Photography: The Abandoned

In 2017, around 1,500 migrants and refugees who have fled war and poverty in their countries in hopes of reaching Western Europe, have found temporary shelter in an abandoned warehouse in Belgrade, the Serbian capital. Men and boys have occupied the decrepit complex as they waited for an opportunity to move on toward neighboring EU nations.  

Several thousand migrants have remained stranded in Serbia since the so-called Balkan route officially closed in March of 2016. Hundreds of people still crossed illegally into Serbia from Bulgaria or Macedonia on a daily basis, before moving on, seeking the help of smugglers to cross the heavily guarded EU borders.