THE REFUGEE BACK – SCRIPT

 

00:27:26.24

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT HE DOESN’T LEAVE US ALONE BEFORE WE LEAVE

ABU HAMED, WHERE ARE YOU? PLEASE CONTACT ME

TOMORROW I’LL BE FLYING AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT’S THE PLAN

PLEASE CALL ME BACK

 

TITLE: Syria’s Returning Refugees

 

I THINK IT IS A BORDER PATROL

IT SOUNDS LIKE AN AIRPLANE

I DON’T THINK SO

I CAN’T SEE IT, BUT THE SOUND COMES FROM THE RIVER

 

00:28:20 I am tired. I am not good.

00:28:23 Are you afraid?

00:28:24 Are you afraid? Are you nervous?

00:28:31 No.

 

00:28:36 Essen, Germany.            00:28:57.16

00:28:38 We are on our way to meet a man who fled from Syria two years ago.

00:28:42 But now he plans to return home. Illegally.

 

00:28:50 It is here so it is somewhere. Yes, it is here somewhere, yes. 211.

00:28:57 I am accompanied by Brandpunt-collega Sakir Khader.

00:29:01 It must be here.              00:29:01.20

00:29:29:05 Yes.

 

00:29:07 Sakir made contact with the man weeks ago.

00:29:12 Tomorrow the Syrian wants to leave and he has agreed to let us go with him.

Two years ago, the 38 year old Aboud and his family fled IS.

00:29:28 The journey through Europe was life-threatening.         00:29:28.18

 

00:29:36 So that is on its way to Macedonia?

 

HERE WE WERE IN SLOVENIA

THERE WE STAYED ABOUT…

LESBOS, MACEDONIA, SLOVENIA

SERBIA. I DON’T EXACTLY KNOW THE ORDER, BUT THIS WAS IN A CAMP

WE WERE STUCK THERE MORE THAN TEN DAYS

THESE ARE MY CHILDREN. THIS WAS JUST BEFORE WE WENT TO GERMANY

OF COURSE I LOVE ALL MY CHILDREN JUST AS MUCH

ALL THE TIME I WAS THINKING: WHO DO I HAVE TO SAVE?

I CAN SWIM MYSELF

BUT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS, WHO DO I HAVE TO SAVE?

ABDUL RAGMANI OR ABDUL RAHUF, LUJAIN OR SIHAM?

THAT WAS VERY DIFFICULT

THE MOST DIFFICULT MOMENT OF MY LIFE WAS ON THE BOAT WITH MY CHILDREN

I THOUGHT OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE BOAT WOULD SINK

 

THESE ARE RUSSIAN BOMBS

RUSSIAN?

BOMBS BY RUSSIANS AND ASSAD ON CIVILIAN POPULATION

THIS IS THE TOWN MY MOTHER LEFT

 

00:30:51 Aboud’s mother stayed behind in Syria.

00:30:30:54 But the war got so bad that she too has fled.

 

I LAST SPOKE TO HER THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY

THEY WANTED TO CROSS THE TURKISH BORDER

THEY WERE CAUGHT BY THE TURKISH BORDER POLICE

…AND SENT BACK TO SYRIA. THE NEXT DAY THEY WERE BACK AGAIN.

 

HAVE YOU TRIED THE OTHER SMUGGLAR?

HE DIDN’T REACT EITHER

 

00:31:24 To take care of his mother, Aboud wants to travel to Turkey .

00:31:27 And he is not the only one. It seems as though networks exist throughout Europe.... 00:31:28.04

00:31:32 to get refugees back to Turkey and Syria illegally.

 

00:31:31:38 Okay, what do we see here? This is a Facebook group....

00:31:42 in which people inform.....

00:31:44 to the route back home. Where do those people come from?

00:31:48 From all over Europe. I have spoken to people from Germany... 00:32:00:00.09

00:31:51 Netherlands, Sweden, Norway.

00:31:54 Yes, in fact, everywhere.

00:31:31:57 And they seek contact with each other, but also with smugglers?

00:32:00 Yes. There are also many smugglers in that Facebook page.

00:32:32:04 How many people is it about? How many pages are there?  00:32:05.10

00:32:07 I have seen at least five pages, which contains hundreds of people.

00:32:10 Unbelievable. Look.

 

00:32:15 Not long ago, hundreds of thousands of people swamped Europe....

00:32:20 who fled the the violence of war in the Middle East. Many of them came from Syria.

Two years down the line, some asylum seekers are now trying to leave Europe, either because they can’t afford settle here, can’t get asylum, or would rather return to their families.

 

ARE YOU READY FOR IT?

GOD BLESS US

00:32:40 Over a quarter of an hour, the train from.... five over half past two.

00:32:45 It goes to Düsseldorf Airport.

00:32:48 And then fly to Thessaloniki, in Greece.

00:32:51 And from there the journey continues.               00:32:54.14

 

00:32:57 People like Aboud cannot travel directly back to Syria or Turkey....

00:33:01 because they do not have the correct papers.

00:33:33:04 So only an illegal trip remains.

00:33:07 This means that they are once again at the mercy of smugglers, traders and dangerous border crossings.

00:33:13 Just like two years ago, when they came to Europe.      00:33:14.11

 

HELLO. HELLO, MY FRIEND

HOW ARE YOU?

GOOD

I AM NOW AT THE BUS STATION. WHERE DO I HAVE TO GO?

SO YOU’RE THERE. GO TO COUNTER NO. 18 AND BUY A TICKET TO LAVARA

 

00:33:33:43 I can also buy a ticket and go along, but that is not allowed. Why?

00:33:33:47 Smugglers are afraid of Westerners there.

00:33:50 They soon think it is someone from the Greek police....

00:33:54 or from another unit.

 

00:33:33:56 And they are afraid that then the gang will be rolled up. So there is no real trust in a Westerner.                00:34:01.22

00:34:34:02 So we just have to drive behind and see how far it goes?

00:34:06 Precise. I don't know yet how it is going to run.

00:34:09 You know, traffickers, they are traffickers in human beings.

00:34:34:13 You do not know what you find there.

 

IN A COUPLE OF HOURS YOU WILL START YOUR TRAVEL TO TURKEY

BUT THAT IS DANGEROUS

THE JOURNEY IS DANGEROUS

AND ALSO IN TURKEY THERE ARE RISKS. AREN’T YOU AFRAID?

OF COURSE I AM NERVOUS BECAUSE I TRAVEL WITHOUT A VISA

BUT STILL I HAVE TO DO IT, BECAUSE I DEFINITELY HAVE TO SEE MY MOTHER

I HAVE TO TAKE THE RISK. SHE IS FLEEING FROM WAR NOW

SHE DOESN’T HAVE A PASSPORT OR VISA TO CROSS THE TURKISH BORDER EITHER

SO I HAVE TO SEE HER

THANK YOU

AT YOUR SERVICE

HAVE A GOOD JOURNEY, GOOD LUCK

THANK YOU, GOODBYE

00:34:58 Success.             00:35:02.01

00:35:01 Well, this is the next step in the illegal return....

00:35:06 to Turkey, Europe out.

00:35:09 It starts at a bus station in Thessaloniki.

 

00:35:11 Aboud wants to return to Germany after visiting his mother.

00:35:15:15 But that’s not the case for everyone. 00:35:17.12

00:35:18 We have only just started on our way to the border when we receive a call via WhatsApp.

 

I AM IN ISTANBUL

I SAID IN A WHATSAPP GROUP THAT I HAVE A RESIDENCY VISA FOR THE NETHERLANDS

WHICH IS VALID FOR FIVE YEARS. A REAL ONE, NOT FALSIFIED. I WANT TO SELL IT

 

00:35:35:35 Aboud is not the only one.

00:35:38 To finance trips such as these, people will offer their passports and residence permits.

 

00:35:43 It is now six o' clock in the morning.

 

00:35:46 We are 400 kilometres further.... 00:35:51.02

00:35:49 and drive behind the bus.

00:35:52 We are now in the last village for the border with Turkey.

00:35:55 And now it is waiting where the bus will stop....

00:35:59 and they let the people out to make them disappear in the forest.

 

WE NOW WALK TO THE COORDINATES…

WE GOT SENT FROM THE BOYS…

AT THE CROSSING POINT. I’LL KEEP YOU POSTED

 

00:36:24 Sakir has arrived.... 00:36:25.19

00:36:27 Somewhere over there....

00:36:30 in those bunches.

00:36:32 There they have to cross the river somewhere to Turkey.

00:36:35 And that river is the outer border of Europe.

 

00:36:39 And then the bizarre situation occurs.... 00:36:41.13

00:36:42 that we saw all those people coming here in recent years....

00:36:46 to Europe, and now more and more people are moving in the other direction....

00:36:51 still illegal, out of Europe, back in Turkey.

 

ABOUT 200 METERS LEFT

WE’RE ALMOST THERE

WE’RE ALMOST THERE

 

00:37:12 Sakir filmed Aboud making contact with the other refugees.

 

00:37:22 Sakir has a GPS tracker with us, so we can see where he is.        00:37:22.05

00:37:26 Here we are, in the Greek part.

00:37:30 This is the river, the border with Turkey. This is Turkey.

00:37:33 And there is the boat. They are ready to cross over there.

 

WHO DOES SMOKE? I HAVE CIGARETTES

 

00:37:42 We arrive at the river, and 14 other men appear to be waiting.

00:37:47 Not everyone wants to be filmed.          00:37:48.05

00:37:49 There is even a Syrian from the Netherlands among them.

 

MY NAME IS ALI. ALI TAKS

I LIVE IN EMMEN

WHY DO YOU WANT TO RETURN?

I WANTED TO GET MY FIANCEE TO THE NETHERLANDS, BUT THIS REQUEST WAS REJECTED

SHE WASN’T ALLOWED TO COME TO THE NETHERLANDS

I HAVE TRIED A FEW TIMES…

…BUT WITHOUT ANY RESULT. I WAS STUCK BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

BUT I WANT TO BUILD UP MY LIFE

THAT’S WHY I WANT TO RETURN

I WANT TO BUILD UP MY LIFE

I DON’T WANT TO STAY HERE ALONE. I LIVE ALONE, ALONE, ALONE

 

00:38:48 All these men say that they want to go back to be reunited  with family in either Syria or Turkey.

00:38:53 last year, 430 asylum procedures for Syrian refugees were terminated prematurely in the Netherlands.

00:38:38:59 And it is not clear where these people have gone.

00:39:39:03 I called the Ministry of Justice to hear what the government can do for returnees.         00:39:03.05

 

00:39:39:07 If you have Syrian refugees who want to return to Syria, to war zone....

00:39:39:14 is that possible?

 

00:39:16 According to the Ministry of Justice, asylum seekers who wish to return voluntarily....

00:39:20 will be assisted by the International Organisation for Migration, the IOM.

00:39:25:25 But why is the group we have been following have to make the crossing illegally?

00:39:30 I call the IOM to find answers.

 

00:39:33 You speak with Tom Kleijn van Brandpunt.

 

00:39:36 The IOM says that the refugees are offered aid in returning to either Syria or turkey.

00:39:41 Syria is too dangerous and the refugees often do not have the necessary papers.

00:39:46 The only option left is to cross borders illegally   00:39:47.08

 

HE HAS TO TAKE THAT STICK WITH HIM

WHAT’S UP?

WHAT’S GOING ON?

-          WE’RE WAITING FOR THE BOAT

THAT’S GOING ON

WHERE ARE THE SMUGGLARS?

THE SMUGGLAR DOESN’T EVEN DARE TO GET IN THE WATER

HE DOESN’T CARE ABOUT OUR LIVES, HE ONLY CARES ABOUT OUR MONEY

I HOPE ONE OF THESE MEN WILL PICK UP THE LITTLE BOAT IN A MOMENT

 

00:40:24 The small boat that was supposed to get the group across the river turns out to be on the wrong side.

00:40:28 One of the smugglers has still arrived.

00:40:31 Together with Ali, the Syrian man from Emmen, he tries to bring the boat over.

 

WATCH, THE SMUGGLAR IS AFRAID

I DO THIS FOR A REASON

THIS IS NOT A BOMB. THIS MAKES MY PHONE WATERPROOF

WE IRAQIANS AND SYRIANS ARE SIMPLE PEOPLE

WE ARE DEPENDENT ON OUR PHONES

 

00:40:58 It turns out that the river is not very deep

00:41:02 but there is a strong current. 00:41:05.23

 

WE HAVE COME OVER THE WATER AND WE ARE GOING BACK OVER THE WATER

 

WHAT’S THAT SOUND?

I THINK IT IS A BORDER PATROL

IT SOUNDS LIKE AN AIRPLANE

I DON’T THINK SO

I CAN’T SEE IT, BUT THE SOUND COMES FROM THE RIVER

 

00:41:40 a false alarm.

00:41:42 On this stretch of the border, the Greek army is in the process of carrying out exercises and manoeuvres.The smuggler and the man from Emmen have now almost reached the other side.

00:41:51 The rest  prepare themselves for the crossing.

 

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

I AM PACKING MY PASSPORT

AND MY PHONE AND MONEY

 

FOLLOW IT. CATCH THAT BOAT

DO THEY HAVE TO DROWN BECAUSE OF A BOAT?

THAY HAVE TO CATCH THAT BOAT

 

00:42:17 panic strikes. 00:42:18.13

00:42:19 The rubber boat is carried by the current.

 

I JUST SAID YOU HAD TO ENTER THAT BOAT, ASSHOLE

I DON’T THINK THE SMUGGLAR IS COMING BACK

I REALLY DON’T THINK SO

THEN I’LL KILL HIM

THE SMUGGLARS ARE LIKE ARABIAN LEADERS. ONLY TALKING

 

00:42:47 There are a number of other spots from which refugees have crossed the river.

00:42:51 As is common, the bank is littered with possessions abandonned by refugees.

 

00:42:57 Here are all clothes. I think of people who have arrived.

00:43:02 And here is the river.    00:43:04.13

00:43:06 There is Turkey and there is a boat, for example.

00:43:10 And the hopeless, the bizarre of the story is....

00:43:14 that we have been working in Europe for many years now....

00:43:18 with that very large supply of refugees and all the problems that that brings....

00:43:23 and now we are on the point that people want to go back.... 00:43:32.11

00:43:27 and who can't, or who can't.

00:43:29 And they are ultimately then dependent on swimming or small inflatable boats such as those.

 

LOOK AT THESE PICTURES

PEOPLE TAKE THESE WITH THEM AS A MEMORY TO EUROPE

EVERYONE IS TAKING A MEMORY. LOOK HERE

EVERYONE IS TAKING A MEMORY, FROM GERMANY OR FROM THE NETHERLANDS FOR EXAMPLE

UNFORTUNATELY THESE PICTURES DIDN’T MAKE IT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER

IT IS EVEN UNSURE IF THE PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT THEM REACHED THE OTHER SIDE THEMSELVES

LOOK HERE. THESE ARE THEIR CHILDREN THEY NEVER FORGET

 

BROTHER, PLEASE COME

IT ONLY LASTS A FEW SECONDS

WE DON’T HAVE A BOAT

 

00:44:14 Now that the dinghy is gone, the group looks for other ways across

00:44:20 A Turkish fisherman sails by, ignoring the refugees’ calls for help.

00:44:25 The smuggler does not dare to show himself and remains on the opposite other side.                00:44:30.03

 

WE ARE HERE NOW, AREN’T WE?

ANSWER ME. WHERE DO WE HAVE TO GO?

DO WE HAVE TO WAIT OR NOT?

ARE YOU ABLE TO TAKE US TO THE OTHER SIDE OR NOT? WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?

DON’T BE SO AFRAID. COME BACK, THEN WE WILL CROSS THE RIVER ALL TOGETHER

YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PICK UP THE BOAT AND GET US ALL ACROSS

YOU CAN SWIM, CAN’T YOU? YOU ARE GETTING US INTO TROUBLE

IF YOU DID WHAT YOU WERE TO DO, THE BOAT WOULDN’T HAVE FLOWN AWAY

WE QUIT. I GO BACK TO GERMANY

WHAT NONSENSE IS THIS?

 

00:45:17 The smuggler is no longer responding to their calls.

00:45:20 There is no option remaining but crossing the river itself.

 

HURRY UP, WE HAVE TO GO

I’LL LEAVE THESE CLOTHES HERE

I’LL TAKE THESE TROUSERS AND THIS SWEATER WITH ME. THAT’S IT

 

THE BAG IS STILL ON YOUR BACK

CAN’T YOU HOLD IT ABOVE YOUR HEAD? NO, THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE

COME ON GUYS

 

00:46:00 Two days after the men made the crossing, we get a message from Istanbul.

00:46:05 The Syrian German Aboud had arrived, but the news was not good.  

 

MY MOTHER STILL HASN’T ARRIVED IN TURKEY

I’LL WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW. TODAY I HEADED FOR THE SYRIAN BORDER

IF SHE CAN’T GET OUT OF THE COUNTRY, I WILL TRY TO GO TO HER IN SYRIA

AND THEN I’LL RETURN