Shiar is an English Literature scholar and a Syrian refugee. He is travelling to Europe with his family. He spoke to Caritas in Kara Tepe transit camp on Lesbos about the journey so far.
The Greek island of Lesbos is at the epicentre of the refugee crisis, receiving 200,000 Syrians, Afghanistanis and others this year. Caritas has been providing aid to those in desperate need.
Syrians are giving up hope that a solution to the war is possible and seeking safety in Europe. Caritas Syrian staff and beneficaries reflect on the question every family is asking of themselves: whether to leave their beloved country.
With no room in the flimsy boat for all of his family of six, Khaled Basheer swam behind with his daughter clinging to his back as they headed from Turkey to Greece. Now they're in Serbia, waiting to start a new life in Europe.
The war in Syria is reaching the heart of Europe, with hundreds of thousands of refugees leaving the Middle East through the Western Balkans. Their voyages are filled with peril and suffering, but along the way they're receiving solidarity and help.
Caritas Internationalis calls upon governments, communities and all people of good will to welcome refugees while working for peace as a priority in their homelands.
Caritas Greece provided 2000 food kits to refugees and migrants crossing from Greece into Macedonia, as staff describe scene of unforgetable misery and heartbreak.
Greece is being overwhelmed by refugees and migrants, with a spike in the number of arriving this year. They’re mostly from Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq. They’re fleeing war and poverty. Caritas aid has reached the islands of Kos and Chios.
Tens of thousands of migrants and refugees keep arriving to the Greek islands of Kos, Lesvos and Chios.
The situation in Greece is getting worse by the day. New migrants know about the economic crisis here, but still they decide to come to Greece as it is their entry point to Europe.