Myrto Papadopoulos

A dream in transit (in progress)

A dream in transit: migration on the fringes of Europe.

An exploration of a migration hub in Turkey through stories of irregular migrants.

Turkey,Izmir 2009"La Gress" has become a migration bridge to Europe and in the mind of a migrant it becomes a dream, a dream for a new life.Turkey,Izmir 2009The window that connects migrants with the outside world.
   
(Left)Turkey, Izmir 2009A view from above inside the hotel(Right)Turkey, Izmir 2009The hotel manager posing in front of the camera."Everybody is involved in human trafficking. It`s only me that I am not involved"
   
(Left)Turkey, Izmir 2009Even if the neighborhood functions on a semi-legitimate bases, daily life seems normal. Children are out on the streets with the early light of morning.(Right)Turkey, Izmir 2009A family of Afghans heading out of the hotel. Most of the migrants, who stay in the hotel, barely go out in the neighborhood.
     
  
(Left)Turkey, Izmir 2009A glimpse of a local coffee shop in the hub.(Right)Turkey, Izmir 2009A group of Afghan men sitting on their beds having their dinner. Food is always shared and it can often be missing.
   
(Left)Turkey, Izmir 2009Life in the neighborhood, begins with the early light of dawn.(Right)Turkey, Izmir 2009An Afghan man sitting in an empty room in the hotel. Not many migrants arrive in the hub in winter, whereas in the summer, weather conditions are better allowing for a safer passage to Europe.
   
(Left)Turkey, Izmir 2009Inside a room an Afghan man sitting on his bed. Men and woman sleep seperately in the hotel unless they have a family. In general they mingle with people of the same origin.(Right)Turkey, Izmir 2009The hotel often seemed like a labyrinth. Hidden doors and people would suddenly appear.
     
  
(Left)Turkey, Izmir 2009Inside the hotel an Afghan woman is praying.(Right)Turkey, Izmir 2009The ritual before praying
   
(Left)Turkey, Izmir 2009The translator of the hotel(Right)Turkey, Izmir 2009The four mile boat trip that seems just a stone`s throw away, can often be fatal.
   
(Left)Turkey, Izmir 2009An Afghan woman inflating a life vest. Rubber boats and vests are readily available in the hub.(Right)Turkey, Izmir 2009Family pictures lying on a bed, waiting to find their identification
     
  
(Left)Turkey, Izmir 2009An African man lying on his bed. He managed to have a short stay.(Right)Turkey, Izmir 2009Dreaming of a better life.