Refugee Trails


  • Photographer
    Adib
  • Prize
    Honorable Mention
  • Date of Photograph
    October 2015
Story

As temperatures steadily drop, weary bodies of all ages fleeing the horrors of conflict continue to make the increasingly risky journey across the inky black waters of the Aegean to the Greek islands, where they will begin their journey up Europe to reach safety and the hope for a new life. News headlines have reduced the refugees to statistics, giving way to viewer apathy with potentially devastating consequences as the Syrian conflict continues and the need for provisions increases.

The stories of those fleeing conflict are of untold horrors. They have witnessed and experienced some of the worst facets of human nature that emerge in conflict. The arrival of so many refugees will undoubtedly shape the future identity of Europe making it an important event to document. With the project I sought to challenge the outdated binary perspective refugees tend to have in the media, as being voiceless and passive agents. To do this, I tried to capture their determination in overcoming the obstacles- both physical and psychological, in order to reach a better life.

I spent two weeks following the major routes taken by refugees spanning seven countries and around 2,500 km seeking to better understand people’s motivations and circumstances for fleeing, I wanted to know what it meant to be a refugee in Europe today.

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