For three years, Colombian photographer Felipe Romero Beltrán documented the stories of nine young Moroccan migrants living in a government facility in Spain. His project, titled Life in Limbo, reveals the challenges and hopes of these teenagers who left their homes in search of a better future.
Beltrán met the migrants in 2018, when he was working as a volunteer teacher at a center for unaccompanied minors in Madrid. He was struck by their resilience and curiosity, but also by their precarious situation. They had no legal status, no family support, and no clear prospects for integration or education.
“They were living in a Kafka-esque limbo, waiting for something to happen, but not knowing what,” Beltrán told CNN Arts. “They were constantly facing discrimination, racism, and bureaucracy. They were invisible to society.”
Beltrán decided to use his camera as a tool to give them visibility and voice. He asked them to collaborate with him in creating portraits that reflected their personalities, dreams, and fears. He also interviewed them about their journeys, their experiences in Spain, and their aspirations.
The result is a series of intimate and powerful images that show the migrants in different settings: playing soccer, riding bikes, posing with masks, holding flags, or writing letters. Some of them smile, some of them look serious, some of them hide their faces. All of them convey a sense of dignity and strength.
Beltrán said he wanted to avoid the stereotypes and clichés that often surround the representation of migrants in the media. “I wanted to show them as they are: human beings with complex emotions and stories,” he said. “I wanted to show their diversity, their creativity, their agency.”
Beltrán also wanted to challenge the notion of migration as a problem or a threat. He said he hoped his project would inspire empathy and understanding among the viewers, and spark a dialogue about the rights and needs of these young people.
“They are not criminals or victims. They are survivors and fighters,” he said. “They have a lot to offer to society, if they are given the opportunity.”
