Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoUnifeed
ITALY / STRANDED REFUGEES
STORY: ITALY / STRANDED REFUGEES
TRT: 4:14
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ARABIC/ENGLISH/NATS
DATELINE: 7 NOVEMBER, 2013, MILAN, ITALY
1. Wide shot, Ali making the bed
2. Close up, Ali’s hands making the bed
3. Med shot, flickering light
4. Med shot, Ali looking outside
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ali, Syrian Refugee:
“Europe was a dream for us, we used to dream to see it. But when we came here we discovered there is nothing for us. They are helping the war situation in Syria but they are not helping us. In fact we are just suffering more. Many from Syria cannot go out, they come here with nothing and then you have to pay 1000 Euros to get here.”
6. Med shot, refugees waiting for food
7. Wide shot, Imane distributing food
8. Close up, Imane handing out food
9. Med shot, food being handed out to refugees
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Imane Bounboun, Progetto Arca Onlus, NGO:
“It is a moment to stop and think, you are in a warm place you are not outside, there is no cold and you can think how to organize and how to plan the second part of your journey because as we know these people start their journey since a year or more.”
11. Med shot, boy inside room with children
12. Med shot, aid worker talking
13. Wide shot, Raja walking down corridor
14. Med shot, Raja looking into room
15. Wide shot, Raja with her daughter
16. Close up, Raja with her daughter
17. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Rajaaja, Syrian Refugee:
“Today, we escaped from war, kilings and bloodshed. Every day there were slaughters, battles and detentions. My brother has been detained for two years, my cousin has been missing for five months. We escaped from all this and found ourselves out in the street. No country will host us and if you want to leave Italy, they just send you back. And Italy doesn’t want us either. We don’t know what to do.”
18. Various, still photos of Raja’s journey
19. Close up, Raja crying
20. Close up, Raja’s feet
21. Med shot, Raja crying
22. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ali, Syrian Refugee:
“The idea now is to go to a country that will protect us as refugees like Sweden and Germany but you need a lot of money to get out. If you are thinking of going illegally, you have to go in cars and pay about 1000 euros per person. But there are many people here who don’t have that money..they don’t even have 100 Euros. “
23. Wide shot, Ali sitting on bed
24. Close up, Ali’s hand
25. Close up, Ali smoking
26. Med shot, Syrian father and child
Ali has been on the road for days, his dream is to reach Sweden but he hasn’t made it out of Italy.
Twice he has been turned back, first from Switzerland and then from France. He was arrested at the border. Most refugees view Italy as a transit country on their way further north and request not to be finger printed.
They know if they are fingerprinted, they will then have to claim asylum in Italy. However, if they are not fingerprinted, their status is illegal and they can be arrested at any time.
Many are being sent back Italy as they try to cross into neighbouring countries. Syrian refugees who do decide to claim asylum in Italy are sent to reception centres across the country while their claims are processed. But this can take months.
SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ali, Syrian Refugee:
“Europe was a dream for us, we used to dream to see it. But when we came here we discovered there is nothing for us. They are helping the war situation in Syria but they are not helping us. In fact we are just suffering more. Many from Syria cannot go out, they come here with nothing and then you have to pay 1000 Euros to get here.”
Ali is just one of over 100 Syrian refugees taking shelter at this centre run by Proyecto ARCA, a local charity in conjunction with the municipality of Milan.
This refuge was created in 24 hours after large numbers of Syrian families were found camping in Milan central station.
SOUNDBITE (English) Imane Bounboun, Progetto Arca Onlus, NGO:
“It is a moment to stop and think, you are in a warm place you are not outside, there is no cold and you can think how to organize and how to plan the second part of your journey because as we know these people start their journey since a year or more.”
As well as providing beds, clothing, food, childcare and medicine, refugees are given advice on their legal status in Europe.
Raja arrived here along with her husband and four children. They took an illegal boat from Libya to Lampedusa, before being transferred to mainland Italy.
They want to go Germany to join their family, but they don’t have the papers to enter legally and they have exhausted their savings.
SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Rajaaja, Syrian Refugee:
“Today, we ran away from a war, from bombings and blood. We were seeing blood in front us of us every day. They were slaughtering us every day, there were battles and detentions every day. We ran away from this thing and we find ourselves in the street. No country will host us and if you want to leave Italy, they tell you that they will find you and bring you back. And Italy wants no one. We don’t know what to do.”
These photos of Raja’s journey could be anyone’s here, all are refugees forced to flee a violent conflict, risking their lives to reach Europe in search of safety. Raja needs money from family back home in Syria before she can leave.
Many refugees are now turning to illegal traffickers to get them across borders.
SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ali, Syrian Refugee:
“The idea now is to go to a country that will protect us as refugees like Sweden and Germany but you need a lot of money to get out. If you are thinking of going illegally, you have to go in cars and pay about 1000 euros per person. But there are many people here who don’t have that money..they don’t even have 100 Euros. “
Ali believes traveling illegally is the only way he can get out of Italy and he knows he can’t risk being caught and turned back again. Noone here knows where they will end up, they must live in the present and find solace wherever they can.
Download
There is no media available to download.
