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This year, nearly 100,000 men, women and children from war-torn countries in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia have fled their homes and traveled by rubber dinghies across the Aegean Sea to Lesbos, Greece.

Refugees travel light, for their trek is as dangerous as it is arduous. They are detained, shot at, hungry. Smugglers routinely exploit them, promising safety for a price, only to squeeze them like sardines into tiny boats. Most have no option but to shed whatever meager belongings they may have salvaged from their journeys. Those allowed to bring extra baggage aboard often toss it overboard, frantically dumping extra weight as the leaky boats take on water.

Few arrive at their destinations with anything but the necessities of life. The International Rescue Committee asked a mother, a child, a teenager, a pharmacist, an artist, and a family of 31 to share the contents of their bags and show us what they managed to hold on to from their homes. Their possessions tell stories about their past and their hopes for the future.

"You will feel that you are a human. You are not just a number."

When vicious fighting erupted in Yarmouk, an unofficial camp for Palestinians just south of the Syrian capital, Aboessa managed to escape with her husband and their 10-month-old daughter, Doua. After crossing the border to Turkey, they spent one week sheltering in another forlorn camp before jumping into a rubber raft bound for the safe shores of Europe.

The Turkish police patrolling the coast stopped them and detached the boat's motor in order to force them to turn back, but the refugees kept going, steering the boat through the sea's strong currents with makeshift paddles.

Hat for the baby
An assortment of medication, a bottle of sterile water, and a jar of baby food
A small supply of napkins for diaper changes
A hat and a pair of socks for the baby
Assortment of pain relievers, sunscreen and sunburn ointment, toothpaste
Personal documents (including the baby's vaccination history)
Wallet (with photo ID and money)
Cell phone charger
Yellow headband

"Everything is for my daughter to protect her against sickness. When we arrived in Greece, a kind man gave me two jars of food. Another man gave us biscuits and water when he saw my baby."

Name: Omran*
Age: 6
From: Damascus, Syria

Little Omran, sporting a cheerful blue shirt, is on his way to Germany with his extended family of five to live with relatives. Because his parents knew they would travel through forests to avoid detection, they made sure to pack bandages for scrapes and cuts.

1 pair of pants, 1 shirt
A syringe for emergencies
Marshmallows and sweet cream (Omran's favorite snacks)
Soap, toothbrush and toothpaste
Bandages

Name: Iqbal*
Age: 17
From: Kunduz, Afghanistan

Iqbal dragged his weary body out of the boat with only a backpack. The teenager had traveled hundreds of miles and dodged bullets to escape from the warring province of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan, fleeing east to Iran, then traveling by foot to Turkey. Now in Lesbos, he's uncertain of where to go next. He has kept in touch with a friend who already made the journey to Germany. He has a brother studying in Florida.

1 pair of pants, 1 shirt, 1 pair of shoes and 1 pair of socks
Shampoo and hair gel, toothbrush and toothpaste, face whitening cream
Comb, nail clipper
Bandages
100 U.S. dollars
130 Turkish liras
Smart phone and back-up cell phone
SIM cards for Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey

"I want my skin to be white and hair to be spiked - I don't want them to know I'm a refugee. I think that someone will spot me and call the police because I'm illegal."

When war broke out in Syria, the pharmacist's father would recall fond memories of Germany, where he lived for eight years while practicing medicine there. The pharmacist wanted a similar life of peace and hope. He fled with his family to Turkey, where he met a smuggler who arranged his trip to Europe.

With one bag strapped across his chest, the pharmacist climbed into an overcrowded dinghy with 53 others, including a handful of young children. Miraculously, the group made the crossing safely until, near the shores of Greece, they were met by the coast guard, shouting at them to stop the boat.

Money (wrapped to protect it from water)
Old phone (wet and unusable) and new smart phone
Phone chargers and headphones (plus extra battery charger)
16GB flash drive (containing family photos)

"We didn't realize it was the police. We were told by friends not to stop because they will take you back to Turkey. We didn't know the Greek language. We couldn't understand what they were saying. We held the children. I thought to myself, 'Let me reach the beach and anything you say I will do.'"

Their boat was punctured and everyone ended up in the sea. The pharmacist treaded water for 45 minutes before he was rescued.
Read about the pharmacist's full journey from Aleppo to Germany
"I had to leave behind my parents and sister in Turkey. I thought, if I die on this boat, at least I will die with the photos of my family near me."

Nour has a passion for music and art. He played guitar in Syria for seven years and painted. As bombs and gunfire echoed in the distance, Nour grabbed the items closest to his heart before leaving for Turkey - things that today evoke bittersweet memories of home.

Small bag of personal documents
A rosary (gift from his friend; Nour doesn't let it touch the floor)
A watch (from his girlfriend; it broke during the journey)
Syrian flag, Palestinian charm, silver and wooden bracelets (gifts from friends)
Guitar picks (one also a gift from a friend)
Cell phone and Syrian SIM card
Photo ID
1 shirt

"I left Syria with two bags, but the smugglers told me I could only take one. The other bag had all of my clothes. This is all I have left."

From: Aleppo, Syria

This family lost everything. When they left Syria, each member took one to two bags. During the course of the journey to Turkey and then Greece, their boat began to sink. There were seven women, four men and 20 children. They managed to salvage just one bag among them.

1 shirt, 1 pair of jeans,
1 pair of shoes
Toiletries
1 diaper, 2 small cartons of milk and some biscuits
Personal documents and money
Sanitary pads
A comb

"I hope we die. This life is not worth to live anymore. Everyone closed the door in our face, there is no future."

Name: Hassan*
Age: 25
From: Syria

"This is all I have. They told us we could only bring two things, one extra shirt and pants."

Learn more about the IRC's work in Lesbos where we provide clean water, sanitation, trash removal and protection and information services to refugees staying in the Kara Tepe camp and other locations on the island.

*Last names omitted to protect the privacy of those interviewed
Photos by Tyler Jump; Produced by Kulsoom Rizvi Nearly 60 million people have been forced to flee their homes by war, conflict and persecution - more lives uprooted than at any time since World War II. Produced by the International Rescue Committee, "Uprooted" keeps the spotlight on the individual human beings behind the tragic numbers in this global refugee crisis.

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This year, nearly 100,000 men, women and children from war-torn countries in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia have fled their homes and traveled by rubber dinghies across the Aegean Sea to Lesbos, Greece. Refugees travel light, for their trek is as dangerous as it is arduous.

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Where and Why Do People Move? Crash Course Geography #32

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Home | an Aardman and Save the Children UK short film

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Kids, refugees, questions: 'What is it like to have no home?'

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What does it mean to be a refugee? - Benedetta Berti and Evelien Borgman

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In July, army defenders freely organized the Syrian Free Army and many Syrian civilians took up arms to join the opposition. Bomber are destroying crowded cities and are horrible violations of human rights.

Now Many Syrian refugees live in Jordan and Lebanon.

How do people escape?

Thousands of Syrians fled every day from their country. They often decide to flee definitively after seeing their bombed neighborhoods or family members killed.

How many refugees are there?
According to the UN, about 11 million Syrians have been displaced from their homes.

Difficulties

Most refugees need to find a way to pay rent, even for abandoned facilities. Without any legal means to work in Jordan and Lebanon, they struggle to find odd jobs and accept low wages that often do not cover their basic needs.

How many refugees are children?
2.5 million - are under 18. Most have been out of school for months, if not years.

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What is migration?Different forms of migration

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What is migration?Different forms of migration

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It is the movement of a person or a group of people from one place to the other, often across a political or administrative boundary. Immigration and emigration are the two concepts that describe migration. Find out more here

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vocabulary:
refugee
asylum seeker
to flee
shelter
crisis
to displace
refugee camp
humanitarian
push factors
...................
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Human mobility is a fundamental human right. We are all immigrants, and it is important to understand and distinguish the vocabulary for Migration, and to feel confident being able to discuss it in our personal or professional lives, especially now that it is a popular topic everywhere we go.

Here is a list of basic vocabulary pertaining to Immigration, Temporary Residency, Refugees, Multi-culturalism, and the Journeys and Scenarios of refugees and immigrants.

Immigration: movement to another country

Immigration laws can make it easy or difficult for immigrants to move.

Immigrant: a person who moves to a country they were not born in

I am an immigrant, because I moved from Argentina to the U.S.

People sometimes immigrate to new countries for a new job.

The immigration laws are more flexible in some countries.

Immigration Laws: laws connected with immigrants and immigration

There has been an influx of immigrants entering Europe in recent years.

Influx of immigrants: a large group/population of immigrants entering into a country

The police identified a man as an illegal immigrant.

Illegal Immigrant: an immigrant person without permission to reside in a country

My daughter is a first-generation immigrant, since I am not originally from here.

First generation immigrant: an immigrant or the child of an immigrant

San Francisco, California has a large and vibrant immigrant community.

Immigrant Community/Population: a group of immigrants who have been in a country for a short or long time

Migrants come from all over the world.

Migrant: a person who leaves their home country to reside in another

The man is an economic migrant, searching for better work.

Economic Migrant: a person who leaves their home for better economic opportunities

The media reports a flood of migrants entering the E.U.

Generation of migrants following their ancestors to a new country has created a chain migration.

I arrived to the U.S. as a voluntary migrant because I chose to come.

Flood of Migrants: a large group of immigrants entering a new country

The family doesn't want to leave their home, but are facing forced migration.

Voluntary Migration: a person who chooses to reside in a new country

As long as borders exist, international migration will exist.

Forced migration: person who is pressured to leave their home for negative reasons

The Western half of the country has a stable economy, so there has been an influx of interregional migration.

International Migration: immigrants moving across international borders

Interregional Migration: immigrants moving within their own country's borders

Workers arrive for migrant labor in agricultural fields, but will move when the seasons change.

Migration: movement

People emigrate from Central America to other countries with more job opportunities.

Migrant Labor: workers who move often for job opportunities

I have lived here for over 3 years now, because I have permanent residency.

Emigration: moving from a country

I will only be in Portugal for 4 months, because I have temporary residency.

Permanent Resident: a person who is given permanent residence in a new country

The man cannot stay in Thailand permanently, because he is undocumented.

Temporary Resident: a person who is given residence in a new country for a certain time period only

There is a big controversy in news media about illegal immigration.

Undocumented: a person who does not have documented permission to live/stay in a country

The government is aiding refugees in repatriation so they may rejoin with their families.

Illegal immigrant: a person who is staying in a country illegally, without the government's permission

The non-profit organization helps refugees with resettlement so they can become familiar with their new home and find work

Repatriation: a refugee or group of refugees returning to their home country

The British Empire has a long history of colonization.

The province is experiencing job losses in cities, so there has been counter-urbanization.

Cities tend to offer more jobs and work for people, so there is usually urbanization in most countries.

Resettlement: the process of a refugee permanently residing in a new country

Humans are free to be mobile, but are restricted by laws.

Colonization: the process of a country or group of people settling into a new country to gain control

The push factors for the recent influx of immigrants are many, including war, persecution, and economic issues.

Urbanization: people moving to cities to find a new home

I arrived to the U.S. as a refugee because I was escaping violence in my home country.

Mobility: to move

By law, I am allowed to stay here permanently because I have a refugee status and cannot return home due to danger.

Push Factor: the reasons an immigrant is forced to leave their home

The news media reports the influx of immigrants as a refugee crisis, because it affects the whole world.

Refugee: a person who is forced to leave their country for safety

I began my process of immigrating here, as a refugee claimant.

Refugee Status: to be legally recognized as a refugee

Resettled refugees sometimes struggle to become familiar with a new place.

Non-profit organization give money to aid refugee camps in different parts of the world.

I arrived as a political refugee, escaping a military dictatorship.

Refugee Crisis: a large number of refugees in need of finding a new home

My parents moved as economic refugees, desperate for new opportunities.

Refugee Claimant: a person who has made a claim for refugee protection

The refugee flow has increased in recent years.

Resettled Refugee: a refugee who has settled in a new place

The UNHCR helps to decide how money and materials can be sued to help refugees.

Political Refugee: a refugee escaping from an oppressive government

As gang violence grows in parts of the country, so does the number of internally displaced people.

The country granted me asylum to enter as a refugee.

Asylum-seekers are growing in number as the war continues.

Economic Refugee: a refugee entering a new country for economic opportunities, or escaping economic injustice

Currently, the person is seeking citizenship at the country he is in now, because he is a stateless person.

Refugee Flow: the expansion of refugees

As I am Mexican and Argentinian, I am bicultural.

UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees): an international organization that helps support refugees

As I am Mexican and Argentinian, but living in the U.S and exposed to that culture, I am multicultural.

My daughter is bilingual; she speaks English and French fluently.

It's important to my parents, for me to learn German, English, and Spanish to be multilingual.

Internally Displaced Person: someone who leaves their home to escape danger or fear (like a refugee), but stays in their home country and does not cross an international border

My friend is a humanitarian; he works with Medecins Sans Frontieres.

An Asylum-Seeker: a person wanting to enter a safer foreign country to escape fear or persecution in their home country

Red Cross entered the country to give aid to the people.

Stateless person: a person who is not a citizen of any country

The infrastructure of the city was damaged and has suffered from the tsunami.

Biculturalism: being of two different cultures

Thousands of people have been displaced in recent years due to war and violence in their home countries.

Multiculturalism: being of three or more different cultures.

The after events of the football game was absolute chaos.

Multilingualism: to speak three or more languages

People are prepared to flee their homes if the hurricane reaches shore.

Humanitarian: to help general populations, people, and human rights

People call the police for help when there is a crisis.

Aid: to help or support people or a cause

In case of a natural disaster, seek shelter.

Infrastructure: the basic architecture of a system, organization, or civilization

There was desperation in the soccer player's last moves as he approached the goal.

Displaced: forced to move

Humans are afraid of the dangers in the ocean, because so much is undiscovered.

Chaos: the state of being disorganized and uncontrollable

Flee: to escape quickly

I have a fear of airplanes, because I hate heights.

Crisis: an emergency

A journey can be positive or negative, but you always learn from it.

Shelter: protection

I mourned for months after the loss of my mother.

Desperation: to be in extreme distress from hopelessness

The riot was uncontrollable, and created mayhem in the city.

Danger: the possibility of physical or emotional harm

The young woman was under a lot of stress from her new corporate job.

Crowds: large groups of people

The scary film created terror in the audience.

The uncertainty of the future scares me most.

Rwanda has recuperated from the genocide in 1994, but makes an effort to never forget the memory of those lost.

Great crowds accumulated to see the prince and princess' new baby son.

Fear: the extreme emotion of being scared

The anguish I felt when my best friend died is still indescribable.

Journey: a trip, to travel

America fought for its freedom from the British Empire in the 1700s.

Loss: to lose someone or something; the emotion of losing something

The house experiences deterioration because no one takes care of it.

Mayhem: violent or damaging chaos

To be treated as an equal is a basic human right.

Stress: to have or feel intense pressure

We cross physical and emotional lines every day, when we enter new territories and ideas.

Terror: intense fear

The border between Mexico and Texas is distinct from the Rio Grande.

Genocide: deliberately killing a group of people, based on ethnicity, beliefs, or nationality

The zoo keepers create a strong barrier to keep the animals in their designated areas.

Anguish: extreme emotional or physical pain

I only eat local vegetables, because they were grown in my community.

Freedom: the power or right to choose for yourself

I showed my identification to the airport officers when I traveled to Asia.

Deterioration: the process of conditions getting worse

Smuggling is an issue many governments try to stop, because they want to know what's coming across their borders.

Human rights: the basic universal rights people have to live happy, healthy, free lives

The trafficker was paranoid that the police were following him.

Crossing: to go across a line, boundary, or intersection

I take public transportation to work every day, using the metro.

Border: a line, wall, or covering that encloses something

People often contact coyotes for help when they are desperate to flee their homes.

The teenager was detained in a juvenile detention center for three days.

It is important for a hospital to maintain pristine sanitation for health reasons.

Barrier: similar to a border; a line, wall, or covering that encloses something

Medecins Sans Frontieres offers free medical aid to areas in need.

Local: a person or thing that is from a particular area

Immigrants sometimes face deportation if they do not have the required documentation for residency.

Identification: the objects or documents able to prove a person's identity

The country suffered from brain drain when all of their doctors started moving away to other countries.
More for you:
100 + Travel Words explained ››› Best Free Lesson
Travel, Trip, Journey, Tour, Voyage, Cruise, Crossing, Excursion ...
Smuggling: moving items or people illegally or secretly

Trafficker: a person who deals, trades, or moves things or people illegally

Transportation: to move something or someone

Coyote: a person who smuggles people through Latin America

Sanitation: the state of being clean and to avoid health issues

Medical Aid: to give medical assistance or help to people or a cause

Deportation: to transport someone to their home country

Brain drain: the emigration of intellectual and educated people from a country

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80+ Immigration Terms ›› Vocabulary Related to Migration, Refugees, and Crossing Borders - MyEnglishTeacher.eu Blog

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Human mobility is a fundamental human right. We are all immigrants, and it is important to understand and distinguish the vocabulary for Migration , and to feel confident being able to discuss it in our personal or professional lives, especially now that it is a popular topic everywhere we go.

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When?
Where?
Who?
Why?
What?
How many?

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The facts: What you need to know about the Syria crisis

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More than nine years in, Syria’s civil war has fueled a massive exodus. See the staggering statistics and learn the facts behind the figures.

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Refugee crisis in Europe
When?
Where?
What?
Who?
How many?
Why?

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Io sono un bambino che lavora all'età di cinque anni.
io sono un umano torturato-nella forma di una ragazza
io sono in cerca una vita migliore...acqua pulita... felicità...  sono un orfano.
sono la morte nei paesi poveri... sono la povertà vera e propria.
io sono uno schiavo gettato in prigione per disobbedienza.
io sono un rifugiato che riporta quello che sa.
io sono una bomba che esplode nella guerra... io sono il dolore.
io tengo un terribile passato ma lo lascio andare verso il fantastico futuro.
io mi sono nascosto per guardare la gioia e vivere fuori dal dolore.
io sono la disgrazia per molte culture... e sono spesso soggetto a forme di razzismo.
io sono una madre che combatte per i diritti dei suoi bambini.
io sono una vita che cade dalle montagne russe.
io sono un rifugiato ma nessuno sembra preoccuparsi di me.
io sono affogato nelle mie lacrime.
io sono un grido di libertà.
io sono morto prima di essere nato.
io sono un piatto vuoto per degli stomaci affamati e un peso agli occhi dei miei genitori.
io sono venduto ad un mondo sconosciuto
io sono la cultura che viene dopo la cultura che si divide.
io ho perso la mia voce, ma dopo sono morto... io sono discriminato.
io sono l' acqua sporca in mezzo ad uno stagno d' acqua limpida.
io sono solo, cresciuto nella mia casa.
io ho sofferto tanto, e adesso mi meriterei la gioia... ma ancora...
io sono un rifugiato senza diritti.

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Sono qui
ho avuto una casa
da qualche parte al di là dell'orizzonte
libertà, salute e cibo
cose che ho sempre avuto
adesso giaciono tutto sotto la cenere

qui non c'è posto dove stare
nei profondi buchi scavati dalle bombe
nascosto tra le persone
bagnato da vomito e sangue
io sono qua

un pianto stanco viene da dentro
un suono che non ha speranza
che sento chiaro
e lo sento di nuovo
ora la folla si muove silenziosamente
e la voce s'incrina mentre la gente spinge
tutti in attesa di essere i primi per la terra promessa

ho un po' di fede dentro di me,
solo andarmene
con le mie mani stanche
per il mio piccolo bambino
piangente e tormentato
io sono qua, sconosciuto
Lucia&Ambra

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What’s your name??

My name is SHWE

Where were you born?

I was born in Mawlamyine State, Myanmar.

Where did you and your family move from?

My family and I moved from Myanmar to Ranong, Thailand.

Why did  you and your family migrate?

We lived for economic hardships.

Did you study?

Yes, I studied with a migrant women, but then some NGOs created a migrant learning centre where I studied until 6th grade.

Where did you start work?

I started working at a plaza selling clothes, and i worked there for about two years,then in a pharmacy for about four years.

Did you continue study?

Yes, I took the Australian Catholic education, and then I received my diploma.

What did you do after the diploma?

After the diploma I work as an interpreter for the International Organization for Migration.

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REFUGEE

A person who is forced to leave their country for safety

ASYLUM SEEKER

A person wanting to enter a safer foreign country to escape fear or persecution in their home country

TO FLEE

To escape quicky

SHELTER

Protection

CRISIS

An emergency

TO DISPLACE

To be in extreme distress from hopelessness

REFUGEE CAMP

a safe shelter that helps and offers temporary aid to refugees or internally displaced people

HUMANITARIAN

to help general populations, people, and human rights

PUSH FACTOR

the reasons an immigrant is forced to leave their home

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Sono un straniero ma per quell'unico sorriso
Sono uno straniero
In questo posto
Dove la mia famiglia è dovuta andare
Loro sussurrano dietro di noi
Ma io li sento

Perché parlare, quando nessuno riesce a capire

La lingua che io parlo?

Perché imparare, quando non posso capire

La lingua che insegnano qui?

Perché provare, quando loro non mi conoscono

Quando io sono solo?

Perché non mollare?

L'ho quasi fatto

Ma per quell'unico sorriso

Della mia insegnante

Perché prova ad aiutarmi

E a volte ci riesce
Quell'unico sorriso

Che mi trattiene in questo posto

Provando per quanto mi è possibile

Per quell'unico sorriso

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I DIRITTI DEI BAMBINI

Io sono un bambino, e ho dei diritti,

fare quello che voglio, giocare all’aperto,

avere cure mediche, e un’ istruzione,

senza essere giudicato, non importa di quale nazione.

Sia che io sia un disabile o senza un arto,

ricevo cure speciali, quello di cui ho bisogno.

Ma i bambini non sono fatti per sentirsi sgridare o per la discriminazione,

per tutti i bambini, noi siamo qualcuno.

Il diritto di un bambino è quello di essere amato e curato,

nessun altro bambino vuole ricevere di più.

Hafza Majid