Summer 2016 · Italy, Greece, Germany, Sweden
As two engineers and an accounting major, filming a documentary on refugees was not part of the four-year college plan.
The summer before our junior year, we travelled across Europe to meet the people behind the headlines: migrants from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Gambia, Congo and beyond, fleeing persecution and violence at home.
We sat down with them to hear their stories.
The films
Two short documentaries · YouTube
Where we went
Five stops, four countries, one summer.
Two weeks in Italy, a week in Greece, two in Germany, and ten days in Sweden.
- 1Rome, ItalyOver 150,000 migrants arrived by sea in 2015. Italy is Europe’s gatekeeper.
- 2Lampedusa, ItalyA tourist island turned reception hotspot. On this route, 1 in 23 die at sea.
- 3Ritsona, GreeceWith Balkan borders closed, 50,000 wait for asylum in a debt-ridden country.
- 4Eichstätt, GermanyA town of 14,000 with the lowest unemployment in the world, and a model for welcoming newcomers.
- 5Stockholm, SwedenThe most asylum applications per capita in 2015, then a tightened border.
Journal · Bloggers without Borders
Written from the road.
Field notes and stories from Nick, Soren and Michael, newest first.
Give
We met these organizations in person. We know them, and we believe in their work.
Caritas
Caritas Internationalis reflects the social mission of the Catholic Church, with a presence in 160 countries offering legal assistance, humanitarian aid and advocacy for migrants.
Centro Astalli
The Italian branch of the Jesuit Refugee Service, which accompanies, serves and defends the rights of refugees and displaced people in more than 40 nations.
Casa Scalabrini 634
A community of the Scalabrini International Migration Network, which runs schools, clinics, shelters and cultural centers for migrants.
Joel Nafuma Refugee Center
The outreach of St. Paul’s Within the Walls, offering “radical hospitality to refugees in the heart of Rome”: breakfast, language classes, legal help and therapy.