VIAL Refugee Detention Center Chios - Greece | After the Taliban killed 8 of their family in Pakistan, they decided it was time to leave the country and head off to Europe. Highly educated as they are, they have been inside this container for around 9 months already. Their children haven't received any education for two years. They speak fluent English.
Photojournalist Joris van Gennip is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this social documentary photography. These images are from his project ‘The Aegean Prison‘. To see Joris’ body of work click on any image.
Souda Refugee Camp, Chios – Greece. | After a group of Algerians attacked a group of Afghans and the Afghans scared them away, they made a campfire in front of the police and danced around it “To show that we are a peaceful people” .
VIAL Refugee Detention Center Chios – Greece | The fences of VIAL also have a rather practical purpose: hanging clothes. Here a young Syrian girl is gathering her families clothes.
VIAL Refugee Detention Center Chios – Greece | For single men without a refugee status, the process of getting an answer about your future is incredibly long. Vulnerable cases such as women, children, handicapped and so forth are given priority. Most African men have spent months and months in either camp.
VIAL Refugee Detention Center Chios – Greece | The inhabitants of the center have made holes in the fences in order to provide more freedom of movement for themselves. The center is surrounded by land owned by farmers. Many of the refugees/migrants use this land for a sense of space and freedom and to use it as a toilet.
Hotel Accommodating, Chios – Greece. | The UNHCR tries to collaborate with hotel owners to provide accommodation for vulnerable cases in exchange for a financial compensation. This hotel houses around 30 refugees.
VIAL Refugee Detention Center Chios – Greece | Hairdresser from Syria doing his job “I don’t want food or clothes, i want a life”.
Souda Refugee Camp, Chios – Greece. | On the surface it seems that children are not that much affected by the situation, they play games, smile and seem to be happy. The lack of education, proper food and the fear for attacks or riots is worsening the children’s state of mind and hope for the future. I met a young Syrian girl who could literally name of every capital in every country in the world. She has not been to school for over two years.
Hotel Accommodating, Chios – Greece. | The atmosphere is noticeably better in the hotels. Children are happy, the parents more relaxed. People have more privacy, security and feel more human.
Souda Refugee Camp, Chios – Greece. | Almost daily there are clashes between refugees. Mainly the Afghans and Algerians are notorious. Theft, retaliation for past fights or drug abuse are some of the main causes. This afghan man got assaulted by Algerians leaving him injured on his leg. The same evening a group of Afghans chased the Algerians away and celebrated this by making a campfire.
Souda Refugee Camp, Chios – Greece. | On the 18th of november 2016, a far-right mob attacked the volunteer run Souda camp (seen on this photo). The assailants threw petrol bombs, fireworks, stones and assaulted some of the volunteers leaving some injured and damaging one of the tents. The Aegean islands are home to around 10 000 refugees and migrants from all over the world. Since the `EU-Turkey Refugee Deal` the influx has been decreased but not stopped. This causes tensions to a part of the Chios population and the refugees/immigrants. A German couple who owned a holiday house on the eastern part told me “In the beginning they would come and go quickly so we helped them. Now they are staying, we don’t want that”.
