Syrians use Facebook to plan, document journey to Europe

A Syrian migrant looks at a map of Europe as he plans the next part of his trip to Central Europe in the Kara Tepe migrant camp on Lesbos on August 13, 2015. AFP Photo

When Wael and his relatives from Syria climbed into an inflatable boat in the dead of night to cross the sea from Turkey to Greece, they abandoned all their belongings -- except their smartphones.
 
"Our phones and power banks are more important for our journey than anything, even more important than food," said Wael, a 32-year-old from the devastated Syrian city Homs who reached the Greek resort island of Kos on Aug. 13 morning.
 
Refugees are using Facebook groups with tens of thousands of members to share photographs and experiences, find smugglers' phone numbers, map their route from Turkey to Greece and onward to northern Europe, and to calculate expenses.
 
They use WhatsApp to help the coast guard pinpoint their location once their boats have reached Greek waters, and Viber to let their families know they have landed safely.
 
"We couldn't take anything with us on the boat, we were all so crammed. But these phones are our most precious belongings," said Wael, who fled Syria with his bright green-eyed wife and 12 relatives, including three children.
 
They are among more than 135,000 refugees and migrants who have arrived in Greece this year, amid Europe's biggest migration crisis since World War II.
 
"I wrapped my phone up in a resealable plastic bag to protect it from the water," said the olive-skinned man.
 
In Kos, Syrians can be seen taking photographs of each other on the beach using their smartphones, and ordering coffee at local cafes where they can connect to Internet.
 
"We have taken photos of every step of our journey and sent them to our families," said Wael's cousin Raed, 30, adding that social media is a "vital" resource for refugees who have no legal way to reach...

Continue reading on: