Médecins Sans Frontières - INTRO: the Route from Syria to Europe

Unique Identifier Code / URN MSF171846

Date taken / Date Recorded 22/07/2016 12:00 AM

Country Syria

Commissioning section MSF-SPAIN

Photographer / videographer / producer Anna Surinyach

Usage Rights (MSF) External Media, MSF Fundraising, MSF Publications, Social Media

Formal Consent Copy available no

Editor's rating ★★★★★ (C)

Video format h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661)

Duration 4m53s

Maximum Size 3840px × 1920px 325.21 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist 1 (Shot of Mortaz in the hospital)
3''-39''
I was reciting the Qur’an during a funeral, and when we finished, the army attacked. The crowd dispersed, they told the children to leave. “The deceased is alone now,” they said. After the funeral, a plane attacked us and dropped two barrel barrels.

2 (Shot of refugee camp) 30 ''
This place is full of victims of the Syrian war. It is the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, a vast city-refuge where 80,000 Syrians live. The tents from 2011 gave way to caravans, and what began as a temporary settlement is now a city trapped in limbo. The bombings and military sieges are a thing of the past, but here begins a life of uncertainty and anguish.

3 (Shot of a street in the refugee camp) 25 ''
This is the Champs Elysees, the main street of the camp in Zaatari. That’s what the refugees call this street full of shops that gives a false sense of normality. The refugees want to go home, but Syria is still at war. And without prospects for the future, those with more resources make the leap and set off on a dangerous route to Europe.

4 (Shot of Lesbos) 49 ''
A boat loaded with refugees arrives at the Greek island of Lesbos. This is the main entry point for Syrians fleeing Turkey. Some boats sink and the refugees receive little assistance. The danger of the sea is only the first hurdle on their route to Europe. It is not uncommon for entire families to travel, even with babies. The refugees that arrive safely in Lesbos still have a long way to go. This is just the beginning.

5 (Shot of Idomeni) 30 ''
After arriving by sea, refugees cross all Greece to reach the border with Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. They are sometimes blocked there. At this transit point, Médecins Sans Frontières gives them humanitarian assistance. But the refugees have no time to lose: their goal is to reach northern Europe through the Balkans.

6 (Shot of the way to Serbia) 40 ''
From Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, it is a hard journey by train, bus and on foot. At times, the authorities force the refugees to walk from one border to another. Taxi drivers take the opportunity to try and cheat the families. But the determination to find a better future for their families helps the refugees to keep going. This is the way from the Serbian border to the first registration point in the country. The journey continues.

7 (Shot of tent at Serbia-Croatia border) 32 ''
The border points are not prepared to receive refugees, especially if it rains or snows. The lack of political will to address the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II is evident. This is the border between Serbia and Croatia. When they get here, the refugees have already spent days travelling — they have left behind the Aegean Sea, Greece and the train journey through Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. They are exhausted.

8 (Shot of the Serbia-Croatia border) 35 ''
The border closure causes a build-up of refugees. Here, thousands of people are waiting for the Croatian police to open the fence. They have spent more than a day waiting in the rain. The situation is desperate, especially for the youngest and for those making the journey in wheelchairs. The war drove them out of their country, and now they find themselves in a Europe that closes its doors to them, demonstrating that for rich countries refugee rights are worthless. The suffering continues far from the war.

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INTRO: the Route from Syria to Europe - VIDEO 360 (EN)

INTRO: the Route from Syria to Europe - VIDEO 360 (EN)