treacherous crossings


A search for family and safety in Europe


Te fear of a grinding conflict in Syria that had already scattered his family across Europe left Ahmet* no choice. “I was born in Homs and I wanted to live here until the end,” the 55-year-old football coach says. “But this vicious war left us no other choice but to leave all behind.”


Ahmet and his wife, daughter and son sailed on a flimsy boat: “For the sake of my children’s future we had to take the risk.” Italy was the promised destination. From there, they would move on to Germany to unify with his brothers and two eldest sons. But smugglers abandoned the boat with 339 people off the coast of Cyprus.


Others without family members in other European countries were also adamant about making their way to Europe. So far, very few survivors have applied for asylum. Most of them are reluctant to do so out of fear that their application for asylum in Cyprus will remove their reunification prospects with family in other EU Member States. Others are concerned that by lodging an asylum claim they would be unable to bring their family members left behind in Syria because of the restrictive family reunification policies in Cyprus. «


*Name changed to protect identity.


EUROPE’S RESPONSE NEEDS TO BE A TRULY COLLECTIVE EFFORT, ONE THAT OFFERS


SAFER WAYS TO FIND PROTECTION WHILE


MAINTAINING A STRONG CAPACITY TO RESCUE PEOPLE AT SEA. IF IT FAILS, MANY MORE LIVES WILL BE LOST AT EUROPE’S DOORSTEP.


– António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees


© Barat Ali Batoor 2012 22 / UNHCR


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