Refugee crisis: The long journey through Europe

Activestills By Activestills September 27, 2015 | Edit

They arrive as families or individuals. They hail from Syria, Iraq, or Afghanistan. They travel by sea to Greece or by foot through Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, and Austria. Hundreds of thousands of refugees are seeking countries to host them. Activestills photographers were there to capture the journey.

Photos by: Yotam Ronen, Oren Ziv, Mareike lauken, Keren Manor / Activestills.org, photo editing: Anka Mirkin

Refugees get off a rubber boat when reaching the shore of Eftalou beach in the north of the greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey on September 11, 2015. The island of Lesbos is the entrance gate and the first stop on European land in the migrant's long journey to west and north Europe.
Refugees get off a rubber boat as they reach the shore of Eftalou in the north of the Greek island, Lesbos, after crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey on September 11, 2015. The island of Lesbos is the entrance gate and the first stop on European land for migrants in their long journey to west and north Europe.
Refugees seen after getting off a rubber boat when reaching the shore of Eftalou beach in the north of the greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey on September 11, 2015.
Refugees seen after getting off a rubber boat after reaching the shore of Eftalou beach in the northern part of the Greek island of Lesbos, after crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey, September 11, 2015.
A pile of life jackets left by refugees crossing the Aegean sea in a rubber boat from Turkey is seen at the shore of Eftalou beach in the north of the greek island of Lesbos after on September 11, 2015.
A pile of life jackets left by refugees, who crossed the Aegean Sea in rubber boats from Turkey, is seen at Eftalou Beach in the north of the Greek island of Lesbos, on September 11, 2015.
A refuge child seen at a reception center for migrants and refugees in Mytilene, on Lesbos Island, Greece on September 12, 2015.
A refugee child seen at a reception center for migrants and refugees in Mytilene, Lesbos, Greece, September 12, 2015.
Refugees, some of them from Syria, queuing up to buy a ticket for the ferry that will take them to Athens at port of Mytilene, Lesbos on September 12, 2015.
Refugees, some of them from Syria, stand in line to buy a ticket for the ferry that will take them to Athens, Mytilene port, Lesbos on September 12, 2015.
Refugees in the port of Mytilene, Lesbos, September 10, 2015.
Refugees in the port of Mytilene, Lesbos, September 10, 2015.
Migrants cross the Greek - Macedonia border near the village of Idomeni, in northern Greece, on September 13, 2015.
Migrants cross the Greece-Macedonia border near the village of Idomeni, northern Greece, on September 13, 2015.
Refugees, most of them from Syria and Afghanistan, descending from a train in the Hungarian border town of Hegyeshalom, September 14, 2015.
Refugees, most of them from Syria and Afghanistan, get off a train in the Hungarian border town of Hegyeshalom, September 14, 2015.
Hungarian police officers organize the refugees who arrived at the train station into rows of four as they prepare to march toward the Austrian border. Hegyeshalom, Hungary, September 14, 2015. Hungary, into which thousands of refugees, most of them from Syria and Afghanistan, crossed from Serbia, has started emptying the camps it set up along the border and drive refugees with train toward its border with Austria. The Hungarian-Austrian border was still open and refugees were able to cross into Austria without being registered in Hungary.
Hungarian police officers organize the refugees who arrived at the train station into rows of four as they prepare to march toward the Austrian border, Hegyeshalom, Hungary, September 14, 2015. Hungary, into which thousands of refugees —most of them from Syria and Afghanistan — have crossed into from Serbia, has started emptying the camps it set up along the border, driving refugees by train toward its border with Austria. The Hungarian-Austrian border was still open, allowing for refugees were able to cross into Austria without being registered in Hungary.
Refugees, most of them from Syria and Afghanistan, march on the Hungarian border town of Hegyeshalom towards the border with Austria, September 14, 2015.
Refugees, most of them from Syria and Afghanistan, march on the Hungarian border town of Hegyeshalom towards the border with Austria, September 14, 2015.
An Austrian policeman gives instructions to refugees gathered at the transit camp in the Austrian border, September 14, 2015.
An Austrian policeman gives instructions to refugees gathered at the transit camp in the Austrian border, September 14, 2015.
Refugees children rest at the transit camp on the Austrian border, September 14, 2015.
Refugees children rest at the transit camp on the Austrian border, September 14, 2015.
Refugees walk in the rain at the transit camp on the Austrian border, September 14, 2015.
Refugees walk in the rain at the transit camp on the Austrian border, September 14, 2015.
A refugee rests near a sign indicating the direction to hungarian border near the Serbian-Hungarian border, September 15, 2015.
A refugee rests near a sign indicating the direction to Hungarian-Serbian border, September 15, 2015.
Refugees, some of them from Syria, march towards the Serbian-Hungarian border, September 15, 2015. On September 15, after refugees followed the root to west and north Europe, Hungary closed its border, not allowing refugees to enter the country.
Refugees, some of them from Syria, march towards the Serbian-Hungarian border, September 15, 2015. After refugees followed the route to western and northern Europe, Hungary closed its border, effectively forbidden refugees to enter the country.
Refugees, some of them from Syria, sleep near the highway on the Serbian side of the Serbian-Hungarian border, in the early hours of September 16, 2015.
Refugees, some of them from Syria, sleep near the highway on the Serbian side of the border with Hungary, in the early hours of September 16, 2015.
Refugees, some of them from Syria, camp in front of the closed Serbian-Hungarian border, September 15, 2015.
Refugees, some of them from Syria, camp in front of the closed Serbian-Hungarian border, September 15, 2015.
Refugees, some of them from Syria, protest on the Serbian side of the Serbian-Hungarian border, September 15.
Refugees, some of them from Syria, protest on the Serbian side of the Serbian-Hungarian border, September 15, 2015.
Hungarian policemen use pepper spray during a protest in front a closed gate on the Serbian side of the Serbian-Hungarian border, September 16, 2015.
Hungarian policemen use pepper spray during a protest on the Serbian side of the Serbian-Hungarian border, September 16, 2015.
A refugee throws stone at Hungarian police that uses a water canon during a protest in front a closed gate on the Serbian side of the Serbian-Hungarian border, September 16, 2015.
A refugee throws a stone at Hungarian police, who used water canons during a protest on the Serbian side of the Serbian-Hungarian border, September 16, 2015.
Hungarian policemen attack refugees during a protest in front a closed gate on the Serbian side of the Serbian-Hungarian border, September 16, 2015.
Hungarian policemen attack refugees during a protest on the Serbian side of the border with Hungary, September 16, 2015.
Refugees throw stones at Hungarian police that uses a water canon during a protest in front a closed gate on the Serbian side of the Serbian-Hungarian border, September 16, 2015.
Refugees throw stones at Hungarian police during a protest on the Serbian side of the Serbian-Hungarian border, September 16, 2015.
Refugees, some of them from Syria, cross the Serbian-Croatian border in the early hours of September 17, 2015.
Refugees, some of them from Syria, cross the Serbian-Croatian border in the early hours of September 17, 2015.
Refugees, some of them from Syria, wait in a train station in the Croatian village of Tovarnik, after crossing the Serbian-Croatian border, on September 17, 2015.
Refugees wait at a train station in the Croatian village of Tovarnik, after crossing the Serbian-Croatian border, on September 17, 2015.
Refugees go off an inflatable boat onto the shore as they arrive under the rain on Eftalou beach, west of the port of Mytilene, on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey, September 23, 2015.
Refugees step off an inflatable boat onto the shore as they arrive at Eftalou beach, west of the port of Mytilene, on the Greek island of Lesbos, September 23, 2015.
An activists gives directions to Refugees as they arrive on a boat onto the shore on Eftalou beach, west of the port of Mytilene, on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey, September 24, 2015.
An activist gives directions to refugees as they arrive on a boat onto the shore on Eftalou beach, west of the port of Mytilene, Lesbos, September 24, 2015.

Related:
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Searching for a way into Europe: A photo dispatch from Hungary
Refugee crisis: Stranded at Hungary’s barbed wire border

Activestills

Activestills is a collective of Israeli, Palestinian, and international photographers, united by a conviction that photography is a vehicle for political and social change. We believe in the power of images to shape public attitudes and to raise awareness on issues that are generally absent from public discourse. We view ourselves as part of the struggle against all forms of oppression, racism, and violations of the basic right to freedom. Our images are frequently published by many leading human rights, development, and advocacy agencies, as well as by alternative and leading news media. To stay updated on our latest images, like Activestills on Facebook or visit our Flickr photostream.