At the end of February, the Balkan nations to the north of Greece shut their borders to migrants as part of an E.U. deal to stop the refugee crisis. These measures worked. The flood of asylum seekers into Western Europe has slowed down drastically. As of April 2016 there were more then 10000 refugees (out of 50000 asylum seekers in the whole country) at Idomeni camp. on the Greek -Macedonia border. With the help of volunteer groups as well as MSF- food, sanitary facilities and medical care are provided to the refugees, most of whom do not want to leave for a state-run camps in other parts of Greece, still hoping to continue their journey north into Europe. Some kind of a daily life routine has been setting in, after two months of waiting in the same place.confrontation with the Greek police is happening on a very low scale, but tensions between groups of refugees from different nationalities is on the rise. How long can these people hold on either before they will be deported/break down/ or get the official approval to move northward...the coming months will be crucial for their future and the future of Europe as a whole.
April 2016
Refugees standing by their tents (where they live) after heavy rainfall the night before.there are deplorable conditions at the camp in Idomeni, where food and sanitary facilities are in short supply.
Syrian refugees pray in a tent that was customised as a place of worship, near the tents they live in, in the camp.
Refugees resting by a tree, near the newly built fence at the Greek-Macedonain border. more than 10000 asylum seekers are stranded for the past few months in Idomeni camp.
Greek riot police deploying in Idomeni camp, after a refugee died in an accident, prompting tensions between the refugees in the camp and the police.
A refuge walks inside the camp, during a morning sand storm.
Syrian refugees sleep in their tent at Idomeni camp.
A place of worship for refugees inside Idomeni camp.
Refugees charge their cell phones at the local "duty free" shop in Idomeni train station.
Refugees playing football, at one of ideomni train station tamarac, where they live.
Rays of sun lighting a train cart where refugees sleep and live in, Idomeni camp.
Syrian refugees bathe in a river close to Idomeni camp.
Refugees makeing their way from one part of Idomeni camp to another area where they sleep and live in the camp.
A refuge lights fire during the early hours of the morning in the camp.
Syrian kurds who fled the war in their country, becoming refugees in Europe, sit inside their tent , located at the railway tracks in Idomeni.
A group of young Syriyan refugees crossing a river, not far from the Greek-Macedonian border fence, hoping to make their way through macedonia on their way to Germany. the day after, they were caught by macdonian police and were sent back to Idomeni.