On the 7th of March 2016 the Grande Synthe refugee camp is cleared by the French military police. The refugee camp was situated in an ecological area next to a residential district. The majority of the 2000 residents were Iraqi Kurds fleeing the violence from IS. Although the police action was announced and coordinated by the municipality, the refugees had to leave in a hurry and could only bring one bag to the new camp. One month after the clearing the personal belongings they had to leave behind remain as a scar in the ecological area. They are a reminder of the suffering that took place in this camp.
Hugo Bes(1971) is a Dutch reportage photographer based in Amsterdam. He decided to become a photographer during a 4 months journey in south east Asia which was the catalyst that sparked his passion for photography. Back in the Netherlands he graduated at the Fotovakschool specializing in reportage and portrait photography. In his photography Hugo is focusing on contemporary issues with people as main topic.
