In my last visit to Tel Aviv I met with and photographed a few African refugees. A pilot for a possible series. When you hear their harrowing stories, sometimes it’s the anecdotes that can get to you. Soufran was describing the brutal crossing of the Sinai desert en route to the border between Egypt and Israel. In order to dissuade them from drinking too much water, the Bedouin smugglers spiked the water with fuel to conserve water. They could only drink enough to stay alive.
Hers and her husband Kabri’s journey began in Eritrea, wound through Sudan and then Egypt through the Sinai desert. The same biblical desert mentioned in the old testament in a story Jews tell every Passover about their great escape from Pharaoh's slavery on their way to the promised land, thousands of years ago.
They met in Tel Aviv 5 years ago, got married and now have 2 girls. Their situation in Israel is difficult. While allowing them in, and even providing some papers and work permits, the state refuses to grant them and over 40 thousand other African refugees, citizenship. So their situation is precarious. Kabri’s brother died in 2013. He drowned trying to cross from Libya to Italy. Their connection with their families back home is intermittent. The future unknown.
In contrast with their many challenges they project calm and warmth. Soufran specializes in African style hair braiding, and Kabri, despite getting a degree in advanced construction when he studied in Asmara, finds the odd jobs wherever he can.