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MONACO, June 2015

Dear all,

We would like to draw your attention to a human tragedy which is taking place less than 5 nautical miles away from Monaco, the country hosting a large part of the world’s most wealthy people, many of them yacht owners.

Refugees from Central Africa who managed to get to Europe after a risky journey of several thousand kilometers which sometimes took them up to three years of privation, gather at the border between Italy and France and protest against the closure of the border through the French authorities. Italian police tried to take them away from the border but some courageous men were seeking shelter on the rocks, threatening to jump into the water (most of them cannot swim) if the police should try to bring them back to Ventimiglia where hundreds of other refugees are stranded. Refugees who managed to pass the border are brought back to Italy by force as if they were criminals. A French opposition politician called the situation the Waterloo of the European idea of unity and solidarity and unfortunately she is right.

During the last week I spent four days at the border and around the train station of Ventimiglia, taking photos for a German press agency. The Italian Red Cross and other Italian organizations are doing their best to provide water, food, medical assistance and some kind of improvised shelter for the refugees. There is also an impressive solidarity of the modest Italian people living in Ventimiglia. I saw the owner of a gelateria near the train station distributing ice cream to the refugees.

When I returned home the first day I was depressed but also very angry as I had seen absolutly no sign of solidarity from France or Monaco. Up to now no local or national politician from France and none from the Monaco gouvernment or the royal family showed up at the border in order to assure the Italian authorities and population that they will not be left alone. Not even the humanitarian organzisations from France or Monaco showed up to give a hand to their Italian colleagues.

So the second day I took with me two bags of clothes and shoes which I haven’t worn in years. I distributed everything to these poor people who literally don’t possess anything, most of them not even a passport. I can tell you that seeing the gratitude in their eyes is an experience that I will remember all of my life. Other “normal” people from both sides of the border do the same by providing umbrellas, food and all other kinds of things that make the live of these people just a little bit easier. Unfortunately I haven’t seen any Rolls-Royce or Bentleys from Monaco providing help yet.

I am not going to express any political opinions and I know that there is no easy solution to this human tragedy. I know that there will always be the poor and the rich. The only thing that I want to try is to open the eyes of people who tend to look away and who prefer to stay in their well protected and pampered luxury world. I don’t know if their wealth makes them happy, but I hope so. All that I know is that distributing just a few of the things that they possess and that they haven’t used in years would make them happier than they are now, simply because they would receive the heartfelt thanks from these people living in misery.

I would like to invite all of you who are living at the French or Italian Riviera to help. It is easy: Just grab a few things that you don’t need any more and that might be helpful for the refugees (clothes for men and to a certain degree also for women and children, shoes, sunglasses, umbrellas, sleeping bags, camping mattresses, tents, tooth paste, soap…) and drive to the border or to the train station of Ventimiglia! And don’t be worried: You will meet friendly people who have a smile on their face, despite their miserable situation.

Those of you who are far away but who would like to help I would like to invite to make a donation to our PayPal account info@theyachtphoto.com . Each and every cent will be spent for the refugees. No money will go into administration cost or whatever. Depending on the amount of money that we collect we will buy food and other things that are missing and we will distribute everything directly to the refugees. All donators will receive a photo documentary of the distribution.

In the name of the refugees I thank you very much for your help and generosity!

Best regards,

Peter Seyfferth

Collected money, 29 June 2015: 984,57 EUR    Thank you so much! Donations to the Paypal account info@theyachtphoto.com please!

What the refugees need at the moment:

Plastic plates, glass, forks (no knifes)

Water (sparkling, still)

Milk UHT

Dry cookies / croissants

Rice

Canned goods (beans, peas, tuna, sardines…) - NO meat

Shower gel

Toilet paper

Underwares (Men)

Socks (Men)

T-shirts

Shoes / flip flops for Man (size 43 –Italian / 8.5 - UK  and larger)

Blankets