Destination Europe

Destination Europe

According to the Amnesty International report, published on the 17th of October, Egyptian authorities are systematically arresting dozens of Syrian and Palestinian refugees, detaining them for long time in awful hygienic and health conditions, therefore forcing them to look for money in order to buy a ticket to Turkey or Lebanon or, alternatively, they have to sign to be sent back to their own countries. All that without taking into consideration the potential serious risks that may occur to the refugees coming back to their countries.The obstinacy of the authorities, the hostile and unfriendly environment that Syrians have been experiencing in Egypt since the month of July- when they were accused by the media to support the Muslim Brotherhood- and finally the desperate economic conditions of many families of refugees are among the causes of the increasing number of clandestine boats that recently have set sail from the ports of Alexandria to reach the Italian coasts. Journeys of hope that, more and more often, turn into tragedies, with dozens of deaths. Mohamed is a thirty years old Syrian, arrested on a truck of refugees one morning in September while, with other refugees, he was going to meet the sailors of the boat that should have clandestinely taken him to Italy. After staying 20 days in a prison in Alexandria, in order to avoid being deported to Syria, he managed to escape with another prisoner. Mohamed, currently, having lost everything, had no choice but contacting another dealer and he is now waiting for another call to try again to sail towards Italy and then Europe.
Text by Alessio Polveroni

by Aldo Soligno

According to the Amnesty International report, published on the 17th of October, Egyptian authorities are systematically arresting dozens of Syrian and Palestinian refugees, detaining them for long time in awful hygienic and health conditions, therefore forcing them to look for money in order to buy a ticket to Turkey or Lebanon or, alternatively, they have to sign to be sent back to their own countries. All that without taking into consideration the potential serious risks that may occur to the refugees coming back to their countries.The obstinacy of the authorities, the hostile and unfriendly environment that Syrians have been experiencing in Egypt since the month of July- when they were accused by the media to support the Muslim Brotherhood- and finally the desperate economic conditions of many families of refugees are among the causes of the increasing number of clandestine boats that recently have set sail from the ports of Alexandria to reach the Italian coasts. Journeys of hope that, more and more often, turn into tragedies, with dozens of deaths. Mohamed is a thirty years old Syrian, arrested on a truck of refugees one morning in September while, with other refugees, he was going to meet the sailors of the boat that should have clandestinely taken him to Italy. After staying 20 days in a prison in Alexandria, in order to avoid being deported to Syria, he managed to escape with another prisoner. Mohamed, currently, having lost everything, had no choice but contacting another dealer and he is now waiting for another call to try again to sail towards Italy and then Europe.
Text by Alessio Polveroni

Alexandria. Egypt. Emad 19. Emad is from Haria. He escaped from Syria because he didn’t want to enlist in the Assad’s army. He arrived in Egypt with his mother and his father. The Assad’s army sent to his brother, who was still in Syria, an arrest warrant for Emad. Alexandria. Egypt. Mohannad 44. Mohannad was born in Palestine and after the war of 1967 he went in Syria and he lived there as a palestinian refugee. When Mokhaiam's refugee camp was destroyed in Damasco in January 2013 he had to escape in Egypt with his two wifes and his children. In Egypt he met a syrian widow and he married her. Mohannad has seven kids. Alexandria. Egypt. Feraas 24. Feraas comes from Damasco. He escaped because he didn't want to enlist in the Assad's army. For this reason he had to live Syria and his family. Escaped from Damasco he reached Lebanon and from there he took the flight to Alexandria. Alexandria. Egypt. Maryaam Adanan. Maryaam left Syria the 16th of August of 2012 with is son and his husband. In april his husband boarded at Port Said on a clandestine boat to go in Italy. Maryaam is surviving thanks to the salary of his son of 15 years old, that is doing occasional jobs since Maryaam's husband was arrested. Alexandria. Egypt. Zaher, 36. Zaher, 36 years old, was born in Haria, one of the first Syrian cities where the population takes part in civic events that led to the revolution of March 2011. In June, the army of the regime began to bomb the area. One morning Reda, the son of Zaher, who was not yet five years old, he remains under the rubble after a bombing. Alexandria. Egypt. Ahmed, 19. He has escaped from Damascus with his brother to avoid being drafted by the army. He arrived in Egypt in December 2012 after a short stay in Beirut. In recent months he has worked in a cafe, without receiving any pay. Alexandria. Egypt. Abu Manaf, 59. Poet and teacher of Arabic language and poet in Damascus, Syria. He was an opponent of Assad until the 70s, first of the father and then to the son. He was the leader of a small group of activists that printed flyers and news in opposition to the regime. Alexandria. Egypt. Mohammed, 20. Escaped from Damascus for fear of having to enlist. He arrived in Alexandria in May 2013 through Lebanon and by taking a plane from there. For 4 months he could not find work, then he got a job at an ice cream. He decided to come to Alexandria in order to embark for Italy and reach Europe. Alexandria. Egypt. Saeed, 31. It comes from Lazikya, Syria.And 'fled from Syria in August 2012. Saeed had a barber shop, but since fightings started the pressure of the army in the area began to increase more and more. The soldiers entered every day inside his shop to its customers asking if they were for or on behalf Assad and arresting anyone they consider suspicious. Alexandria. Egypt. Abo Qir Port. This is the home port of the fishing boats on which the illegal immigrants making their first stretch of sea to Italy. The boats leave from the harbor empty to do not create suspects to the Coast Guard and they continue parallel to the coast for about 15 miles to a deserted beach where they meet the traffickers, transporting illegal immigrants from the inside. Alexandria. Egypt. Safwan Serag, 35. He has two daughters and comes from the mountains of Akkrad in Lazaikya, Syria.In Syria he owned a restaurant together with his family until he has received the request for join the army of Assad. At that point he escaped, alone, until near the border with Turkey. Alexandria. Egypt. MOhannad, 23. He has escaped from Damascus where he studied because the army sent him the postcard of enlistment. He arrived in Egypt in May of 2012 after being a few days in Lebanon. After the first two months he was able to find work as a bricklayer. Alexandria. Egypt. Aziz, 15. In Syria Aziz played with the national football team, but a year ago had to flee with his father, his mother and his sister, because for its physical prowess of the military regime wanted to recruit him, even though he was not even fourteen. Alexandria. Egypt. Khaled 23. He has escaped from Damascus with his brother because the army had sent him the postcard of enlistment. He arrived in Egypt in December 2012 after being a few days in Lebanon. For the first three months he was able to work in the field of decoration, but after breaking his arm in a fall he is no longer able to perform manual labor. Alexandria. Egypt. Zaher, 36. Zaher, 36 years old, was born in Haria, one of the first Syrian cities where the population takes part in civic events that led to the revolution of March 2011. In June, the army of the regime began to bomb the area. One morning Reda, the son of Zaher, who was not yet five years old, he remains under the rubble after a bombing.