Eritrean Refugees in Switzerland

Since summer of 2014 I document the daily lives of several young men from Eritrea, who deserted because of the precarious conditions in their home from the military service and now are looking for a safe life in Switzerland. Isolation and a kind of limbo between Asylum and Refugees paralyzes these people.

I'm impressed by the fate of people who have to flee from their home country and to leave behind their families and their homes. Refugees are and have always been a part of our history, and there are also wars and poverty. Often refugees are exposed strong rejection. We are quick to judge the rights of a whole population, although we can see the causes of flight and life as an asylum seeker hardly imagine

Before I met my main protagonist Solomon I almost lost myself with requests for grants to charities and offices for migration. Finally, helped me Caritas in Obwalden about to meet some refugees. From there it was up to me to establish contact and gain confidence. On my first visit, the skepticism was high, the Eritrean refugees in Hotel Tell, the refugee center in Alpnach Dorf is forbidden to photograph me. Only gradually did I established a relationship with the people, by going past week and spent many hours with them each. Since they hardly spoke German and English, the communication was always very difficult. However, it saw itself still somehow. By the time it was quite normal that I always showed up with the camera. Nevertheless, it was always difficult to judge the concentration not only on the social interaction, but also to meaningful photography.

Solomon entered Switzerland in October 2013. He escaped the military service of Eritrea, made his way to Sudan among some other young men, then got to Lybia, where he was caught by military.
He managed it to escape again from prison, then hired a trip on a boat. He came to Lampedusa, took a truck to Milano and then finally came to Locarno, where he was assigned to the asylum accomodation in Alpnach Dorf.

I created images which document the daily lives of these people in a discreet way. Unusual views that point to an aesthetic, often anonymous way any specific person, but can be for any Eritrean refugee in Switzerland symbolically.

I accompanied Solomon in November 2014 at his second hearing at the Federal Office for Migration in Bern. In a conversation about four hours' duration, he had everything exactly tell about the nature of his country, his home town and, of course, the reasons for and the conduct of its flight.

Solomon is now 23 years old, I still see regularly him. His German has since I've known him greatly improved. Recently I was able to congratulate him for the positive decision on his asylum application. It must now move into their own apartment, get a job and travel abroad. In Sweden namely waiting an Eritrean woman on him, with which he is in a relationship for years.

The next chapter of my project is to document its success or its failure.

From Mario Heller

http://www.marioheller.ch