Abdirizaq, a 27-year-old native of Hargeisa, set out on a hazardous voyage in search of a brighter future after finishing high school. His early endeavors were marked by deception and loss, each one halted due to the exploitation by smugglers.

Heavy strives to illuminate the uncontrolled influx of migrants to Europe, focusing not only on those arriving but also on the harrowing experiences of those who have returned to their home countries, this project seeks to portray the individual stories of returnees within the contexts of their families and native environments, where they spend the majority of their time.

Abdirizaq, a 27-year-old native of Hargeisa, set out on a hazardous voyage in search of a brighter future after finishing high school. His early endeavors were marked by deception and loss, each one halted due to the exploitation by smugglers. Guided
“I last heard my daughter’s voice,” Jamaad painfully recalls, “when she rang me from Libya, notifying me of her impending journey by boat to Italy that night.” The agony intensified three days later with the heart-rending news that Muna, along with t
View of Jamaad's house in Hargeisa. “I last heard my daughter’s voice,” Jamaad painfully recalls, “when she rang me from Libya, notifying me of her impending journey by boat to Italy that night.” The agony intensified three days later with the hear
Jamaad, mother to 17-year-old Muna, has endured a harrowing nine months with no contact from her daughter since the last conversation. “I last heard my daughter’s voice,” Jamaad painfully recalls, “when she rang me from Libya, notifying me of her im
Jamaad, mother to 17-year-old Muna, has endured a harrowing nine months with no contact from her daughter since the last conversation. “I last heard my daughter’s voice,” Jamaad painfully recalls, “when she rang me from Libya, notifying me of her im
Abdikarim, 25, hails from Hargeisa, where he was born and raised. He secured a scholarship and began studying in Addis Ababa in 2016. However, by early 2017, during his second semester, he initiated his journey out of Ethiopia. It was his friend, wh
Mustafa, a 26-year-old born and raised in Hargeisa, experienced a sense of helplessness post-school, leading him to attempt migration at 16 in 2013. His first attempt was thwarted, and police returned him to his family. Facing a large number of youth
Amran, a 29-year-old, was born and raised in Berbera, a coastal city in the north. She once loved living there, back when the city was affordable and nurtured the less fortunate. However, since returning, she feels it has changed; she left it when it
Hamda, 23, resides in Hargeisa and is a mother of three children. One child was born from her previous marriage before her journey to Libya, and the other two were born during her nearly five-year stay in Libya from 2017 to the end of 2021.
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Hinda, Hinda is the mother of Hamda, whom I interviewed and photographed, and Safia, who is currently in Libya. Safia left unexpectedly after being married for only eight months, without informing her husband, mother, or any relative.
The items Sa'ad returned with from Libya to Hargeisa, Sa’ad, 26, from Hargeisa, found himself contemplating migration unexpectedly.
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