Interview on migration with Kristian Skeie

by | Feb 28, 2022

Kristian Skeie, a Norwegian, Swiss based award winning photojournalist, a contributor to Keystone SDA Photo Agency,  working with a number of organisations and publications as well as private clients. 

Explored topics have focused on post war humanitarian issues in places like Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rwanda and Iraq. Other topics have been on science and food as well as medical research. The watch industry in Switzerland, with its traditions and craftsmanship is also an area of fascination in the work by Kristian Skeie.

In addition to photography, Kristian Skeie also run regular photography workshops throughout Europe. He also teaches photojournalism at Webster University in Geneva, Switzerland.

The migration situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a provoked and unjust situation caused by the European Union closing the boarders about five years ago. The world is currently in a situation where there are an estimated 1 billion migrants on our planet. Many (around 760 million) are internally displaced, the rest are international migrants. It is not difficult to understand that many wishes to explore and try to find a better way of life for their families and themselves. With news about the world conflicts and disasters being updated 24/7, we know that life can be unbearable for many. Continued troubles in the middle east, conflicts on the African continent as well as complicated situations in south east Asia, Europe is seen as a safe heaven and a destination of hope for many. 
However, all is not what it seems. We are in the middle of a pandemic. The European Union is going through changes with unrest amongst the members. Brexit, a right wing movement with Hungary’s President Orban, Austria and others creating the ‘Identity and Democracy’ bloc furthering their right wing ideas and distancing themselves from the ideals often EU. Finding a common voice in Europe is seen as difficult. Bihac is the unlikely destinations where migrants hoping to reach the EU are stranded as the boarder to Croatia is closed. 
Migrants continues to try to reach the EU territory. Many experience extreme violence by the boarder police, particularly in Croatia. ‘Push backs’ from Italy, all the way back to Bosnia is spoken about regularly, even though this, of course, is against international law. The result is a serious humanitarian migrant situation in the northern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of the poorest countries in Europe

This little 4 year old Iranian girl has lived her entire life as a migrant. The boarder between Bosnia and the EU has been closed for 5 years. Food distribution is ‘illegal’ in BiH. The boarder police arrived, gave a warning and asked everybody to leave. April 2021.

Food distribution near Sturlic, not too far from Bihac and on the boarder to Croatia by No Name Kitchen to refugee families.