On board an armed smugglers' boat with Iraqi and Syrian refugees

FRANCE 24 English

15 Sept 201507:05

Summary

TLDRA French journalist joins smugglers and migrants on a perilous journey from Turkey to the Greek island of Lesbos, highlighting the desperation of Syrian and Iraqi refugees fleeing war. The group faces numerous challenges, including an unreliable boat, darkness, and engine failure, before being rescued by the Greek Coast Guard. The migrants' relief upon arrival in Lesbos is palpable, but their journey for a new home in northern Europe is far from over.

Takeaways

🚤 A French journalist joins a group of smugglers and migrants on a perilous boat journey along the Turkish coast.
🌊 The migrants are instructed to hide inside the boat to avoid detection, highlighting the clandestine nature of the operation.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Families with children, including infants, are among the passengers, illustrating the vulnerable demographics undertaking this journey.
🔫 Smugglers display a gun to assert control, emphasizing the risky and potentially violent environment the migrants are subjected to.
🚫 The captain abandons the boat, leaving an inexperienced migrant to navigate, which underscores the lack of safety and professionalism.
🛳️ The boat is severely overcrowded with 60 people, many of whom are not wearing properly fitted lifejackets, indicating the dire conditions.
💶 The cost for this dangerous journey is exorbitant, with 2000 euros per adult and 1000 per child, showing the financial burden placed on migrants.
🚧 The boat's engine fails, leaving the passengers stranded and desperate in the dark, highlighting the life-threatening risks of the journey.
🆘 The migrants are saved by a Greek fishing boat after the journalist calls for help, demonstrating the critical role of external assistance.
🏝️ The migrants finally reach the Greek island of Lesbos after a harrowing journey, but their ordeal is not over as they still face an uncertain future.

Q & A

What was the journalist's role in the smuggling operation?
-The French journalist managed to convince smugglers to let him embark on a dangerous trip along the Turkish coast to an unknown destination where they would pick up migrants.
Why were the migrants instructed to hide inside the boat?
-The migrants were warned to hide inside the boat to avoid being spotted by anyone along the coast.
Who were the first to board the boat and why?
-Families with children were allowed to be the first to step on the boat, likely due to concerns for their safety and vulnerability.
What was the condition of the lifejackets worn by the children?
-The lifejackets worn by the terrified children were much too big for them, indicating a lack of proper equipment for the journey.
How old was the youngest passenger on the boat?
-The youngest passenger on the boat was a baby barely two months old.
What was the role of the Syrian man known as 'EBrush' during the journey?
-EBrush added excitement to the French journalist's experience, and was ordered by the smugglers to get off and help push the boat.
Why did the smugglers replace the captain with a migrant?
-The smugglers replaced the captain with a migrant to take no more risks, as they had already received their payment and their job was considered done.
What was the destination the boat was heading to?
-The boat was heading to the Greek island of Lesbos, approximately 10 kilometers away.
What was the cost for the migrants to be allowed on the boat?
-The cost was 2000 euros per adult and 1000 euros per child to be allowed on the boat.
What happened when the boat's engine stopped working?
-When the engine stopped, the migrants were in despair, and the French journalist used a satellite phone to call rescue forces, providing the boat's GPS coordinates.
How did the migrants finally get rescued?
-A small Greek fishing boat approached after the journalist's call, and the Greek fisherman, despite struggling due to strong waves, managed to tow the migrants' boat and save the group.

Outlines

00:00

🚤 Dangerous Sea Voyage with Smugglers

A French journalist joins a group of smugglers and migrants on a perilous journey along the Turkish coast. The migrants, including Syrian and Iraqi refugees, are nervous and many are unable to swim. The youngest passenger is a two-month-old baby. The smugglers take over the boat, replacing the captain with an inexperienced migrant, and abandon them once they set sail. The boat, filled with 60 people, heads towards the Greek island of Lesbos, with the migrants paying a hefty price for this risky passage. The journey is fraught with danger, including a malfunctioning engine and the threat of being hit by cargo ships in the dark.

05:02

🛳️ Rescue and Arrival in Lesbos

After a harrowing journey, the migrants' boat engine fails near the Turkish coast, leaving them stranded in the dark. The French journalist uses a satellite phone to call for help, and a Greek fishing boat, alerted by the Coast Guard, comes to their rescue. The fishermen struggle but manage to tow the migrants' boat to safety. Upon arrival in Lesbos after four hours at sea, the migrants are relieved but their journey is far from over. They plan to continue to Athens and then to northern Europe, seeking a new home after fleeing war-torn countries.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Smugglers

Smugglers in the context of the video refer to individuals who facilitate the illegal transportation of people, often for a fee, across borders. They are central to the video's narrative as they organize and execute the dangerous journey for the migrants. The script describes how smugglers control the situation by choosing a replacement captain from the migrants and ensuring obedience with threats, illustrating their role in the perilous journey.

💡Migrants

Migrants are individuals who move from one place to another, often across national borders, in search of better living conditions. In the video, they are depicted as coming from war-torn countries, seeking refuge and a new home. The migrants' experiences, including their nervousness and the challenges they face during the boat journey, are central to understanding the video's theme of human displacement and the risks people are willing to take for a better life.

💡Refugees

Refugees are individuals who have been forced to leave their country to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster. The script mentions Syrian and Iraqi refugees, highlighting the specific nationalities and暗示着 the geopolitical context of the crisis that has displaced them. The refugees' vulnerability is emphasized by the inclusion of families with children, illustrating the human cost of conflict and the desperation that drives them to undertake such dangerous journeys.

💡Lifejackets

Lifejackets are personal flotation devices designed to keep an individual afloat in water. In the video, the migrants, including children, are described as wearing lifejackets, which are too big for them, underscoring the lack of proper preparation and the potential for danger during the sea journey. The lifejackets symbolize a minimal safety measure in an otherwise risky endeavor.

💡Lesbos

Lesbos is a Greek island near the Turkish coast and is a common destination for migrants and refugees attempting to reach Europe. The video's script mentions the boat's destination as Lesbos, which is significant as it represents the migrants' hope for a safer future within the European Union. Lesbos has been at the forefront of the refugee crisis, highlighting the island's role in the broader narrative of migration and asylum.

💡Ordeal

An ordeal refers to a painful or distressing experience. The video uses this term to describe the journey the migrants undertake, which is filled with fear, uncertainty, and physical discomfort. The ordeal is not only the physical journey but also the emotional and psychological stress that the migrants endure, as exemplified by the baby's parents holding him tight throughout the journey.

💡Solidarity

Solidarity is the unity and mutual assistance among individuals who share common goals or interests. In the video, solidarity is key as the migrants help each other during the journey, demonstrating the importance of collective support in the face of adversity. The script illustrates this through the migrants' actions, such as helping to push the boat and assisting each other in boarding.

💡Engine Failure

Engine failure refers to the cessation of an engine's operation, which is a critical event in the video as it leaves the migrants stranded at sea. The engine's failure symbolizes the fragility and uncertainty of the migrants' journey, as well as the life-threatening risks they face. The migrants' reaction to the engine failure, including their desperate attempts to be noticed and saved, underscores the gravity of their situation.

💡Rescue Forces

Rescue forces are organizations or groups that are tasked with saving individuals from dangerous situations. In the video, the French journalist's call to rescue forces is a pivotal moment, as it leads to the migrants being saved by a Greek fishing boat. The involvement of rescue forces highlights the international response to the refugee crisis and the role of humanitarian efforts in saving lives.

💡Athens

Athens is the capital city of Greece and a destination for many migrants and refugees seeking to continue their journey to northern Europe. The script mentions heading towards Athens after arriving in Lesbos, indicating the migrants' ongoing quest for safety and a new life. Athens serves as a waypoint in their journey, representing the broader European migration routes and the challenges faced by those seeking asylum.

💡Northern Europe

Northern Europe refers to the region in the northern part of the European continent, which includes countries like Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The video's mention of traveling to northern Europe signifies the migrants' ultimate goal of reaching countries perceived as more stable and offering better opportunities for asylum and a new life. Northern Europe is often seen as a destination for migrants due to its economic stability and social welfare systems.

Highlights

A French journalist embarks on a perilous journey with smugglers and migrants along the Turkish coast.

Migrants are warned to hide inside the boat to avoid detection.

The boat stops to pick up Syrian and Iraqi refugees who have been hiding.

Families with children, including a two-month-old baby, are among the passengers.

Migrants display solidarity, helping each other board the boat despite their fear.

A smuggler wields a gun to enforce obedience among the migrants.

The captain abandons the boat, leaving a randomly chosen inexperienced migrant to navigate.

Smugglers on land celebrate their success, leaving the migrants to their fate.

The boat heads towards the Greek island of Lesbos, with 60 people on an old wooden vessel.

The cost for migrants to board the boat is 2000 euros per adult and 1000 per child.

The boat's engine is unreliable, and the journey is fraught with danger.

Nightfall and the lack of lights increase the risk of the boat being hit by cargo ships.

The engine stops, leaving the boat stranded in the dark with migrants in despair.

Migrants use whistles on their lifejackets in a desperate attempt to call for help.

The French journalist uses a satellite phone to contact rescue forces with the boat's GPS coordinates.

A Greek fishing boat and the Coast Guard respond to the distress call and attempt a rescue.

The migrants are finally saved after a struggle to tow their boat through strong waves.

Upon arrival in Lesbos, there is a sense of relief, but the journey is not yet over.

The migrants face further challenges as they plan to travel to Athens and then to northern Europe.

Having fled war-torn countries, the migrants seek a new home in Europe.