROPE

53 images Created 31 Dec 2015

A trip of mainly Syrian and Afghani refugees via Greece in August 2015. Starting with them crossing the sea between Turkey and Greece by dingy boats and arriving to Lesvos island, it continues in the refugee camps there, by ferry to Piraeus port, in Victoria square of Athens city, in Thessaloniki city and then by bus and some walking to the border with Eidomeni border village where refugees crossed to the Republic of Macedonia on foot.

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  • Local woman directing a refugee boat on where to arrive.<br />
Refugees arriving on beaches near Molyvos village in Lesvos island. Thousands of them come from Turkey, crossing the sea border on inflatable dinghy boats, on a dangerous trip that has claimed many lives. Local people or NGOs expect them and help them in some places but after their arrival, most of them have to walk to the nearest village where they can hope for a places on busses that can take them to the city of Mytilene where they can register and eventually board on a ferry to Athens. Many decide to walk the distance as the busses aren’t enough to accommodate the large number of people that arrive daily.
    001-LESVOS-MOLYVOS-6724.jpg
  • The moment of arrival is the happiest for the sea battered refugees. <br />
Refugees arriving on beaches near Molyvos village in Lesvos island. Thousands of them come from Turkey, crossing the sea border on inflatable dinghy boats, on a dangerous trip that has claimed many lives. Local people or NGOs expect them and help them in some places but after their arrival, most of them have to walk to the nearest village where they can hope for a places on busses that can take them to the city of Mytilene where they can register and eventually board on a ferry to Athens. Many decide to walk the distance as the busses aren’t enough to accommodate the large number of people that arrive daily.
    004-LESVOS-MOLYVOS-5484.jpg
  • Mother and child that just arrived on a dinghy boat. <br />
Refugees arriving on beaches near Molyvos village in Lesvos island. Thousands of them come from Turkey, crossing the sea border on inflatable dinghy boats, on a dangerous trip that has claimed many lives. Local people or NGOs expect them and help them in some places but after their arrival, most of them have to walk to the nearest village where they can hope for a places on busses that can take them to the city of Mytilene where they can register and eventually board on a ferry to Athens. Many decide to walk the distance as the busses aren’t enough to accommodate the large number of people that arrive daily.
    007-LESVOS-MOLYVOS-5816.jpg
  • Refugees who arrive safely, often hug and kiss eachother.<br />
Refugees arriving on beaches near Molyvos village in Lesvos island. Thousands of them come from Turkey, crossing the sea border on inflatable dinghy boats, on a dangerous trip that has claimed many lives. Local people or NGOs expect them and help them in some places but after their arrival, most of them have to walk to the nearest village where they can hope for a places on busses that can take them to the city of Mytilene where they can register and eventually board on a ferry to Athens. Many decide to walk the distance as the busses aren’t enough to accommodate the large number of people that arrive daily.
    008-LESVOS-MOLYVOS-5661.jpg
  • Refugee lady, still shocked by the fear she experienced during her dangerous trip, praying to a small Koran that she caries with her. <br />
Refugees arriving on beaches near Molyvos village in Lesvos island. Thousands of them come from Turkey, crossing the sea border on inflatable dinghy boats, on a dangerous trip that has claimed many lives. Local people or NGOs expect them and help them in some places but after their arrival, most of them have to walk to the nearest village where they can hope for a places on busses that can take them to the city of Mytilene where they can register and eventually board on a ferry to Athens. Many decide to walk the distance as the busses aren’t enough to accommodate the large number of people that arrive daily.
    009-LESVOS-MOLYVOS-6802.jpg
  • Refugee lady that just arived safely, praying to god. <br />
Refugees arriving on beaches near Molyvos village in Lesvos island. Thousands of them come from Turkey, crossing the sea border on inflatable dinghy boats, on a dangerous trip that has claimed many lives. Local people or NGOs expect them and help them in some places but after their arrival, most of them have to walk to the nearest village where they can hope for a places on busses that can take them to the city of Mytilene where they can register and eventually board on a ferry to Athens. Many decide to walk the distance as the busses aren’t enough to accommodate the large number of people that arrive daily.
    010-LESVOS-MOLYVOS-5854.jpg
  • Refugee lady that collapsed dehydrated and shocked after her dangerous trip under the sun, is assisted by an Irish volonteer lady, her son and other refugees. <br />
Refugees arriving on beaches near Molyvos village in Lesvos island. Thousands of them come from Turkey, crossing the sea border on inflatable dinghy boats, on a dangerous trip that has claimed many lives. Local people or NGOs expect them and help them in some places but after their arrival, most of them have to walk to the nearest village where they can hope for a places on busses that can take them to the city of Mytilene where they can register and eventually board on a ferry to Athens. Many decide to walk the distance as the busses aren’t enough to accommodate the large number of people that arrive daily.
    012-LESVOS-MOLYVOS-5708.jpg
  • Child playes with a dog that arrived with the refugees.<br />
Refugees arriving on beaches near Molyvos village in Lesvos island. Thousands of them come from Turkey, crossing the sea border on inflatable dinghy boats, on a dangerous trip that has claimed many lives. Local people or NGOs expect them and help them in some places but after their arrival, most of them have to walk to the nearest village where they can hope for a places on busses that can take them to the city of Mytilene where they can register and eventually board on a ferry to Athens. Many decide to walk the distance as the busses aren’t enough to accommodate the large number of people that arrive daily.
    013-LESVOS-MOLYVOS-5741.jpg
  • Refugee lady assisted to climb a clif by the beach where her dinghy arrived.<br />
Refugees arriving on beaches near Molyvos village in Lesvos island. Thousands of them come from Turkey, crossing the sea border on inflatable dinghy boats, on a dangerous trip that has claimed many lives. Local people or NGOs expect them and help them in some places but after their arrival, most of them have to walk to the nearest village where they can hope for a places on busses that can take them to the city of Mytilene where they can register and eventually board on a ferry to Athens. Many decide to walk the distance as the busses aren’t enough to accommodate the large number of people that arrive daily.
    024-LESVOS-MOLYVOS-5787.jpg
  • Couple in a happy moment after their safe arrival. <br />
Refugees arriving on beaches near Molyvos village in Lesvos island. Thousands of them come from Turkey, crossing the sea border on inflatable dinghy boats, on a dangerous trip that has claimed many lives. Local people or NGOs expect them and help them in some places but after their arrival, most of them have to walk to the nearest village where they can hope for a places on busses that can take them to the city of Mytilene where they can register and eventually board on a ferry to Athens. Many decide to walk the distance as the busses aren’t enough to accommodate the large number of people that arrive daily.
    025-LESVOS-MOLYVOS-6978.jpg
  • Refugees at Molyvos village, waiting for a bus that can bring them to Mytilene city of Lesvos island where they can register and get on a ferry to Athens.
    026-LESVOS-MOLYVOS-2662.jpg
  • Esmael (husband) and Saheb Zade (wife) Bashira with their children, inside the car that picked them up after they were walking many hours trying to reach Mytilene city. <br />
They are from Kabul in Afghanistan where the husband had a street stall selling clothes. After an explosion near their home killed her nephew who was a policeman, they got scared and decided to leave the country. They want to go to Switzerland.
    045-LESVOS-MYTILENE-6003.jpg
  • Mother and child at the space of NGO Aggalia, in Kaloni village of Lesvos island. There refugees have some rest as they often have to walk from the beach where they arrive till the city of Mytilene where they can register and board a ferry to Athens. There is also a bus service but not so frequent so many end up walking for many hours.
    028-LESVOS-AGALIA-2614.jpg
  • Morning at Refugee camp Kara Tepe near Mytilene city. It hosts Syrian refugees who are waiting for their registration papers that will allow them to stay in Greece for some time till they can move to an other European country.
    031-LESVOS-KARA_TEPE-6067.jpg
  • Notice board with information in Arabic.<br />
Refugee camp Kara Tepe near Mytilene city. It hosts Syrian refugees who are waiting for their registration papers that will allow them to stay in Greece for some time till they can move to an other European country.
    034-LESVOS-KARA_TEPE-6054.jpg
  • Mobile phone charging corner.<br />
Refugee camp Kara Tepe near Mytilene city. It hosts Syrian refugees who are waiting for their registration papers that will allow them to stay in Greece for some time till they can move to an other European country.
    035-LESVOS-KARA_TEPE-6133.jpg
  • Mother combing her little girl's hair.<br />
Refugee camp Kara Tepe near Mytilene city. It hosts Syrian refugees who are waiting for their registration papers that will allow them to stay in Greece for some time till they can move to an other European country.
    037-LESVOS-KARA_TEPE-6116.jpg
  • Food distribution. <br />
Refugee camp Kara Tepe near Mytilene city. It hosts Syrian refugees who are waiting for their registration papers that will allow them to stay in Greece for some time till they can move to an other European country.
    038-LESVOS-KARA_TEPE-5268.jpg
  • Alsheikh family around the little food they could get during the food distribution. They come from Aleppo in Syria where the father worked as a gynaecologist until his hospital was bombed by the government forces after it was occupied by the Islamic State army. There are more than 10 groups plus the government forces fighting in Aleppo. They worried about their children’s future so they decided to leave their country where IS is forcing children to leaned how to fight. His life was also in danger if IS could find out that he was a doctor there. Already his wife’s brother who is travelling with them (in the back), had been injured by a bullet. The route they followed was: from Aleppo to Azaz by car, then  they walked for 21km to the border with Turkey, after crossing they walked for 10 more km until the first village Kilis, then they went to Urfa by a small bus they rented, then traveled for 36 hours by local bus to Izmir where they met the smugglers who arranged for them to go to Greece. They brought them 70km north of Izmir where they crossed by boat to Mytilene island. That was three days ago and they have been in the camp for 2 days while they are waiting for their registration papers so that they can continue their trip. They thought that they would find better conditions in Greece so they where quite disappointed. Their final destination is Germany. <br />
Refugee camp Kara Tepe near Mytilene city. It hosts Syrian refugees who are waiting for their registration papers that will allow them to stay in Greece for some time till they can move to an other European country.
    039-LESVOS-KARA_TEPE-5289.jpg
  • Alsheikh family around the little food they could get during the food distribution. They come from Aleppo in Syria where the father worked as a gynaecologist until his hospital was bombed by the government forces after it was occupied by the Islamic State army. There are more than 10 groups plus the government forces fighting in Aleppo. They worried about their children’s future so they decided to leave their country where IS is forcing children to leaned how to fight. His life was also in danger if IS could find out that he was a doctor there. Already his wife’s brother who is travelling with them (in the back), had been injured by a bullet. The route they followed was: from Aleppo to Azaz by car, then  they walked for 21km to the border with Turkey, after crossing they walked for 10 more km until the first village Kilis, then they went to Urfa by a small bus they rented, then traveled for 36 hours by local bus to Izmir where they met the smugglers who arranged for them to go to Greece. They brought them 70km north of Izmir where they crossed by boat to Mytilene island. That was three days ago and they have been in the camp for 2 days while they are waiting for their registration papers so that they can continue their trip. They thought that they would find better conditions in Greece so they where quite disappointed. Their final destination is Germany. <br />
Refugee camp Kara Tepe near Mytilene city. It hosts Syrian refugees who are waiting for their registration papers that will allow them to stay in Greece for some time till they can move to an other European country.
    040-LESVOS-KARA_TEPE-5298.jpg
  • Grandmother playing with her dissabled grandson. <br />
Refugee camp Kara Tepe near Mytilene city. It hosts Syrian refugees who are waiting for their registration papers that will allow them to stay in Greece for some time till they can move to an other European country.
    041-LESVOS-KARA_TEPE-5356.jpg
  • Lighting a fire for the night.<br />
Refugee camp Kara Tepe near Mytilene city. It hosts Syrian refugees who are waiting for their registration papers that will allow them to stay in Greece for some time till they can move to an other European country.
    042-LESVOS-KARA_TEPE-5322.jpg
  • Kids playing by the tents.<br />
Refugee camp Kara Tepe near Mytilene city. It hosts Syrian refugees who are waiting for their registration papers that will allow them to stay in Greece for some time till they can move to an other European country.
    043-LESVOS-KARA_TEPE-5378.jpg
  • Soraya Nashbandi (57) is from Kabul city of Afghanistan. She is travelling together with her two sons and her younger daughter. Her husband was killed 10 years ago but they never found out how. There used to be many explosions in Kabul in those days. Her oldest son (24) is a computer engineer and had a computer shop with 24 servers. Her youngest son (22) was studying to become a veterinarian. The family also had two cloths shops. The older brother decided to leave everything behind and take the family out of the country 9 months ago, when a powerful man in his 50s started pressuring the family to give him their older daughter (26) to become his 5th wife. The girl was engaged to an Afghan man who had immigrated to Norway and the family was trying to avoid the pressure of the older man. That man then threatened to take the younger daughter (17). They were afraid of what will happen to the daughters, as that man was influential and also had his own army. When they decided to leave, the hide for 4 days at an aunty’s house until they could make passports with fake names, then they boarded a flight to Tehran in Iran where they met with a smuggler who helped them go to Turkey in 12 days where they had to walk through the border. The went to Sivas city and there the daughter’s fiancee came to meet them, they got married and he waited for 50 days till she could get her visa to Norway before they left together. While in Turkey, Soraya started having health problems and at a hospital they found that she had blood cancer. She went through treatment and that was the reason they stayed in Turkey for so long. While in Turkey, they heard that the powerful man who wanted to marry her daughter was actually a trader, providing women to wealthy men. When the treatment finished and they only had to do regular check-ups, they decided to continue their trip. They went to Istanbul to meet the smugglers who could bring them to Greece and from there they where brought  to Izmir. They tri
    066-LESVOS-PIKPA-6212.jpg
  • Moria refugee camp is a bit further out of Mytilene city and it is divided in two sections. The inner part is well organised with buildings and police guarding it, and the outer part where mainly Afghan refugees live in tents and is purely guarded with chaotic situations, mainly during food distribution, frequently occur.
    049-LESVOS-MORIA-6453.jpg
  • Moria refugee camp is a bit further out of Mytilene city and it is divided in two sections. The inner part is well organised with buildings and police guarding it, and the outer part where mainly Afghan refugees live in tents and is purely guarded with chaotic situations, mainly during food distribution, frequently occur.
    053-LESVOS-MORIA-7072.jpg
  • Moria refugee camp is a bit further out of Mytilene city and it is divided in two sections. The inner part is well organised with buildings and police guarding it, and the outer part where mainly Afghan refugees live in tents and is purely guarded with chaotic situations, mainly during food distribution, frequently occur.
    054-LESVOS-MORIA-6471.jpg
  • Moria refugee camp is a bit further out of Mytilene city and it is divided in two sections. The inner part is well organised with buildings and police guarding it, and the outer part where mainly Afghan refugees live in tents and is purely guarded with chaotic situations, mainly during food distribution, frequently occur.
    055-LESVOS-MORIA-7320.jpg
  • Food distribution.<br />
Moria refugee camp is a bit further out of Mytilene city and it is divided in two sections. The inner part is well organised with buildings and police guarding it, and the outer part where mainly Afghan refugees live in tents and is purely guarded with chaotic situations, mainly during food distribution, frequently occur.
    056-LESVOS-MORIA-7019.jpg
  • Food distribution.<br />
Moria refugee camp is a bit further out of Mytilene city and it is divided in two sections. The inner part is well organised with buildings and police guarding it, and the outer part where mainly Afghan refugees live in tents and is purely guarded with chaotic situations, mainly during food distribution, frequently occur.
    057-LESVOS-MORIA-7083.jpg
  • As the evening comes, groups of Afghan youth get together to play music on plastic buckets etc., sing and dance. Here the young men immitate a female dance. <br />
Moria refugee camp is a bit further out of Mytilene city and it is divided in two sections. The inner part is well organised with buildings and police guarding it, and the outer part where mainly Afghan refugees live in tents and is purely guarded with chaotic situations, mainly during food distribution, frequently occur.
    058-LESVOS-MORIA-7240.jpg
  • Old man organizing his spot for the night.<br />
Moria refugee camp is a bit further out of Mytilene city and it is divided in two sections. The inner part is well organised with buildings and police guarding it, and the outer part where mainly Afghan refugees live in tents and is purely guarded with chaotic situations, mainly during food distribution, frequently occur.
    060-LESVOS-MORIA-7390.jpg
  • In th eevening, fires are lit for cooking and for getting together around them. <br />
Moria refugee camp is a bit further out of Mytilene city and it is divided in two sections. The inner part is well organised with buildings and police guarding it, and the outer part where mainly Afghan refugees live in tents and is purely guarded with chaotic situations, mainly during food distribution, frequently occur.
    061-LESVOS-MORIA-7422.jpg
  • Man inside his tent.<br />
Moria refugee camp is a bit further out of Mytilene city and it is divided in two sections. The inner part is well organised with buildings and police guarding it, and the outer part where mainly Afghan refugees live in tents and is purely guarded with chaotic situations, mainly during food distribution, frequently occur.
    063-LESVOS-MORIA-7475.jpg
  • People around the more organized section of the camp.<br />
Moria refugee camp is a bit further out of Mytilene city and it is divided in two sections. The inner part is well organised with buildings and police guarding it, and the outer part where mainly Afghan refugees live in tents and is purely guarded with chaotic situations, mainly during food distribution, frequently occur.
    064-LESVOS-MORIA-7432.jpg
  • People sleeping before the sunrize.<br />
The port of Mytilene where many refugees stay while they apply for a permit to stay in Greece or while they are waiting to board the ferry to Athens.
    072-LESVOS-MITILENE_PORT-2473.jpg
  • People sleeping before the sunrize.<br />
The port of Mytilene where many refugees stay while they apply for a permit to stay in Greece or while they are waiting to board the ferry to Athens.
    070-LESVOS-MITILENE_PORT-2432.jpg
  • Syrian man shaving in the morning light.<br />
<br />
The port of Mytilene where many refugees stay while they apply for a permit to stay in Greece or while they are waiting to board the ferry to Athens.
    073-LESVOS-MITILENE_PORT-2469.jpg
  • Refugees queuing in front of the Port police in order to apply for a permit to stay in Greece. <br />
The port of Mytilene where many refugees stay while they apply for a permit to stay in Greece or while they are waiting to board the ferry to Athens.
    082-LESVOS-MITILENE_PORT-6572.jpg
  • Refugees queuing in front of the Port police in order to apply for a permit to stay in Greece. <br />
The port of Mytilene where many refugees stay while they apply for a permit to stay in Greece or while they are waiting to board the ferry to Athens.
    081-LESVOS-MITILENE_PORT-2553.jpg
  • Refgees boarding the ferry to Athens. <br />
The port of Mytilene where many refugees stay while they apply for a permit to stay in Greece or while they are waiting to board the ferry to Athens.
    074-LESVOS-MITILENE_PORT-2450.jpg
  • Refugee smoking a cigaret while looking at the ferry to Athens that is about to dissapear in the horizon.<br />
The port of Mytilene where many refugees stay while they apply for a permit to stay in Greece or while they are waiting to board the ferry to Athens.
    076-LESVOS-MITILENE_PORT-2513.jpg
  • Afghani girls who just arrived in Victoria square in Athens, after spending the night at a hotel together with their families, in order to have a shower and recover from their trip till then. They temporarily settled in front of a building with farry-tale theme painted walls near the square.<br />
Victoria square in Athens is one of the main gathering places for refugees. They stay there until they can find a way to travel to Thessaloniki and to the northern border of Greece where they can cross on foot on their way to northern European countries.
    097-ATHENS-8489.jpg
  • Afghani mother with her child in Victoria square in Athens.<br />
Victoria square in Athens is one of the main gathering places for refugees. They stay there until they can find a way to travel to Thessaloniki and to the northern border of Greece where they can cross on foot on their way to northern European countries.
    098-ATHENS-8497.jpg
  • Afghani family in Victoria square in Athens<br />
Victoria square in Athens is one of the main gathering places for refugees. They stay there until they can find a way to travel to Thessaloniki and to the northern border of Greece where they can cross on foot on their way to northern European countries.
    099-ATHENS-8503.jpg
  • Muhammad (14, on the left) and Muhammad (18, on the right) are refugees from Syria. They met in Izmir and decided to continue travelling together. They both left their families behind because there wasn’t enough money for everyone to travel. The youngest one comes from Aleppo and his family has a small mini market. He has been travelling for a month before he reached Thessaloniki. The older one is from Edlib and his family has a real estate business. He has been travelling for one month and twenty days. <br />
They arrived to Thessaloniki at night-time by train and they boarded the local bus to the intercity bus station. There they can spend the night sleeping rough outside the bus station building, and board the bus to Eidomeni border in the morning. Refugees often arrive to Thessaloniki by train and then they go to the intercity bus station to board on the bus to Eidomeni border where they can cross to the Republic of Macedonia on foot.
    THESSALONIKI-2012.jpg
  • Afghan refugees checking the information on their permit to stay in Greece. Many are only given 48 hours and they are excluded from passing via certain provinces. When their permit doesn't allow them to pass via Kilkis province, they cannot board on the busses from Thessaloniki to Eidomeni border. <br />
Refugees often arrive to Thessaloniki by train and then they go to the intercity bus station to board on the bus to Eidomeni border where they can cross to the Republic of Macedonia on foot.
    102-THESSALONIKI-5228.jpg
  • Refugees taking a nap at thecoffee shop of Thessaloniki intercity bus station. <br />
Refugees often arrive to Thessaloniki by train and then they go to the intercity bus station to board on the bus to Eidomeni border where they can cross to the Republic of Macedonia on foot.
    107-THESSALONIKI-2189.jpg
  • The Zedan family among other refugees, in front of the bus to Eidomeni border.<br />
Refugees often arrive to Thessaloniki by train and then they go to the intercity bus station to board on the bus to Eidomeni border where they can cross to the Republic of Macedonia on foot.
    108-THESSALONIKI-2206.jpg
  • Refugees walking on a path towards the Eidomeni border, guided by GPS on their phones. <br />
Refugees arrive at Eidomeni border by bus and some times on foot. There they can cross to the republic of Macedonia on foot.
    109-EIDOMENI-2335.jpg
  • Refugee mother with her child waiting for her turn to cross the border.<br />
Refugees arrive at Eidomeni border by bus and some times on foot. There they can cross to the republic of Macedonia on foot.
    114-EIDOMENI-2365.jpg
  • Syrian refugee smoking the small narghile that carries in his luggage, as he is waiting to cross the border.<br />
Refugees arrive at Eidomeni border by bus and some times on foot. There they can cross to the republic of Macedonia on foot.
    117-EIDOMENI-2379.jpg
  • Refugees crossing the border to the Republic of Macedonia by following the train tracks. Busses come regularly to pick them up after they cross. <br />
Refugees arrive at Eidomeni border by bus and some times on foot. There they can cross to the republic of Macedonia on foot.
    118-EIDOMENI-2259.jpg
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