A Hard Serbian Winter

"Are we human?", more than one refugee asked me since I started covering the refugee odyssey towards Europe. And some ask it again here in Serbia where temperatures drop till -20°C. They survive in warehouses, old shacks and abandonned train wagons behind the train station in Belgrade, some as young as ten years old. They suffer from cold related diseases like frost bites, from hunger and depression. The capital of Serbia became a permanent residence for refugees as Hungary and Croatia's borders are sealed with fences and border patrols. Hungary only investigates 10 asylum claims a day, prioritizing Syrians and families. Male refugees from wartorn countries as Iraq and Afghanistan wait an indefinite time in Serbia. Many who try to cross the borders are beaten up and bitten by police dogs, and pushed back into Serbia. Where they survive in the winter cold.

Freelance photojournalist, since 4 years working for Belgian and international media. Publications include De Standaard, Le Monde, Le Courrier International, BBC, Elsevier, De Tijd, De Groene Amsterdammer, Goethe Insitute, among others. I also work for the NGO's Doctors of the World, Doctors Without Borders, Handicap International.