As refugees live in the coolest city in Europe - Hammerfest

The northernmost center for refugees from the Middle East and Africa, surrounded by arctic landscapes countries. This Norwegian Hammerfest, the coldest place in Europe - the city and the municipality, which are 460 kilometers from the Arctic Circle. This brought the migrants, who are accustomed to the sun, the heat and the riot of greenery. Now they have other scenery outside the window, and photographer Alistair Grant captured weekdays southern people warmed Nordic hospitality.

Some migrants Norwegian authorities sent to Hammerfest after legal entry into Europe. Some of the asylum seekers entered the country through the southern border of Sweden and was also forwarded to the Northern Territory. Finally, some came to Norway from Russia, after moving through its border with the European Union.
The Hotel Northern Lights Hotel, which is a scattering of wooden houses on the shore of the fjord, was turned into a refugee camp. The same fate befell lodges for tourists on the island Seylanna, which is a nature reserve. Yes, in these parts not hot, but the accommodation is still many times better than in the refugee centers in South and Central Europe.

Guide-camp hotel is trying to take migrants something interesting that they do not sit around waiting for the decision of the migration service of the country (which can take a year). Refugees learn to ski, chopping wood, fishing.

Newcomers with varying success accustomed to low temperatures. But really it became an ordeal for them the shortest day and the lack of sun. Employees of the migration center on arrival warn about southerners, but many admit that they do not fully understand how it is, until we saw that in November sun "suddenly took».

People also explain that it is accepted and not accepted in the European society. After the Christmas incident in Cologne, Germany special attention to gender issues. For example, to spell that Norwegian women are cheerful and noisy, they can, as men go to a bar to have a drink. In special courses devoted to relations between men and Western women, refugees can not conceal the perplexities. But not because they are all a novelty, but because teachers feel that they just do not know it: "We know how to behave here adopted, we have seen everything on TV. For us it is not a problem. It is strange that other refugees need to explain such things! "



Huda al-Haggar and her five year old son Omar arrived from Yemen. They both really like winter fairy tale, in which they fell.





On the shore the temperature rarely falls below minus 10 degrees. But the farther from the coast, the colder.





Helanar Nawab Afghanistan





Arzu Abdul Hakim holds a freshly caught fish





Refugee camp in Hammerfest





Winter walks





In winter, electric lamps included in the morning until late at night





After two months of darkness over Hammerfest dawn broke





Small Afghan Rohik Yusuf waiting for their portion of cooked food on an open fire





Playground will be inhabited in the summer





Grandpa calls from Afghanistan!





The power of the Internet





Walk to the city center





Arrive early morning ferry to the island Seylanna





: Lenta.ru

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