“Terror and Exile” was inspired by a will to draw attention to the desperate plight of Syrians who, during five years of conflict, have found themselves forced to flee.
From the first injured demonstrators who received treatment in a Jordanian hospital to the refugees provided with assistance along the roads of Europe, these are just some of the personal stories heard by Médecins sans Frontières during its five years of work within, as well as beyond, the borders of Syria.
While the aim of these stories is to give a voice to people so frequently reduced to mere numbers, we also want to show how their migratory routes have evolved over time. We take a look back to the beginning of the war when most of those forced to flee moved to other, more peaceful regions within their country. But, as the conflict intensified, they began to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, for the most part settling in camps not far from Syria in the hope of being able to return when the situation at home returned to calm.
However, as this hope gradually fades, the only solution left to them is to venture much further afield, to countries where they can re-build their lives, find work or study. Obstacles are being thrown up along routes through Europe but, far from deterring the refugees, they simply make them adapt their itineraries.