In a three minute video launched by BBC Media Action, your phone is transformed into a refugee’s phone.
The film – designed to be watched on a mobile device – is based on interviews of 79 refugees making their way to Europe.
In conjunction with other groups, BBC Media Action produced a report into the communication needs of refugees.
"It found that access to internet, mobile networks, and social media are critical in helping people feel more informed and better connected,” the group said.
Refugees need to be listened to, be able to tell their stories, and participate in dialogue which provides them with physical, social and psychosocial support, the report said.
In the video, a refugee uses their iPhone to communicate with family at home. They struggle to find reception and work out where they’re located. Messages alerting them to border closures are received via Whats App.
The film is designed to help the viewer “experience with immediacy the confusion and fear facing refugees making a perilous journey by boat,” the group says. “Your lifeline is a phone with no signal that’s rapidly running out of battery."
BBC Media Action is an international development charity run by the BBC. "Our aim is to inform, connect and empower people around the world,” the organisation says.
