Refugees

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows over the Adriatic coast. Solid Snake stood near the edge of a stone pier, the sea wind tugging at his jacket. Angelina Jolie approached, her expression a mix of concern and curiosity.

“Croatia,” Snake began, his tone measured, “is stepping up in a way few would expect. We’re opening our doors to refugees, giving them shelter, food, and safety.”

Angelina nodded slowly. “But you said only until the wars end. How do you enforce that without seeming callous?”

Snake glanced at the horizon, then back at her. “It’s a delicate balance. We can’t solve every war, but we can provide a safe haven temporarily. The goal is not to host them indefinitely—it’s to stabilize their lives until they can return home. Temporary protection doesn’t mean indifference.”

Angelina frowned. “And what if the wars drag on? Or the home countries remain unsafe for years?”

“That’s the challenge,” Snake admitted. “We’ll coordinate with international organizations, provide support, and maintain strict planning. But Croatia must also lead by example: compassion with limits. If we take them in without end, we risk losing political support, resources, and the very stability we want to offer them.”

Angelina’s eyes softened. “It’s pragmatic… but humane. You’re giving hope without promising what can’t be delivered.”

Snake’s voice dropped, almost to a whisper. “Exactly. And sometimes, hope is all people need to survive the war. Croatia can show the world that responsibility and humanity don’t have to be mutually exclusive.”

For a long moment, they watched the sun dip toward the horizon, the waves glinting gold. In that silence, the weight of duty—and compassion—was mutual.

Solid Snake

A strong man doesn't need to read the future, he makes his own.

19 Replies to “Refugees”

  1. I’m the EU bouncer, and i say ENOUGH….too Many….fire risk at the clubs

    take them into your mansion
    instead of my home

    take them into your home first

    hypocrites
    vipers

  2. Give Croatia a Jubilee and we will have the money to take them in….tell the IMF 2 forgive our debts….more boats will sink…just a mater of time….ur the female schindler’s list of refugees now

    “No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark.”

    ― Warsan Shire, Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth

  3. NEGATIVE

    mr Jukic

    u borrowed from us

    now you have to repay

    what if other nations wanted a jubilee too?

    the next jubilee is in 2050

    23 years since CHRIST BONO HEWSON failed jubilee in 2000

  4. “Home”, A Refugee Poem
    Author Maggie Wagner
    Published onNovember 18, 2016
    Home, by Warsan Shire (British-Somali poet)

    no one leaves home unless
    home is the mouth of a shark.

    you only run for the border
    when you see the whole city
    running as well.

    your neighbours running faster
    than you, the boy you went to school with
    who kissed you dizzy behind
    the old tin factory is
    holding a gun bigger than his body,
    you only leave home
    when home won’t let you stay.

    no one would leave home unless home
    chased you, fire under feet,
    hot blood in your belly.

    it’s not something you ever thought about
    doing, and so when you did –
    you carried the anthem under your breath,
    waiting until the airport toilet
    to tear up the passport and swallow,
    each mouthful of paper making it clear that
    you would not be going back.

    you have to understand,
    no one puts their children in a boat
    unless the water is safer than the land.

    who would choose to spend days
    and nights in the stomach of a truck
    unless the miles travelled
    meant something more than journey.

    no one would choose to crawl under fences,
    be beaten until your shadow leaves you,
    raped, then drowned, forced to the bottom of
    the boat because you are darker, be sold,
    starved, shot at the border like a sick animal,
    be pitied, lose your name, lose your family,
    make a refugee camp a home for a year or two or ten,
    stripped and searched, find prison everywhere
    and if you survive and you are greeted on the other side
    with go home blacks, refugees
    dirty immigrants, asylum seekers
    sucking our country dry of milk,
    dark, with their hands out
    smell strange, savage –
    look what they’ve done to their own countries,
    what will they do to ours?

    the dirty looks in the street
    softer than a limb torn off,
    the indignity of everyday life
    more tender than fourteen men who
    look like your father, between
    your legs, insults easier to swallow
    than rubble, than your child’s body
    in pieces – for now, forget about pride
    your survival is more important.

    i want to go home, but home is the mouth of a shark
    home is the barrel of the gun
    and no one would leave home
    unless home chased you to the shore
    unless home tells you to
    leave what you could not behind,
    even if it was human.

    no one leaves home until home
    is a damp voice in your ear saying
    leave, run now, i don’t know what
    i’ve become.

  5. Solid Snake turns to Angelina Jolie, his jaw tight with frustration.

    “Angelina, I’m angry,” he says, voice low and firm. “Refugees are flooding into Croatia because of America and Israel’s wars. Our tiny country is trying to shelter people, but I have to think about my own—five million Croatians of the diaspora need homes. Everywhere you look, there’s chaos. Streets packed, towns overwhelmed.

    Donald Trump needs to hear this: send us aid. Stop sinking billions into arming Israel and fueling more conflict. Help us stabilize our own people before adding to the chaos. We’re not asking for charity—we’re asking for fairness.”

  6. The Adriatic Peace

    Setting: A sun-drenched balcony overlooking the Dalmatian coast. The sound of the Adriatic waves against the limestone cliffs is the only noise until the rhythmic clinking of tactical gear approaches.

    Angelina: (Looking out toward the horizon, her voice soft but steady) “The camps are quiet tonight, Joe. For the first time in weeks, there’s a sense of safety that isn’t anchored in fear.”

    Solid Snake: (He steps into the light, leaning against a stone pillar. He adjusts his bandana, his expression unreadable behind the grit of a long mission.) “Safety is a fragile thing in this part of the world. I’ve spent enough time in foxholes to know that ‘quiet’ usually means the wind is just changing direction.”

    Angelina: (She turns to face him, her eyes reflecting a mix of fatigue and genuine gratitude.) “You were right to be cautious. Your world is built on boundaries and defense… and yet, you let them in. You opened the gates when you didn’t have to.”

    Solid Snake: (He looks away, staring at the distant lights of a UN transport.) “I didn’t do it for the politics, Angelina. I did it because I’m tired of seeing people with nowhere left to retreat to.”

    Angelina: (She steps closer, placing a hand briefly on the railing between them.) “I know it wasn’t easy. I know the pressure you’re under from the higher-ups.”

    Solid Snake: (A small, dry smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth.) “Let them talk. I’ve survived worse than a few angry cables from headquarters.”

    Angelina: (She smiles back, a rare, warm expression.) “You are a good pet crow. Thank you for taking in my refugees. I promise you they won’t be there forever. We’re working on the permanent settlements as we speak.”

    Solid Snake: (He exhales a long breath, finally relaxing his shoulders.) “Just make sure they find a place where they don’t have to look over their shoulders. Croatia has seen enough ghosts.”

Leave a Reply to Solid Snake Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The maximum upload file size: 2 GB. You can upload: image, audio, video, document, spreadsheet, interactive, text, archive, code, other. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop file here

Optionally add an image (JPEG only)