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The New Odyssey: The Story of Europe's Refugee Crisis
Europe is facing a wave of migration unmatched since the end of World War II - and no one has reported on this crisis in more depth or breadth than The Guardian's migration correspondent, Patrick Kingsley. Throughout 2015, Kingsley traveled to 17 countries along the migrant trail, meeting hundreds of refugees making epic odysseys across deserts, seas and mountains to reach the holy grail of Europe. This is Kingsley's unparalleled account of who these voyagers are. It's about why they keep coming, and how they do it. It's about the smugglers who help them on their way, and the coastguards who rescue them at the other end. The volunteers that feed them, the hoteliers that house them, and the border guards trying to keep them out. And the politicians looking the other way. The New Odyssey is a work of original, bold reporting written with a perfect mix of compassion and authority by the journalist who knows the subject better than any other.
336 pages, Paperback
First published May 3, 2016
108 people are currently reading
3710 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Kingsley
11 books56 followersPatrick Kingsley is a foreign correspondent for the New York Times, and was previously the Guardian’s inaugural migration correspondent. An award-winning journalist, he has reported from more than twenty-five countries and is the author of THE NEW ODYSSEY and HOW TO BE DANISH.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews
May 22, 2017
The author gives us a personal story of migrants/refugees from war-torn and severely repressive regimes. By using this individualistic approach we come to realize fully why these people leave their homeland and undertake a hazardous journey. Their homes were destroyed; some were beaten and imprisoned. In Syria, as the author explains, after years of civil war there is little left of infrastructure – no schools and hospitals. Blockades and sectarian violence are growing daily. So, to seek a better life for their children and themselves, they leave, with hardly a thought of returning. It has simply become untenable for them to remain in their countries. The longer chaotic and violent conditions last, more and more will abandon what is left of their homes – and seek a new life abroad.
They see Europe as giving them peace and security to raise their families. Many of them had good jobs in their home countries – in computers, teaching, engineers... It surely takes courage to uproot and go to Europe, into a new culture with new languages to learn like Swedish or German (both of which were accepting migrants/refugees at the time this book was written).
The author outlines the myriad pathways the refugees follow from Libya, Egypt, Turkey to go to Greece, Italy, Croatia, Serbia and Hungary with, for now, Sweden and Germany as the destination.
There are not only Syrian refugees, but Iraqis, Eritreans and Nigerians are on the move. Many all crowded onto small boats – and then wander in groups along the railroad tracks of Eastern Europe.
One wonders how they will adapt and adjust to their new countries, which is certainly an issue in both Europe and North America. One is especially concerned with gender roles that are entirely different from Middle Eastern and African countries. But that is not the purpose of this book. Given the conditions in Africa and the Middle East these migrations of refugees will not stop. There is a mass movement of people to Europe and North America (The Beast: Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail). I recall speaking with a woman from Brazil who had settled in Canada because she no longer felt Brazil was safe for her children. Kidnappings of children and then subsequent ransom payments were an increasing problem in Brazil, as well as many other South American countries. And that is just one problem area.
We are provided with many harrowing insights on these migrations, and also as to how the European community and Turkey have been ostrich-like in their reaction. As the author points out, there are far more refugees in Lebanon and Jordan than Europe.
They see Europe as giving them peace and security to raise their families. Many of them had good jobs in their home countries – in computers, teaching, engineers... It surely takes courage to uproot and go to Europe, into a new culture with new languages to learn like Swedish or German (both of which were accepting migrants/refugees at the time this book was written).
The author outlines the myriad pathways the refugees follow from Libya, Egypt, Turkey to go to Greece, Italy, Croatia, Serbia and Hungary with, for now, Sweden and Germany as the destination.
There are not only Syrian refugees, but Iraqis, Eritreans and Nigerians are on the move. Many all crowded onto small boats – and then wander in groups along the railroad tracks of Eastern Europe.
One wonders how they will adapt and adjust to their new countries, which is certainly an issue in both Europe and North America. One is especially concerned with gender roles that are entirely different from Middle Eastern and African countries. But that is not the purpose of this book. Given the conditions in Africa and the Middle East these migrations of refugees will not stop. There is a mass movement of people to Europe and North America (The Beast: Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail). I recall speaking with a woman from Brazil who had settled in Canada because she no longer felt Brazil was safe for her children. Kidnappings of children and then subsequent ransom payments were an increasing problem in Brazil, as well as many other South American countries. And that is just one problem area.
We are provided with many harrowing insights on these migrations, and also as to how the European community and Turkey have been ostrich-like in their reaction. As the author points out, there are far more refugees in Lebanon and Jordan than Europe.
Read
October 3, 2017In The New Odyssey, the Guardian’s first migration correspondent offers a panoramic view of the European refugee crisis. In the course of researching this book he traveled to seventeen countries and spoke with refugees, smugglers, coast guard officials, and ordinary citizens providing aid to migrants in need. Instead of focusing on Syrian refugees alone, Kingsley also looks at the vast numbers of refugees coming from countries like Afghanistan, Eritrea, and Somalia. Thought-provoking and moving in equal measure, this is the first book I would recommend to someone who wants to learn more about the refugee crisis.
— Kate Scott
from The Best Books We Read In May 2017: https://bookriot.com/2017/06/02/riot-...
— Kate Scott
from The Best Books We Read In May 2017: https://bookriot.com/2017/06/02/riot-...
May 5, 2016
This book is too important not to read
Read it for the history, the real lives, the insight into the European refugee crisis. Powerful and informative writing that deserves to win awards.
If you read one book this year, make it this one.
Go on, go and get a copy then pass your copy onto others
Read it for the history, the real lives, the insight into the European refugee crisis. Powerful and informative writing that deserves to win awards.
If you read one book this year, make it this one.
Go on, go and get a copy then pass your copy onto others
September 30, 2016
This is the news story that has dominated European news programmes for the last few months; the migrant crisis. I have witnessed endless stories of those attempting to cross the water in flimsy dingies or trudging across Europe to try to get to their final destination – in Hashem’s case, he is making for Sweden. This story has divided people, has been used by political parties and has, ultimately, played a large part in dividing my own country from the EU. Yet, although I have seen so many news reports, I did not feel that I really understood many of the underlying causes of these events that have seemed to have suddenly exploded onto our screens and, as such, I turned to this book.
The author looks at both the wider crisis and of the individual journey of one man – Hashem al-Souka, a Syrian who left his wife, Hayam and his three sons to try to make it to Sweden, in the hope that he could reunite his family in safety. Hashem was a civil servant with the water board, who lived in a small town outside Damascus, before political events overtook him. He was arrested during a sweep in his area, beaten, tortured and, when finally released, he found his house destroyed and Civil War. In this book you will get to care about Hashem and his journey and this is reported throughout the book.
However, as well as Hashem’s journey, we also read of so many more. We read of desert routes through the Sahara, of people smuggling, of flimsy boats and the reasons why so many have turned to dingys. This is the story of small towns who, having lost their own ways of life through various reasons, have turned to the lucrative business of people smuggling. Migrants are not, of course, always refugees. They are not all Syrians fleeing war; many are people looking for a new future, a better future, away from religious extremism, corrupt governments and poverty. It is also a story of corruption, bribery and profit and of the scale of the migration and of the futility of trying to curb it from Europe when it is plain that no one has any interest in stopping it from the places that the migrants are leaving from. This is a business, plain and simple. Shop manikins in Libya have swopped fashion to model lifeboat jackets and some people are getting very wealthy while those hoping for a better life are being sent to sea in dangerously overcrowded, flimsy boats; or facing being shot, dumped, kidnapped or killed before they even make it to this point.
Immigration is something that has affected so many of our own lives. My Italian grandfather fled his country before the second world war, when his political beliefs became dangerous, and fought for England. My father was born in Ireland and my husband in Pakistan. Indeed, in London, where I live (like so many large cities), virtually everyone in my street, my work place, my children’s schools, are immigrants. My own part of London has large Greek, Jewish, Indian and Chinese communities and, generally, everyone gets along very well. However, even immigrants I know, that live in London, have expressed disquiet about the situation in Europe. When you read individual stories, it is impossible not to feel sympathy with those fleeing difficult circumstances. My own father left his country to find work – he was, in effect, an economic migrant. If my own children were unable to go to school, would I not feel motivated to try to do something to help their future? Personally, I had no knowledge about counties, such as Eritrea, and no idea how difficult it was to live there, for example. So, this book has opened my eyes, even if it failed to really answer any questions. For certainly, for the migrants themselves, this situation needs to be addressed by politicians, as the very people being exploited are those most in danger…
The author looks at both the wider crisis and of the individual journey of one man – Hashem al-Souka, a Syrian who left his wife, Hayam and his three sons to try to make it to Sweden, in the hope that he could reunite his family in safety. Hashem was a civil servant with the water board, who lived in a small town outside Damascus, before political events overtook him. He was arrested during a sweep in his area, beaten, tortured and, when finally released, he found his house destroyed and Civil War. In this book you will get to care about Hashem and his journey and this is reported throughout the book.
However, as well as Hashem’s journey, we also read of so many more. We read of desert routes through the Sahara, of people smuggling, of flimsy boats and the reasons why so many have turned to dingys. This is the story of small towns who, having lost their own ways of life through various reasons, have turned to the lucrative business of people smuggling. Migrants are not, of course, always refugees. They are not all Syrians fleeing war; many are people looking for a new future, a better future, away from religious extremism, corrupt governments and poverty. It is also a story of corruption, bribery and profit and of the scale of the migration and of the futility of trying to curb it from Europe when it is plain that no one has any interest in stopping it from the places that the migrants are leaving from. This is a business, plain and simple. Shop manikins in Libya have swopped fashion to model lifeboat jackets and some people are getting very wealthy while those hoping for a better life are being sent to sea in dangerously overcrowded, flimsy boats; or facing being shot, dumped, kidnapped or killed before they even make it to this point.
Immigration is something that has affected so many of our own lives. My Italian grandfather fled his country before the second world war, when his political beliefs became dangerous, and fought for England. My father was born in Ireland and my husband in Pakistan. Indeed, in London, where I live (like so many large cities), virtually everyone in my street, my work place, my children’s schools, are immigrants. My own part of London has large Greek, Jewish, Indian and Chinese communities and, generally, everyone gets along very well. However, even immigrants I know, that live in London, have expressed disquiet about the situation in Europe. When you read individual stories, it is impossible not to feel sympathy with those fleeing difficult circumstances. My own father left his country to find work – he was, in effect, an economic migrant. If my own children were unable to go to school, would I not feel motivated to try to do something to help their future? Personally, I had no knowledge about counties, such as Eritrea, and no idea how difficult it was to live there, for example. So, this book has opened my eyes, even if it failed to really answer any questions. For certainly, for the migrants themselves, this situation needs to be addressed by politicians, as the very people being exploited are those most in danger…
October 1, 2019
Jest to wstrząsająca lektura, mimo że od tych wydarzeń minęło już kilka lat i wiemy o nich choćby z mediów znacznie więcej niż gdy książka powstawała. Niemniej polecam tę lekturę absolutnie każdemu. I tym, którzy uchodźcom "kibicują" i tym, którzy ich nienawidzą. Warto wiedzieć czemu się sprzeciwiamy, jak i czemu coś popieramy.
4,5/5
4,5/5
June 25, 2017
Definitely one of the most important, best books I've read this year. It is written in a very accessible way (though the content is tough to process sometimes) and the author is obviously speaking from a thoroughly researched position (and from experience, as he has made many treks with refugees). The story of the one specific refugee that is woven through out the entire book was well chosen, I think, because he is a middle-aged male traveling alone, something that many Westerners have put down as unacceptable. It is much easier to relate to mothers fleeing with young children, yet his story is equally compelling when you look beyond the obvious facts of gender and age. The author does an excellent job of answering many of the questions I've heard posed by the Western (mostly American) world regarding the refugee crisis and examines how the poor handling of this crisis has caused and sustained many of the problems accompanying the refugees' journey. Highly recommend.
May 6, 2016
Patrick Kingsley is the Guardian’s migration correspondent, who as well as telling the story of recent migration to Europe in the newspaper has now produced an enthralling book, The New Odyssey, which is also bang up to date. Anyone who wants to know why people leave Syria, or Eritrea, or risk the crossing of the Sahara desert, should read it. For most migrants their journeys last months or even years, for others they are shorter; for very few will they be easy and for the majority there will be almost unbearable hardships and – too often – death.
Kingsley manages to bring several different migrant stories to life, not least that of Hashem al-Souki, who escaped a Syrian jail three years ago, left Syria a year after that and has not long ago been given permanent residency in Sweden. His family, still stuck part-way to safety in Egypt, now hope to join him. We share a few of Hashem’s experiences on his two-year journey: the frightening and abortive attempt to cross the Mediterranean by boat and then the second, successful, crossing; his despair at the numerous setbacks, and his relief when he finally gets an asylum decision from the Swedish government. Hashem himself sends a message to the reader at the end of the book, a big thank you to those who have helped him and a broader appeal to all those ‘who seek to make the world into a better place’. Among these would be some people who get shorter versions of their stories in the book, like a couple called the Kempsons who live on the Greek island of Lesvos and regularly patrol the cliffs looking for migrant boats that need help.
It’s the individual stories which enliven Kingsley's book, but woven into them is a broader discussion about why this is happening, what makes the present scale of migration so enormous, why it is likely to remain so, and what European governments are doing or should do about it. Kingsley addresses the ‘migrants or refugees?’ debate, arguing (and I would agree) that the distinction might be necessary in international law but is increasingly futile in relation to what is happening right now across Europe. Yes, a huge proportion of people on the move are fleeing repression, but then, too, they are all seeking countries where they can re-establish their lives, which is bound to draw them towards Germany, Sweden, and other parts of Western Europe whose economies are relatively prosperous and where there is more chance of them being welcomed and given residence. He argues that we should re-embrace the word ‘migrant’, since when you are describing a large and mixed group of people whose individual motives you cannot know, it makes sense to describe them instead by what they are doing – migrating.
The UK is on Kingsley's list too, but is the country to which he gives the least attention as he doesn’t cover the part of the crisis involving the Calais camps or people’s attempts to cross the English Channel. However, he does show how preposterous is David Cameron’s attitude that Britain should mainly help those Syrians in camps in countries like Lebanon and Turkey. As he says, the pressures there are huge, only a massive assistance programme will help and this will have to include resettling far larger numbers than Cameron is talking about. Furthermore, people in those camps are already on the move, as they see no end to the war in Syria and no prospect of improved lives where they are.
Kingsley does spend a lot of time on or near the borders in Eastern Europe, tracking the journeys of people trying to get away from Greece and into Austria, Germany and places to the north and west. He finds very mixed attitudes on the part of officials and local people, including the inspiring story of the Austrian shepherd who used to cross regularly into Hungary to bring back refugees via obscure cross-border tracks. But now the barriers are going up – like Hungary’s border fence. Kingsley points to the irony that it the fence is argued to be necessary protection against ‘terrorists’, while the people that it excludes are themselves much more obvious victims of terrorism than any Hungarian is likely to be.
It’s not surprising that Kingsley’s immersion in the refugee story leads him to a very sympathetic assessment of what a better, Europe-wide policy towards migrants might be. He rightly points to the flows as being unstoppable, and urges governments to be far more realistic in recognising this. He wants all EU governments to do more and to take more people, and says that the alternative is not that people will stop coming but that there will be continued chaos and many more deaths. The recently changed practices towards boats crossing from Libya are already a small example of that chaos and those continued deaths. The problem is that, while Kingsley would find broad agreement from many people working with migrants in Britain or (like myself) on policies towards and advice for migrants, no one seems to know how these massive policy steps could actually be taken. The cruel pragmatism, bordering on indifference or even active hostility, of the Tory government towards the recent migrant story does, unfortunately, seem to reflect at least part of public opinion, in the UK and across Europe. This presumably is one of the main reasons why Patrick Kingsley has written his timely, sensitive and ultimately optimistic book.
Kingsley manages to bring several different migrant stories to life, not least that of Hashem al-Souki, who escaped a Syrian jail three years ago, left Syria a year after that and has not long ago been given permanent residency in Sweden. His family, still stuck part-way to safety in Egypt, now hope to join him. We share a few of Hashem’s experiences on his two-year journey: the frightening and abortive attempt to cross the Mediterranean by boat and then the second, successful, crossing; his despair at the numerous setbacks, and his relief when he finally gets an asylum decision from the Swedish government. Hashem himself sends a message to the reader at the end of the book, a big thank you to those who have helped him and a broader appeal to all those ‘who seek to make the world into a better place’. Among these would be some people who get shorter versions of their stories in the book, like a couple called the Kempsons who live on the Greek island of Lesvos and regularly patrol the cliffs looking for migrant boats that need help.
It’s the individual stories which enliven Kingsley's book, but woven into them is a broader discussion about why this is happening, what makes the present scale of migration so enormous, why it is likely to remain so, and what European governments are doing or should do about it. Kingsley addresses the ‘migrants or refugees?’ debate, arguing (and I would agree) that the distinction might be necessary in international law but is increasingly futile in relation to what is happening right now across Europe. Yes, a huge proportion of people on the move are fleeing repression, but then, too, they are all seeking countries where they can re-establish their lives, which is bound to draw them towards Germany, Sweden, and other parts of Western Europe whose economies are relatively prosperous and where there is more chance of them being welcomed and given residence. He argues that we should re-embrace the word ‘migrant’, since when you are describing a large and mixed group of people whose individual motives you cannot know, it makes sense to describe them instead by what they are doing – migrating.
The UK is on Kingsley's list too, but is the country to which he gives the least attention as he doesn’t cover the part of the crisis involving the Calais camps or people’s attempts to cross the English Channel. However, he does show how preposterous is David Cameron’s attitude that Britain should mainly help those Syrians in camps in countries like Lebanon and Turkey. As he says, the pressures there are huge, only a massive assistance programme will help and this will have to include resettling far larger numbers than Cameron is talking about. Furthermore, people in those camps are already on the move, as they see no end to the war in Syria and no prospect of improved lives where they are.
Kingsley does spend a lot of time on or near the borders in Eastern Europe, tracking the journeys of people trying to get away from Greece and into Austria, Germany and places to the north and west. He finds very mixed attitudes on the part of officials and local people, including the inspiring story of the Austrian shepherd who used to cross regularly into Hungary to bring back refugees via obscure cross-border tracks. But now the barriers are going up – like Hungary’s border fence. Kingsley points to the irony that it the fence is argued to be necessary protection against ‘terrorists’, while the people that it excludes are themselves much more obvious victims of terrorism than any Hungarian is likely to be.
It’s not surprising that Kingsley’s immersion in the refugee story leads him to a very sympathetic assessment of what a better, Europe-wide policy towards migrants might be. He rightly points to the flows as being unstoppable, and urges governments to be far more realistic in recognising this. He wants all EU governments to do more and to take more people, and says that the alternative is not that people will stop coming but that there will be continued chaos and many more deaths. The recently changed practices towards boats crossing from Libya are already a small example of that chaos and those continued deaths. The problem is that, while Kingsley would find broad agreement from many people working with migrants in Britain or (like myself) on policies towards and advice for migrants, no one seems to know how these massive policy steps could actually be taken. The cruel pragmatism, bordering on indifference or even active hostility, of the Tory government towards the recent migrant story does, unfortunately, seem to reflect at least part of public opinion, in the UK and across Europe. This presumably is one of the main reasons why Patrick Kingsley has written his timely, sensitive and ultimately optimistic book.
August 22, 2021
Świetny, poruszający reportaż. Niestety, nie traci na aktualności. Zalecam, zwłaszcza teraz.
August 6, 2021
Niezwykłe angażujący, wartki i ważny reportaż. Autor sprawnie balansuje między perspektywą jednostki i losami zbiorowości, jego pisanie organizowane jest przez nieustanny ruch, parcie, odwagę i nieustępliwość ludzi, których opisuje. Nie brakuje kontekstów i problematyki przedstawianego kryzysu, nie brakuje słusznego oskarżenia Europy ani autentycznych, niedramatyzowanych na siłę emocji.
Jedynym mankamentem jest język, który nie nadąża za świetnie poprowadzoną narracją, oraz niefortunne, pełne błędów, kwadratowe tłumaczenie i masa literówek. Ale wobec bardzo udanej całości to tylko drobnostki.
Jedynym mankamentem jest język, który nie nadąża za świetnie poprowadzoną narracją, oraz niefortunne, pełne błędów, kwadratowe tłumaczenie i masa literówek. Ale wobec bardzo udanej całości to tylko drobnostki.
December 22, 2019
Przybliża kryzys migracyjny z ludzkiej, człowieczej perspektywy. Ukazuje szlaki, motywacje, sposoby ludzi, którzy uciekają do lepszego świata. Bardzo informatywna, wspaniale przydatne mapki.
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March 20, 2022Mimo upływu lat, książka nie traci na aktualności. Świetnie uświadamia uprzywilejowanemu czytelnikowi z Europy ogrom trudu i cierpienia związanych z ucieczką na obcy kontynent. Wiele obrazów zostanie ze mną na dłużej.
August 15, 2017
Absolutní MUST READ pro každého, kdo si myslí, že migrační krizi rozumí, nebo kdo ví, že by jí rozumět chtěl a měl! Za mě jde o nejlepší knihu z žánru literatury faktu, jakou jsem kdy četla.
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Hlavní linkou celé knihy je příběh Syřana Hášima aš-Šaukího, který poté, co byl vybombardovaný dům jemu i jeho příbuzným, a poté, co byl vězněn, utekl s rodinou do Egypta a následně podnikl samostatně cestu do Švédska, aby zajistil sobě a své rodině bezpečí. Tento motiv je vak prokládán osudy jiných uprchlíků, které autor při svém "mapování" potkává.
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Kniha se snaží ukázat, co vede lidi k tomu, aby opustili svůj domov, svou zem a podnikli riskantní cestu do Evropy. V roce 2015 mapuje dvě zásadní přechody - a to z Libye do Itálie a z Turecka do Řecka. Vše je poskládáno z autorova pozorování, z rozhovorů s migranty, pašeráky, úředníky i dobrovolníky. Zároveň se kniha snaží vysvětlit a mnohdy i vyvrátit představy, které si Evropa o celé migrační krizi utvořila.
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Autor ukazuje, co uprchlíky na cestě potkává za nebezpečí a co vše musejí absolvovat - nepřímo tím ukazuje, že pouhá vidina větších peněz (my tomu rádi říkáme ekonomičtí migranti) může jen stěží představovat motiv, proč lidé podnikají cesty přes pouště, jsou okrádáni, zneužíváni, vězněni a často i zemřou. Čtenáři tak začne být hned jasné, proč se do Evropy často hrnou mladí muži ve značkovém oblečení se smartphonem v ruce. Vždyť kdo by ohrozil svoje děti cestou v nafukovacím člunu, kam je natěsnáno i 500 lidí? Kdo by cestoval do Evropy v otrhaných hadrech a riskoval tak, že bude zadržen prvním policistou ve vlaku? Mohl by si vůbec nějaký chudák dovolit zaplatit tisíce dolarů pašerákům? Autor také mnohokrát poukazuje na to, že stavění plotů nepřinese žádný výsledek v dlouhodobějším horizontu, neboť lidé, kteří se nemají kam vrátit, nemají příliš co ztratit, a tak se budou pokoušet hledat jen jiné cesty.
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Jednoduše skvělá kniha, kterou bych nejraději nakoupila po 20 kusech a rozpůjčovala ve svém okolí.
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Hlavní linkou celé knihy je příběh Syřana Hášima aš-Šaukího, který poté, co byl vybombardovaný dům jemu i jeho příbuzným, a poté, co byl vězněn, utekl s rodinou do Egypta a následně podnikl samostatně cestu do Švédska, aby zajistil sobě a své rodině bezpečí. Tento motiv je vak prokládán osudy jiných uprchlíků, které autor při svém "mapování" potkává.
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Kniha se snaží ukázat, co vede lidi k tomu, aby opustili svůj domov, svou zem a podnikli riskantní cestu do Evropy. V roce 2015 mapuje dvě zásadní přechody - a to z Libye do Itálie a z Turecka do Řecka. Vše je poskládáno z autorova pozorování, z rozhovorů s migranty, pašeráky, úředníky i dobrovolníky. Zároveň se kniha snaží vysvětlit a mnohdy i vyvrátit představy, které si Evropa o celé migrační krizi utvořila.
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Autor ukazuje, co uprchlíky na cestě potkává za nebezpečí a co vše musejí absolvovat - nepřímo tím ukazuje, že pouhá vidina větších peněz (my tomu rádi říkáme ekonomičtí migranti) může jen stěží představovat motiv, proč lidé podnikají cesty přes pouště, jsou okrádáni, zneužíváni, vězněni a často i zemřou. Čtenáři tak začne být hned jasné, proč se do Evropy často hrnou mladí muži ve značkovém oblečení se smartphonem v ruce. Vždyť kdo by ohrozil svoje děti cestou v nafukovacím člunu, kam je natěsnáno i 500 lidí? Kdo by cestoval do Evropy v otrhaných hadrech a riskoval tak, že bude zadržen prvním policistou ve vlaku? Mohl by si vůbec nějaký chudák dovolit zaplatit tisíce dolarů pašerákům? Autor také mnohokrát poukazuje na to, že stavění plotů nepřinese žádný výsledek v dlouhodobějším horizontu, neboť lidé, kteří se nemají kam vrátit, nemají příliš co ztratit, a tak se budou pokoušet hledat jen jiné cesty.
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Jednoduše skvělá kniha, kterou bych nejraději nakoupila po 20 kusech a rozpůjčovala ve svém okolí.
January 4, 2022
Kingsley’s account of the migrant crisis is moving ánd informative. The impact is increased by the focus on individual migrants / refugees: it is true that the fate of thousands is statistics, while the fate of one is (depending on circumstances) a tragedy, or at least a narrative with a character for whom a reader wants to take to heart. The narrative element is constructed well and varied to keep the reader inquisitive. Kingsley is very clear about his view of the best solution under the circumstances, and that Europe is not dealing well with the crisis. One can only wonder what has happened since the publication of this book in 2016.
Kingsley bied ’n boek wat ons nie slegs inlig omtrent die migrantekrisis in Europa nie, maar fokus op die lot van individuele vlugtelinge sodat lesers die emosionele impak van die saak beter begryp. Hy voel sterk oor die feit dat Europa die probleem swak hanteer en oor die beste oplossing onder die omstandighede. ’n Mens kan maar net wonder wat sedert die boek se publikasie in 2016 gebeur het.
Kingsley bied ’n boek wat ons nie slegs inlig omtrent die migrantekrisis in Europa nie, maar fokus op die lot van individuele vlugtelinge sodat lesers die emosionele impak van die saak beter begryp. Hy voel sterk oor die feit dat Europa die probleem swak hanteer en oor die beste oplossing onder die omstandighede. ’n Mens kan maar net wonder wat sedert die boek se publikasie in 2016 gebeur het.
February 3, 2017
This is a powerful book. Kingsley, the migration reporter for the Guardian, not only gathers information from 21st century refugees but follows along with them, suffers with them, and then presents this compelling argument--They are going to come. We can do this easier or harder. We can keep refusing to organize and find permanent solutions for the needy around us, or we can stay in crisis mode because THEY ARE GOING TO KEEP COMING. They see themselves as having no other options. This was very well done---Not only did Kingsley follow the paths of the migrants but he followed several stories, including one man's all the way to Sweden. He visits and interviews the smugglers, the ship crew, the relief agencies, all along the way. I like his title--The New Odyssey. Look, this is a defining moment of our generation. Other generations had their big jobs--this is ours, and we are making sorry work of it. I hope there are many more to call us to account.
December 11, 2016
Patrick Kingsley knows the Europe refugee crisis like no other journalist. And he takes the time to meet the people who risk their lives on journeys no one would take unless they were desperate. He chronicles their voyages and allows the reader to get to know the characters - the refugees and the unscrupulous smugglers who exploit them, leading far to may to their drowning deaths.
October 4, 2016
Interesting. Moving. Heartbreaking. Educational. Saddening. Uplifting. What a beautiful and enlightening book, definitely a great way to learn more about the refugee crisis. I might write a full review about this soon.
January 17, 2024
Debunks the silly old phrase people throw around that the UK needs to ‘stop the boats’. Very very insightful and individual account of how the ‘crisis’ of migration around 2015 was due to the lack of solidarity and coordination of EU states rather than any blame on those migrating themselves. And particularly shows the resilience and love and hardship and determination of individual people making these journeys. My kindle got the percentage wrong and said said it was 61% when I finished the book so I unexpectedly got to the end and burst into tears
June 9, 2025
As many stars as possible for this book.
June 1, 2016
So yeah, this one hit a nerve with me. Kingsley is The Guardian's migration correspondent and has been at the front line of the current 'migration crisis' and he has been there since before it became the 'migration crisis' all over Europe somewhere during 2015.
Kingsley gives us a rare up close and personal view of the people, the PEOPLE we all swoop up under collective aliases like 'refugees', 'economic migrants', 'asylum seekers'. (Contradicting the title of the book Kingsley makes a valid argument for using the word migrant as in it's purest sense it means someone on the move and casts no aspersions, positive or negative. Or at least should not.)
I always thought we get to see or hear very few stories of these individual people in the media, just a lot of general reasons why so many migrants come to Europe recently. Well Kingsley gives us a few of these real and personal backstories and i for one had to fight back a tear or two reading them. And no, he can't give us every individual's account of why he or she takes the humongous risk of crossing the Mediterranean in a flimsy boat with way too many others, but the author provides us with plenty of narrative about the places the migrants started their journey to convince me i'd do exactly the same. There's so much reason for so many people to try and make a better future for themselves. Despite the uncertainty of what lies ahead, despite the considerable chance of death. The places the people come from are rotten and have been so for a long time. They have literally nothing to lose and i'd do the same if i were in that situation. And as an individual i too wouldn't be held accountable for other people fucking up the country i happen to be born in and where i would just want have a peaceful life.
So, some really moving individual stories but also a, for as far as i can tell, comprehensive history of all the movements and developments regarding the migrant crisis of the last three or four years. Really informative and well written, it grabbed me from the first few pages.
I guess you could say the author is biased in a way but i do feel it's a real honest account. Sure there are arguments against and we hear them all the time here in Europe but they are all from a European point of view. What the author does (and i must admit i have been doing) is look at it from the migrants perspective. Once again, when you have absolutely nothing to lose you grab even the smallest chance of just a little bit better future. It won't stop, people will keep coming. They'll try harder when Europe makes it harder and more people will die.
The author's argument then is: better manage it than try and stop it. "The choice is not between the current crisis and blissful isolation. The choice is between the current crisis and an orderly managed system of mass migration. You can have one or the other. There is no easy middle ground." I feel there's a lot truth in that.
I recommend you read this book if you care about forming an opinion of your own. A five star rating in this case because i think it's important books like these get read. Sure there are 'better' books.
Kingsley gives us a rare up close and personal view of the people, the PEOPLE we all swoop up under collective aliases like 'refugees', 'economic migrants', 'asylum seekers'. (Contradicting the title of the book Kingsley makes a valid argument for using the word migrant as in it's purest sense it means someone on the move and casts no aspersions, positive or negative. Or at least should not.)
I always thought we get to see or hear very few stories of these individual people in the media, just a lot of general reasons why so many migrants come to Europe recently. Well Kingsley gives us a few of these real and personal backstories and i for one had to fight back a tear or two reading them. And no, he can't give us every individual's account of why he or she takes the humongous risk of crossing the Mediterranean in a flimsy boat with way too many others, but the author provides us with plenty of narrative about the places the migrants started their journey to convince me i'd do exactly the same. There's so much reason for so many people to try and make a better future for themselves. Despite the uncertainty of what lies ahead, despite the considerable chance of death. The places the people come from are rotten and have been so for a long time. They have literally nothing to lose and i'd do the same if i were in that situation. And as an individual i too wouldn't be held accountable for other people fucking up the country i happen to be born in and where i would just want have a peaceful life.
So, some really moving individual stories but also a, for as far as i can tell, comprehensive history of all the movements and developments regarding the migrant crisis of the last three or four years. Really informative and well written, it grabbed me from the first few pages.
I guess you could say the author is biased in a way but i do feel it's a real honest account. Sure there are arguments against and we hear them all the time here in Europe but they are all from a European point of view. What the author does (and i must admit i have been doing) is look at it from the migrants perspective. Once again, when you have absolutely nothing to lose you grab even the smallest chance of just a little bit better future. It won't stop, people will keep coming. They'll try harder when Europe makes it harder and more people will die.
The author's argument then is: better manage it than try and stop it. "The choice is not between the current crisis and blissful isolation. The choice is between the current crisis and an orderly managed system of mass migration. You can have one or the other. There is no easy middle ground." I feel there's a lot truth in that.
I recommend you read this book if you care about forming an opinion of your own. A five star rating in this case because i think it's important books like these get read. Sure there are 'better' books.
October 18, 2016
Patrick Kingsley werd in maart 2015, maanden voordat de vluchtelingencrisis hét nieuwsonderwerp van het jaar werd, bij The Guardian aangesteld als correspondent migratie. In de rest van het jaar was hij in onder meer Egypte, Libië, Turkije, Griekenland, Macedonië, Servië en Hongarije om verslag te doen van de enorme hoeveelheden vluchtelingen die vanuit (vooral) Syrië, Afghanistan, Irak en Eritrea naar Europa wilden. Hij sprak met veel vluchtelingen, maar ook met smokkelaars, politici en 'gewone' Europeanen die proberen te helpen waar ze kunnen.
De losvaste reportages over de ontberingen die de vluchtelingen op hun reis moeten ondergaan wisselt Kingsley steeds af met het persoonlijke verhaal van één van hen, Hashem al-Souki, die met zijn vrouw en drie kinderen vluchtte uit een voorstad van Damascus, terechtkwam in Egypte en daar besluit in zijn eentje de oversteek te maken. Een levensgevaarlijke onderneming, maar hij wil voor zijn gezin een veilig thuis vinden in Zweden, het land dat van alle - grotendeels harteloze - Europese landen gezinshereniging het minst moeilijk maakt.
Kingsley, die zijn eigen opvattingen over het probleem en de aanpak niet verbergt, vertelt veel indrukwekkende, vaak boos of moedeloos makende verhalen. Het gaat over de wrede oorlogen, de criminaliteit en corruptie rond de smokkelaarsbusiness van Afrika, maar ook over de beschamende reacties van Europese politici, die in hun pogingen om opkomende populistische partijen bij te benen er eerder voor kiezen mensen te laten verdrinken, verhongeren of verkleumen dan dat ze de deur voor ze open doen.
Het enige minpunt is dat de Nederlandse vertaling soms slordig overkomt. Misschien was er iets te veel haast om dit belangrijke boek, dat iedereen zou moeten lezen, richting de lezers te krijgen.
De losvaste reportages over de ontberingen die de vluchtelingen op hun reis moeten ondergaan wisselt Kingsley steeds af met het persoonlijke verhaal van één van hen, Hashem al-Souki, die met zijn vrouw en drie kinderen vluchtte uit een voorstad van Damascus, terechtkwam in Egypte en daar besluit in zijn eentje de oversteek te maken. Een levensgevaarlijke onderneming, maar hij wil voor zijn gezin een veilig thuis vinden in Zweden, het land dat van alle - grotendeels harteloze - Europese landen gezinshereniging het minst moeilijk maakt.
Kingsley, die zijn eigen opvattingen over het probleem en de aanpak niet verbergt, vertelt veel indrukwekkende, vaak boos of moedeloos makende verhalen. Het gaat over de wrede oorlogen, de criminaliteit en corruptie rond de smokkelaarsbusiness van Afrika, maar ook over de beschamende reacties van Europese politici, die in hun pogingen om opkomende populistische partijen bij te benen er eerder voor kiezen mensen te laten verdrinken, verhongeren of verkleumen dan dat ze de deur voor ze open doen.
Het enige minpunt is dat de Nederlandse vertaling soms slordig overkomt. Misschien was er iets te veel haast om dit belangrijke boek, dat iedereen zou moeten lezen, richting de lezers te krijgen.
June 14, 2016
Group think is powerful think
The whole migration debate should be realigned. Migration takes place out of desperation, its about survival, probably the basest of all human traits. The fact that migration is happening should be a clear indication to all developed and rich countries that all is not well in Eritrea or Afghanistan or Syria. So real pressure should be placed on those countries to get their act together instead of cosmetic changes like building walls on their own borders.
Most immigrants are conservative in nature and are definitely conservatives in their own countries. They are after money, jobs and better life, and they are willing to work their assess off to achieve these goals. They would make ideal conservative constituents as they have more in common with conservatives than liberals.
A refuge once he leaves on his dangerous journey towards his allusive goal is unlikely to return. Why? because his journey is treacherous, unpredictable feeding his insecurity, inflating it even further. How will any immigrant go back after he has seen and survived so much 'on his way'? The very qualities required to survive such a horrendous journey are prized in an indigenous cultures.
Does an aging Europe not need hard working people?
You have to issue us with papers.(Job)
You need t tell us that we can have a future.
You can't escape us immigrants.(Job seekers)
We wont stop trying
We wont stop taking risks.
Its better to die trying(looking for a job) in Europe than to live in poverty back home.
Should not the EU nationalistic policians start re-skilling these hard working and determined people as a matter of policy?
The whole migration debate should be realigned. Migration takes place out of desperation, its about survival, probably the basest of all human traits. The fact that migration is happening should be a clear indication to all developed and rich countries that all is not well in Eritrea or Afghanistan or Syria. So real pressure should be placed on those countries to get their act together instead of cosmetic changes like building walls on their own borders.
Most immigrants are conservative in nature and are definitely conservatives in their own countries. They are after money, jobs and better life, and they are willing to work their assess off to achieve these goals. They would make ideal conservative constituents as they have more in common with conservatives than liberals.
A refuge once he leaves on his dangerous journey towards his allusive goal is unlikely to return. Why? because his journey is treacherous, unpredictable feeding his insecurity, inflating it even further. How will any immigrant go back after he has seen and survived so much 'on his way'? The very qualities required to survive such a horrendous journey are prized in an indigenous cultures.
Does an aging Europe not need hard working people?
You have to issue us with papers.(Job)
You need t tell us that we can have a future.
You can't escape us immigrants.(Job seekers)
We wont stop trying
We wont stop taking risks.
Its better to die trying(looking for a job) in Europe than to live in poverty back home.
Should not the EU nationalistic policians start re-skilling these hard working and determined people as a matter of policy?
November 7, 2017
"Nowa Odyseja” przedstawia kolejne z tras, które pokonują uchodźcy z Azji Południowej i Afryki, by dostać się do Europy. Trasy przez przez Saharę do Libii i później Włoch, trasy z Egiptu na włoskie wyspy i wreszcie trasę bałkańską.
Horror tego exodusu przedstawiony jest przez pryzmat historii konkretnych osób. Migrantów z Syrii, Erytrei, Gambii, jak i przemytników i innych beneficjentów tej sytuacji. Poznajemy też perspektywę tych, którzy zawodowo lub ochotniczo ratują ludzkie życia. To wszystko poparte dostępnymi statystykami, które przemawiają do wyobraźni i boleśnie zawstydzają.
Nowa Odyseja to dobra książka, by w przystępny sposób ułożyć sobie w głowie wszystkie fakty i uświadomić, że fikcją są wszelkie (chore) koncepcje izolacjonizmu.
Autor proponuje, czy raczej przytacza niełatwe politycznie, ale sensowne rozwiązania tego kryzysu. Tylko co z tego, jeśli od napisania tej książki minęły prawie dwa lata, a zmieniło się tak niewiele.
Gwiazdkę odebrałam za wady warsztatowe. Momentami autor nadużywa zdań wielokrotnie złożonych, gubiąc sens własnej wypowiedzi lub powodując, że fragmenty trzeba czytać wielokrotnie, by zrozumieć myśl. Ale tylko momentami i głównie, gdy kreśli tło społeczno-polityczne.
W częściach, w których przedstawia historie swoich bohaterów umiejętnie oddaje nastrój grozy i tragizm ich sytuacji.
Horror tego exodusu przedstawiony jest przez pryzmat historii konkretnych osób. Migrantów z Syrii, Erytrei, Gambii, jak i przemytników i innych beneficjentów tej sytuacji. Poznajemy też perspektywę tych, którzy zawodowo lub ochotniczo ratują ludzkie życia. To wszystko poparte dostępnymi statystykami, które przemawiają do wyobraźni i boleśnie zawstydzają.
Nowa Odyseja to dobra książka, by w przystępny sposób ułożyć sobie w głowie wszystkie fakty i uświadomić, że fikcją są wszelkie (chore) koncepcje izolacjonizmu.
Autor proponuje, czy raczej przytacza niełatwe politycznie, ale sensowne rozwiązania tego kryzysu. Tylko co z tego, jeśli od napisania tej książki minęły prawie dwa lata, a zmieniło się tak niewiele.
Gwiazdkę odebrałam za wady warsztatowe. Momentami autor nadużywa zdań wielokrotnie złożonych, gubiąc sens własnej wypowiedzi lub powodując, że fragmenty trzeba czytać wielokrotnie, by zrozumieć myśl. Ale tylko momentami i głównie, gdy kreśli tło społeczno-polityczne.
W częściach, w których przedstawia historie swoich bohaterów umiejętnie oddaje nastrój grozy i tragizm ich sytuacji.
February 24, 2018
A fascinating look at migration crisis in Europe from the first hand perspective of Patrick Kingsley and those with whom he traveled on their journeys from the Middle East and North Africa. The story follows a number of individual accounts of people and families as they navigate deserts, oceans, and eventually the literal and figurative boundaries of southern and Eastern Europe via the help of smugglers and of their own ingenuity.
Kingsley's tone is at time biased in favor of those he is traveling with, but he makes no qualms about the notion that not all seeking to reach Europe's shores, regardless of the level of risk undertaken, are migrating for purely economic reasons.
Nonetheless, this is by far the best work I have read on the hundreds of thousands of individuals feeling persecution, war, and poverty in their home countries and searching for a place to start over; at an unfathomable level of risk to their safety as they do so.
Kingsley's tone is at time biased in favor of those he is traveling with, but he makes no qualms about the notion that not all seeking to reach Europe's shores, regardless of the level of risk undertaken, are migrating for purely economic reasons.
Nonetheless, this is by far the best work I have read on the hundreds of thousands of individuals feeling persecution, war, and poverty in their home countries and searching for a place to start over; at an unfathomable level of risk to their safety as they do so.
November 1, 2016
Nice read regarding the situation that currently seems not to be getting any better. The journey people make from Syria and other countries like Erythrea is nightmarish, the book focus specially in explaining why they choose to do that, marking the difference between a "refugee" and "economic migrant" the later, is the one with negative connotations.
Since the conflicts the refugees are fleeing from seem not to ever cease, the amount of people crossing to Europe either Hard-Mode: through the Mediterranean sea or Hard-Mode-Express: through the Aegean Sea, places like Sweeden are actually running out of space to place these people while they wait for the process to grant them permanent residency; that is, if they make it to Sweeden without being tackled by any other country's border patrol or die on their way up.
Since the conflicts the refugees are fleeing from seem not to ever cease, the amount of people crossing to Europe either Hard-Mode: through the Mediterranean sea or Hard-Mode-Express: through the Aegean Sea, places like Sweeden are actually running out of space to place these people while they wait for the process to grant them permanent residency; that is, if they make it to Sweeden without being tackled by any other country's border patrol or die on their way up.
February 19, 2017
Everyone should read this book. Period.
With all of the conversations swirling about the refugee crisis, this book paints a vivid picture that few people fully understand. The author gives insight into who these people are, where they are coming from (not just Syria), the situations they are trying so desperately to escape, and their long and risky journeys as they seek safety in Europe. He talks about missed opportunities and missteps by government organizations in Europe, the US and the Middle East that could have changed the course of the crisis. He shows the parallels with other events in recent history that have caused individuals (some of the same families that are in crisis now) to seek refuge. It's important that we understand these people and their stories before we label them as "dangerous." Please please read this book.
With all of the conversations swirling about the refugee crisis, this book paints a vivid picture that few people fully understand. The author gives insight into who these people are, where they are coming from (not just Syria), the situations they are trying so desperately to escape, and their long and risky journeys as they seek safety in Europe. He talks about missed opportunities and missteps by government organizations in Europe, the US and the Middle East that could have changed the course of the crisis. He shows the parallels with other events in recent history that have caused individuals (some of the same families that are in crisis now) to seek refuge. It's important that we understand these people and their stories before we label them as "dangerous." Please please read this book.
April 8, 2017
What a powerful narrative. The duress so many Middle Eastern refugees are put through to have a chance at a better life is staggering and it's relayed in kaleidoscopic detail here. Not to mention, the whole thing reads as an adventure story; the title makes me think that's intentional. There are people smugglers, shipwrecks, anxious treks through woods and across borders, wartorn homelands and scared European 'villagers'. Kingsley doesn't just want you to think of refugees and migrants as people just like you, he wants you to see them as heroes. And he does a terrific job of proving why. Doing so by following one person specifically and plenty of others more generally also provided a balanced perspective I wish more journalists would make use of. A great introduction to this crisis and a brilliant display of humanity triumphing in the face of overwhelming adversity!
June 4, 2017
We should all be reading this book! It shares the human side of the current migration crisis that has hit Europe, by following certain refugees during their journeys from both Africa and Syria/Iraq/Afghanistan; the refugees are from families much like our own, just with the misfortune of being in a different country. These people are risking their lives, fleeing from hardships and oppression and cruelty that we can't even fathom. What really stands out in reading this book is HOW MUCH it costs these people, both in bodily risk and suffering and sheer dollar amount, to get to Europe. The book certainly increased my empathy towards the refugees (which was already quite high--I am NOT in the build-a-wall camp, either in Europe or here in America), and it also reminded me of how fortunate I am to be here in America. But for the grace of god, go I...
January 31, 2017
I ordered this book a month or so ago, and it appeared in the library the day of Trump's Muslim ban--quite the coincidence. The book is highly topical to current debates in the US, even if it's focus is on Europe. Kingsley humanizes the people fleeing violence and repression in Syria and other countries in the MENA region, underscoring the dangers they would have to face in order to take the risks that they do. He also enriches the personalized narratives with contextual information about European refugee policy, the conflict in Syria, and the politics and logistics of migration throughout the region. The book might have benefited from tighter structure at points, but it is definitely worth your time.
October 6, 2016
An important book for anyone who wants to understand the depth of the refugee crisis in Europe. Kingsley a journalist with The Guardian traces the travels of refugees from the Middle East and Africa following them along their journeys and the hurdles they face to escape death in their home countries. He strips away imagined ideas about these people bringing them to life by using b their stories to show why people tackle such dangerous journeys for a chance to survive in some where safe.
June 30, 2017
Great read on refugee situation
Wow... what a great read on the refugee situation! My heart aches for these people. What I appreciated most about this book is hearing first hand from refugees why they are leaving their home countries. It's very eye opening. Everyone would do go to read this book to get a better and accurate understanding on the refugee situation. Great read and great book!
Wow... what a great read on the refugee situation! My heart aches for these people. What I appreciated most about this book is hearing first hand from refugees why they are leaving their home countries. It's very eye opening. Everyone would do go to read this book to get a better and accurate understanding on the refugee situation. Great read and great book!
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