Refugees in Transit: The Balkans

In 2015, thousands of refugees — primarily from Syria, Afghanistan, and other countries — passed through the Balkans on their way to northern Europe. While the journey through Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia could have involved long walks, hitchhiking, or public transport, authorities encouraged a rapid passage. Dedicated trains transported around 5,000 refugees each day through each country, with brief stops in transit camps for registration and medical screening.

These camps were functional but fleeting: a place to rest, eat, and be documented before continuing the journey. Refugees, often exhausted, ill, or traumatized, had little time to recover before boarding the next train northward. The system prioritized speed and logistics over comfort, highlighting the immense physical and emotional strain endured during this forced migration.

Photographing this journey offered a glimpse into the endurance, resilience, and vulnerability of people navigating a path dictated by political and logistical pressures, rather than choice. The images capture moments of fatigue, hope, and quiet perseverance — the human stories behind the statistics of one of the largest migratory movements in recent European history.