This morning TAT head office received images from TAT Photographer Nicolas Economou, and we will be posting a couple each day for the next few days.
Nicolas Economou spent the last week in the Greek island of Lesvos where Syrian, Afghani and Iraqi refugees are landing after escaping from their war-torn homes.
From Nicolas:
“The location is in Lesvos island, Greece. More than 500.000 people have passed to Greece from Turkey on rubber boats. Most of them are Syrian refugees but also people from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran. They are going to Europe for a better and safer life! As the weather deteriorates the boats sunk and in the last 3 months more than 3,000 people have died there and at sea. Smugglers in Turkey force them by gun to get on the board as the refugees expect a nice boat. Some of them get robbed before boarding and some other boats don’t have fuel to make it to the Greek shore so they stay for 4-5 hours in the water and wait somebody to pick them up (Greek coast guard, volunteers, fishermen). I can honestly tell you that in death rates we are living in Greece are second only to Syria…It breaks my heart what is happening in Lesvos, people are losing everything to come to Europe, many of them die as their boat sinks and they are in panic. “
For more images and to follow Nicolas, check out his photography Facebook page here.
About Nicolas:
A German national, Nicolas Economou is a 27-year-old Photographer living in the beautiful city of Thessaloniki, Greece. Nicolas is currently completing a degree in Geology. However, he keeps getting interrupted by his passion for travelling. With a love of undiscovered places, Nicolas prefers to find spots that are away from tourists, he loves whatever is strange, different and human centred such as minorities and tribes, and has ethnological interest.