Refugee Crisis In A Digital Age

"Your phone is now a refugee’s phone," says the text on the screen. You receive a text message from your dad. On WhatsApp, somebody warns you against closed borders and urges you to turn back. What will you do when there is no signal, no internet connection and your battery is running out? How will you reach your destination?

A three minute video, designed to be watched on a mobile phone, simulates a refugee's phone. Published by BBC Media Action in the summer of 2016, the video shows communication issues facing those crossing the Mediterranean Sea by boat in search of a better life in Europe.

One year later, the video stays timely. According to reports, around 72,000 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2017 through June, while over 1,600 died making the crossing during this period. The great flow of refugees and migrants is not unprecedented in human history, but it is the first one to occur in an age where smartphones are omnipresent.

If you are surprised or appalled that refugees can afford a smartphone, think twice. As the Independent writes, "You don't need to be a white westerner to own a relatively cheap piece of technology." In emergencies, information is just as important as food, water and shelter. Smartphones help refugees not to make this hazardous journey blind, and often empower them to not rely on traffickers. But most importantly, phones offer a link to an old life and contain memories that those displaced try to hold on to.