On the 28th of February 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan opened his country’s border with Europe and thousands of refugees gathered at the frontier trying to cross the fence to Greece. Greek authorities fired tear gas to repulse people trying to smuggle in.

 

The move by the Turkish government was a deliberate attempt to pressure the European Union. Under a deal made in 2016, Turkey agreed on controlling the stream of migrants and refugees in return for financial aid. President Erdogan protested that Europe has failed to honour the agreement.

 

Human lives have been used for political purposes and the result is another humanitarian crisis. An overcrowded refugee camp was set in the border town of Edirne in northwestern Turkey where families spent days and cold nights in improvised tents waiting in vain for the European door to open. This photo series portrays the struggles and poor life conditions of people trying to achieve a better future.