Photo project: the migrant crisis in Europe through the eyes of migrants themselves

This poignant photo project is an attempt to tell about the migrant crisis in Europe through their own eyes. There is no shortage of photographers who shoot this crisis, but Kevin McElvaney decided to turn the camera lens 180 degrees. The 28-year-old photographer from Hamburg distributed 15 cameras to refugees en route from Syria and Iran, in countries such as Croatia, Macedonia and Slovakia, as well as in Germany. The project under the hashtag #RefugeeCameras started in December 2015.

(Total of 9 photos)

Source: Caters News Agency

Refugees wrapped in blankets stand in line at dawn in front of the entrance to the temporary camp.

"The refugee situation is covered in great detail, but for some reason there was a lack of a first-person perspective. I'm trying to give refugees the opportunity to speak for themselves," Kevin said.

Diyab from Aleppo, Syria, photographed his wife and son Karim at a bus stop.

"There are also situations in which journalists cannot be present. If one of them decides to capture the intimate moment, it will be a completely different statement and message, I believe. I tried to complete the story and give the refugees a human face in their own story," the photographer added.

Out of 15 cameras, seven returned to Kevin. They showed images of refugees in crowded boats disembarking, standing around a campfire, riding trains.

The refugees wrote down their stories in small notebooks.

While working on the photo project, according to the photographer, one of the most interesting aspects was the difference in approaches to the work of those in whose hands the camera was. Some filmed positive moments with children, while others used cameras to reflect the severity of the situation. "I met a lot of refugees at events in Germany, and the stories they told created images in my mind. Unfortunately, they often didn't document these crucial points, and I wondered why. I found out that more often they used phones to communicate or navigate than to film the path itself. It often turned out that the refugees managed to capture every moment well, because I understood what they wanted to tell me," says Kevin.

Refugees sit on the floor of a crowded train in Germany.

Hamza and his friend Abdulmonem from Syria took pictures of refugees helping each other out of a dinghy. When they docked, there were no people willing to help.

Said from Iran was traveling by bus from Athens to Idomeni.

On the way on foot through the hills to the next settlement, the group of Hamza and Abdulmonem makes a halt.

A haggard woman in a crowd of other passengers of an overcrowded boat.

Diyab's son Kerim jumps and laughs when they get into their temporary bedroom in Germany.