We. The Refugees: Ticket to Europe

Mona’s Meeting with the American Actor

Mona’s childhood memory remains a vivid symbol of her dashed hopes.

Dinah and Humanitarian Aid

Dinah and her daughter went through some ups and downs with aid organizations.

Diarrhea in the Storm

Mona’s Childhood Photo

Mona showed me a photograph from her childhood and told me all about it.

Dinah’s Relationship with Her Father

People’s relationships with their fathers are often fraught. But Dinah’s father gave her hell.

The Nyumba Ntobhu Tradition

Dinah told me about a local custom of same-sex marriage. It sounded progressive.

The Paradox of Egoism

Had I not obtained this vest through deception, I would not have saved the drowning mother. Can vile deeds have virtuous consequences?

Dinah’s Stump

Dinah lost her hand after she was bitten by a venomous viper.

Photography’s Aestheticization of Suffering

This world demands beauty. Even – or especially – from images of suffering.

Erik’s Illegal Help

Iraq Under Saddam

I learnt about the realities of living in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.

The “Journey of Despair” Is Not a Tourist Attraction

Death Drive

The inevitability of death struck me with great force during the storm.

A Photo of the Life Jacket Graveyard

This photo makes the hairs at the back of my neck stand up. The tall heap of life-vests epitomizes the refugee crisis.

The Moral Quandaries of the Welsh Reporter

Colin shared his dilemma: “Does socially engaged art make the artist disengaged?”

Sitting for a Portrait

The several hours I spent motionless, sitting for a portrait, were surprisingly emotional.

Colin’s Burnout

Helping Is Addictive

Do people simply get hooked on helping? How addictive is it?

Almas: Full Story

The Egyptian Prison System

How could I get arrested? At least it gave me the opportunity to write about Egypt’s prison system.

The Afronauts

The story of Zambian Afronauts sounds implausible. Is it true?

Africa: More Reporters Than Refugees

The Different Meanings of the Word “Refugees”

This one word contains so many meanings: refugees.

Edward Mukuka Nkoloso

This Zambian visionary dreamed of flying to the Moon.

The Exploitation of Suffering

Smoking Habits in Jail

The Storm: Panic Attack

When I got a panic attack during the storm, I felt... possessed.

Isaac’s View on the Revolution in Egypt

Death at Sea

Kassim’s Drawings

Jailbird Thoughts

Wahid’s Limited Description of the Smuggling Trade

Wahid told me about the personal odyssey that led him to this boat. He’s traveled thousands of kilometers.

A Bird’s Eye View of Europe

You can’t see any borders if you look at Europe from a great enough distance.

Africa’s Stockholm Syndrome

American imperialism has done so much harm to this continent. That painful fact did not stop the expansion of U.S. pop-culture. Why?

Marko’s Story

Marko’s story is tragic. And one of thousands.

Kassim’s Secret Tragedy

Medicated Thoughts

Taking these drugs was a philosophical expedition in its own right. I’m still wondering about the idea of free will.

An Egyptian Shopping Mall

Anywhere you go in this world, you’ll find an identical shopping mall.

Wahid’s Secret Story

Moria: Hundreds of Tents, Thousands of Stories

The ocean of tents in Moria… You have to see it to even grasp its scale.

The Complete Story of the Afronauts

A Friendly God

Battuta relayed a vision of a friendly relationship between man and God.

Perpetual Outsider

I’ve spent a few weeks among the refugees and I still feel like an outsider. Do I need more time? Or is it not a matter of time?

How the Aging Casanovas Party

Who were these day-drinking, chest-bumping, obnoxious passengers?

Anna: A Reverse Odyssey

Most people were running from the Islamic State, and she was headed right for the heart of darkness...

Moria Camp

I stayed at the Moria refugee camp in the Greek island of Lesbos and described my experience.

Daily Life with the Refugees

Sometimes, the greatest epiphanies come to you in the most mundane situations. Ordinary life with the refugees has taught me the most about them.

Prohibition in Egypt

I mean, I had known about Egypt’s radical anti-alcohol policy before I got there, but it still felt weird.

War Can Be Ordinary

I remember the casual tone with which the smoking Syrians spoke about war.

Humanitarian Fraud

I would like to believe that all NGO employees are idealists. But every herd harbors some black sheep.

The History of Humanitarian Aid

I made some notes as Erik lectured me on the history of humanitarianism. Aren’t they too academic?

The Refugees’ Unfathomable Desperation

The Egyptian beach prompted a few thoughts.

The Storm: A Mother Saved

Battuta: Tragic Epilog

A Casual Conversation with Kassim

The casual conversation with Kassim gave me a temporary reprieve. It felt like I was back in college.

The Jihadi’s Hypocrisy

Anna called jihadis hypocrites. They fight against Western culture, yet wallow in lavish consumerism.

Taribo Lynched

Francesco: Inconvenient Questions

Francesco’s inconvenient questions still ring in my ears. He forced me to look at the refugees from a different perspective.

The Gordian Knot of Syria

Sure, all wars are complicated. But I can’t even begin to fathom the nuances of the conflict in Syria.

Francesco’s View on the Refugees

Francesco laid out some solid arguments against welcoming refugees.

ISIS from the Inside

The Polisario Front

This independence movement operated in Western Sahara for several decades.

ISIS Propaganda

The Islamic States quite deliberately uses various propaganda techniques.

Anna’s Story Epilog

Humanitarian Stereotypes

The Dunant–Nightingale dilemma summarizes the debate on the moral quandaries of humanitarianism.

Alexandria, A City of Concrete

Alexandria is a city of concrete. I can only imagine how hot it gets in the summer.

Wahid’s Musical Passions

Bored to Death

Boredom can be deadly. Why is it so rarely mentioned in the context of the refugees’ plight?

Being Part of Something Greater

After several weeks spent with the refugees, I’ve formed a bond with them. I feel part of something greater. It’s a new feeling.

It’s Odd to Be an Expert

It felt really awkward to pose as an expert after just a couple of days spent in Alexandria. Is that all it takes?

Home of Hope, A Natural High

I felt surprisingly at ease at the Home of Hope, and wrote a few words about it.

A New Idea of Space

Planes and airports are a little magical. Like portals leading to foreign worlds.

Koshary

I would highly recommend this local dish from a street stall. I would not recommend the shits that followed.

The Muslim Brotherhood on Google

Routines on Board

I had plenty of time for writing detailed descriptions of the refugees’ routines on board the smuggling trawler.

Some Thoughts from the Trunk

Feeling Lost in a Foreign Culture

I feel so lost. I don’t understand so many contexts, words and terms. Will this ever change?

Egyptian Cuisine

This delicious note on the diversity of Egyptian cuisine makes my mouth water.

Wahid’s Journey

Infinity of the Desert

The desert didn’t seem to end. I was slowly starting to believe there was no world beyond it.

The Refugees’ Drawings

I didn’t expect to find real works of art in the stairwell of a dilapidated block in the suburbs. I was wrong.

The Refugees’ Dreams of Europe

The refugees imagined Europe in a naively idealized fashion.

A Night in the Desert

I’d never seen this many stars.

Outside of Time at Sea

The sea seems eternal and unchanging. Time gets dissolved in the inky waters.

The American Dream in Egypt

U.S. pop-culture is omnipresent. My taxi driver idolized fiscally irresponsible American rappers.

Wahid, Origin Story

I summarized Wahid’s story in a few paragraphs.

Some Thoughts from the Chiller Truck

The Joys of Manual Labour

After several hours of physical work at the Home of Hope, I had an existential epiphany.

Small Talk Brings a Respite From Stories of Trauma

That was incredible. I’d never thought I would get the opportunity to just have some light-hearted conversations with refugees.

Hotel Food

A few mouth-watering paragraphs about the gastronomic sensations offered by the chef in my hotel’s conjure the taste of the dish.

The Last Goodbyes Before the Crossing

People were saying their goodbyes to loved ones before we set sail. Was this the last time they ever talked?

Losing Control on the Minibus

Running Across the Beach

The Refugees’ Routines

In the smuggler’s hideout, the refugees developed new rituals.

African Mafia Wars

A crime syndicate operates just like any big business. The difference is the mafia can’t be bothered to pretend.

The Arab Spring

The refugees viewed the Arab Spring from many different perspectives.

The Hideout in Benghazi

Different Payment Standards in the Smuggling Business

The methods to calculate smugglers’ rates in Africa deserve a scientific paper. Or maybe a whole dissertation.

Stranded in the Middle of the Desert

Egypt, First Impressions

I wrote down my first impressions as soon as my plane landed in Egypt.