Involved in supporting exiles in Calais, Céline Barré went to their encounter on the Balkan route. She writes a chronical of what she observes. She allowed us to publish it. Picture of the face that Europe presents to those who try to seek a future on its soil.
Lesbos – September 8
https://goo.gl/maps/j9HjMFESLC42
Arrived in Lesvos, Greek island close to Turkey, where 16,000 refugees are currently blocked, waiting for a pass for Athens. Stuffy and unbearable sight of pregnant women, kids, and tired of livid elderly. Te word has passed: France will host 24,000 people, Germany over 30,000 … so on this island, stress rises; you must leave the island soon to be part of this quota. It is necessary that the family remained in Syria joins us as soon as possible to the part of the quota. These people are stucked here for now. When shown a map of Europe which has served us “travel”, fear and fatigue appear when they discover that they have to walk over 2400 km to Germany or 2917 km to join Paris. But hurry … you have to be part of the quota. A 13 years old kid asks me where I come from: “Lille ? Oh yes, football team is good there!” In the same sentence, he asked me how it works for papers, for fingerprints taken by force, “they take the fingerprints of children as well?”
Exiles in the Balkans 