Wait on the boat, we're coming, wait!
Take the baby, please.
Over 800,000 asylum seekers and migrants reached Europe by sea this year.
More than 200,000 arrived on the Greek islands in October alone.
Most of them come from countries where conflict, repression and fear
forced people to flee for their lives.
And did they threaten you personally? They said to you: "you have to go"?
Over 3400 people including many children have died at sea trying to reach
the European Union this year.
Yet despite the risks they keep coming
Where are you going now?
How many days since they've had the medicine?
When did you leave ....?
Human rights watch sent teams of of researchers to document
the dangerous journey
and the hardships upon arrival.
We spoke to Syrians, Afghans, Iraqis, Eritreans and Somalis
In story after story we heard that the only way out of violence
and terror at home and unbearable conditions in neighboring countries
was to resort to smugglers and flee through dangerous crossings.
If there were safe and legal routes to seek refuge, far fewer people
would be at the mercy of abusive smugglers.
We have witnessed scenes of chaos at many EU borders for months now.
Daily arrivals of thousands of people on Greek islands
created an ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Hitting those most vulnerable the hardest.
Most of those who reach Greece by sea continue their journey over land
through the western Balkans encountering police abuse,
terrible detention conditions and cascading border closures.
Many EU governements are foccused on preventing arrivals
instead of managing the flow humanely.
A plan to relocate tens of thousands of asylum seekers from frontline states
like Greece and Italy has gotten off to such a slow start
At this rate it will take over 180 years to reach the target.
And months into this crisis with winter approaching
volunteers, not governments, are still at the forefront
of providing humanitarian assistance.
Until now the response of EU governments to the crisis has been deeply flawed.
Defined by deaths at sea, chaos and distressing humanatarian conditions.
People should not have to risk their lives or face so many obstacles
to reach a place of refuge.
The European Union has a legal and moral obligation to fairly process
and humanely host asylum seekers and refugees
and respect the rights and dignity of everyone who arrives at its borders.
(Man): We are from Syria from Damascus Damascus is a very good, before the war.
We are just like Europe, we have money, we have houses,
we have cars, we have everything.
The war damaged everything (Interviewer): So what do you need?
(Man): Peace, just peace, yeah.
EU government should ensure safe passage access to asylum at and within its borders
and make sure human rights and compassion are at the heart of its response
to this challenge.