One year after the Noborder camp in Lesvos we followed the traces of those who started their stay in Europe with a step on the island’s soil. They came with small plastic boats, a dangerous trip from Turkey through the Aegean Sea. It was just the first salty step. They came to move further within Europe. We met most of them during the time of Noborder and most of them were strongly involved in the struggles against the detention camp Pagani, a place that many now know as a symbol of then inhuman European detention policy and that finally had to be closed down.
They were on the move to all parts of Europe and one year afterwards they tell their stories:
Of successful arrivals without a fingerprint registered and about their precarious future of forced return. About the trap called Dublin II, when they are to be deported back to Greece – and about successful struggles against this deportation threat. They are narrations about temporary arrangements with more or less precarious jobs in Athens and about the attempts to overcome the Dublin border to Italy twice and more times. And it is always about the next steps towards a right to stay in Europe. As they say: We came to stay!
Through the exhibition the migrants’ voices returned to the place of their first struggle in Europe. To thank all the silent supporters who helped them on the island. And to take part in this years Noborder activities. As long as most of them have no chance to travel freely in Europe, at least their pictures and stories can move freely.
Welcome to Europe Network, August 2010. http://w2eu.net
The exhibition is growing. Next projects will be:
Traces from Choucha (background information: http://www.afrique-europe-interact.net/)
Traces from Ushgorod (background information: http://bordermonitoring-ukraine.eu/)
If you are interested to invite the exhibition:
Contact: traces(at)w2eu.net
Languages: English and Greek