Abdurrahman's journey through the Balkans was difficult, but easier than it would be to do now. Through late 2015 and early 2016 the borders closed, one by one. Then fences started being put up. Eventually, the only option for those arriving in Greece after March of 2016 was to try and get through to an ever-busy Skype account to apply for relocation elsewhere in Europe, which often takes months. Life in limbo exacts a toll. The question is: do fences actually work, or do they just create new routes? Visit: www.migrationtrail.com
WARNING: This program and its online content contains audio and information about traumatic events that may be triggering to those who have experienced something similar. It may also be unsuitable for younger listeners.

Migration Trail podcast

Day 5 - Narrowing Options

In late summer 2015, Abdurrahman and his family engaged smugglers to take them on the next step of their journey through Hungary. A year later, Ebrima and Abdulrahim arrive safely in Italy, but don’t have the same options to travel onwards. They apply for asylum there but find themselves frustrated by the wait, the boredom and a tangle of bureaucracy. People in Greek camps, too, are disappointed in a Europe that hasn’t come close to meeting their expectations. And for those who've given up on the idea of getting to the EU, like Syrians in Turkey, it's not easy either. Visit: www.migrationtrail.com
WARNING: This program and its online content contains audio and information about traumatic events that may be triggering to those who have experienced something similar. It may also be unsuitable for younger listeners.

Day 6 - Hanging On

As the countries surrounding Italy and Greece close their borders, people have begun to find themselves stuck in a variety of ‘temporary’ accommodation: squats, hotels, old factories, repurposed airport terminals, and camps. But is that good enough? Host countries, as well as the migrants themselves, have had to accept that people who had intended to simply pass through may be staying longer than planned, with no clear way forward. Meanwhile, we look at one group of people on the move who gets even less support than others: children travelling alone. Visit: www.migrationtrail.com
WARNING: This program and its online content contains audio and information about traumatic events that may be triggering to those who have experienced something similar. It may also be unsuitable for younger listeners.

Day 7 - Acceptance

There are bottlenecks at many key staging points throughout Europe, where people’s journeys are paused for a few days, weeks, or even months. And in many of these places – Idomeni, Subotica, Foggia – people begin to create their own informal settlements. They have a reputation for being desperate and chaotic, but their residents and volunteers have also often created something quite human there: community. Calais is just one of those places - a place where nearly 10,000 people co-existed as they tried and retried to cross the English Channel. Visit: www.migrationtrail.com
WARNING: This program and its online content contains audio and information about traumatic events that may be triggering to those who have experienced something similar. It may also be unsuitable for younger listeners.

Day 8 - Welcome to Calais

Tighter borders lead to an increase in irregular migration, which then leads to even more border controls. But what also increases with that are hidden economies. It's said that the income generated from human smuggling is twice as large as that from arms trafficking, drugs trafficking, and sex trafficking combined. Ebrima and Fatima take us into the world of those trapped outside the formal economy: women trafficked to Europe for prostitution, and those working for low wages in agriculture, because that's all the work they can get. Visit: www.migrationtrail.com
WARNING: This program and its online content contains audio and information about traumatic events that may be triggering to those who have experienced something similar. It may also be unsuitable for younger listeners.

Day 9 - Hidden Costs

Significant numbers of people feel forced to make dangerous journeys to get to Europe, and many lose their lives along the way. The situation shows little sign of changing, so long as the border, asylum and immigration policies that help create it remain in place. In our final episode we look at some of the partial solutions – some on the table and some not - as well as other options the EU's been pursuing. Plus: what happened to Abdurrahman, Fatima, Ebrima and Gulfam, and why? How far have their dreams been realized? Visit: www.migrationtrail.com
WARNING: This program and its online content contains audio and information about traumatic events that may be triggering to those who have experienced something similar. It may also be unsuitable for younger listeners.

Day 10 - Work-in-Progress

Migration Trail: the project that uses maps, data and audio to join the dots of a story spread across Europe and beyond. http://www.migrationtrail.com

migration trail podcast

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