CPOY

CPOY 69 International Picture Story Silver: Transit

Yin Bay was for many years used as a slave by the military during the civil war in Burma. One day Yin Bay had enough and decided to flee the country. He paid smugglers to bring him and his family to Malaysia. In Malaysia, Yin Bay, his wife, Ninbu, their daughter Mimi and 35 other Burmese were approved as refugees by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. A delegation from Romania came to the country to accept them and bring them to Romania. Here they could live safely, and the kids could get a proper education. They were part of the UN 's quota system where some countries in the United Nations agrees to receive a certain number of refugees. But the family quickly decided to move on. The Romanian authorities had broken their promises to the refugees from Burma. With no money or food and no schooling or medical care received in 2012 the family decided to travel to Denmark. In Denmark they applied for asylum but were rejected. They should be sent back to Romania. The smell of moisture, dirt and cockroach poison mixed with a little curry and garlic are the first thing that hits you when you walk through Stolnicus heavy iron door. The group of Burmese who came to Denmark, is sent back to the old, battered refugee center in a suburb of Bucharest. The center does not clean , and virtually none of the refugees can afford to buy cleaning products. "They just come and spray poison. Whether we want it or not. Half an hour after they've been here, the children's breathing heavier. They gasp for air. When we go to the doctor, we are told that it 's perfectly normal.” The family Mabu is among the lucky ones. They get no money, no food, children can not go to school, they can only get to the doctor in an emergency, but they have a residence permit in the country. They can get a passport, and they have been in Denmark. Of the meager money they received in Denmark they saved a little. Savings is the only thing that enables them to buy food. When it's gone, they have nothing.

Caption
Slide 1 of 8
September 19, 2013
Thursday, September 19th. 2013 the Mabu family is expelled from Denmark from Copenhagen airport.
Michael Drost-Hansen / Danish School of Journalism
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