>> hello and welcome to "focus on europe" -- bringing you some of the best personal stories behind the headlines. i'm valeria risi. on the show today -- in kosovo, from emigration to mass exodus. in switzerland, from conflict to peace for the world's religions. and in germany, from factory floor to soccer frenzy. but first to kosovo, the youngest country in europe, which only gained independence in 2008. but it's also the poorest, plagued by unemployment and poverty.

so many young people try to leave to find work in the european union, particularly in germany. but because kosovo is not in the e.u., their only hope is to enter illegally, which is risky, or apply for asylum, which in the vast majority of cases is rejected. and the problem is that over the last few months, that steady trickle of people leaving has turned into a flood. >> xhevdet luhaj has four children, works construction, and earns 200 euros a month. he's tried to emigrate twice and failed both times. xhevdet: i'd like to go to germany. living conditions are good. i didn't want to apply for asylum. i'd rather be able to work a bit under the table. >> the house doesn't look bad, but he does not own it. he and his wife merely occupied one of the homes left vacant after the war. luhaj fled for the first time in october, but the hungarian

police caught him and sent him back. then he tried again, via slovenia. xhevdet: there's a tunnel between slovenia and austria, but it was closed. they stopped us, wanted to see our passports, and sent me back immediately. >> this is the bus station in the capital, pristina. the refugees start out here. nearly 11,000 asylum applicants came to germany in january and february alone. why are so many coming now? the future became uncertain after most of the international kfor peacekeeping troops left the country. the economy has yet to recover from the war. the authorities merely deal with crisis after crisis. refugees walk over the open border between serbia and hungary. more and more of them are being picked up by hungarian police who are using infrared heat detection cameras to monitor the

border. hungarian border policeman: that over there is serbia. they get off there and we can watch how they walk in the direction of the border. >> and even if they get through, almost all of them fail to gain asylum in germany, where they are merely considered economic refugees. the pupils in mirash village school in kosovo have one thing in common. their relatives have gone to germany. most have seen brothers leave, but some have been left by their parents. -- girl: they want to earn money in germany, my brother, too. he even went to university and still couldn't get a job. >> we have electricity, water, the internet -- all we need. how do we pay for it with just 200 euros each month? >> their perspectives are dim. youth unemployment is extremely

high. it's at 70% and no one in the government expects that to change. the school principal understands what drives the parents. school principal: parents haven't left their children just for fun. they're looking for a job someplace else in europe. they are seeking a better future for themselves and their children. they left with heavy hearts. they're making a sacrifice for their family. >> it's uncertain whether the pupils leaving school today will ever find jobs here. by looking at the village you can see some people left in a hurry. homes and shops are empty -- some just half finished. gani thaci has a farm. his five sons are jobless. he doesn't think going to germany is so great.

gani: my son needs money to send his children to school. i told him, "don't go to germany." he said, "papa, i don't have a choice." >> in the meantime, two of his sons have gone to germany. one to frankfurt, the other to hanover, but they haven't found work there. thaci shows us their rooms. he's sad. gani: i've got 140 euros a month from my pension. how can you live off that? it's bad that the boys are gone, but what else could they do? >> with poverty as grinding as it is in kosovo, those who can leave do. even as border controls tighten, their desperation will still drive them to find a way out. valeria: when you look at many of the conflicts around the world, religion often gets blamed as the root cause. believers would argue that the fighting is actually often down

to politics and that religion is just a pretext. either way, it can sometimes be difficult to reconcile opposing religious views. but in switzerland one house of worship has come up with a way of promoting tolerance. it's not a church, or a temple, or a mosque. but rather all of those things under one roof. >> it's a veritable feast for the eyes. more than 1,000 hindus in one room. petals, fire, and holy water. and in the midst of it all, a swiss cow. fresh from the cowshed, now the object of veneration. the magnificent spectacle is being staged to mark the inauguration of the shiva temple in bern. in the crowds -- christians, jews, muslims, buddhists. no sign of any religious tension here. buddhist: most of our past is

very sad. but now it's time to come together, to forgive the past, and to work for the future. ralph friedlander: this is also a jewish symbol, and i've found it here, too. that connects us all. if we know more about each other, the world will become a better one. many, many thanks for the invitation. [applause] hartmut haas, protestant pastor: it's an unbelievable moment today. we have come a long way. [applause] >> in the beginning there was an idea -- to house five different religious denominations under one roof in a rather sober-looking building in bern. it is now attracting visitors from all over the world. today, a swiss school class is visiting. hartmut haas is showing them round the church.

it's a simple space, open to catholics and protestants. the pastor has been fighting for the project for 16 years. one door further on are the alevis. most of the members of this religious group come from turkey. and one floor down, there is a buddhist temple. the monk invites the school children to meditate. a few seconds of contemplation before the kids have to rush off to the train. school girl: i really enjoyed it. especially the buddhist stuff because we learnt a lot. school boy: you might have a few prejudices, and this might remove them. it's a good thing. >> hartmut haas is pleased by the response. over the years, the project was frequently hanging in the balance.

hartmut haas, protestant pastor: we tried to make our way together using one rope, and we tried not to fall. >> the muslims are the fifth group in the building. the mosque is still a building site. money is short. there's a lack of big donors. but the community is lending a hand. the imam is under pressure from many quarters. some regard him as too liberal. others are mistrustful. but mustafa memeti is very supportive of this multi-faith venture. mustafa memeti, imam: in the future, we shouldn't be preoccupied with what divides us, but only with shared values. then we can get over our difficulties. but there are always difficulties. >> bringing people together is a difficult process. and yet, it works. for example, over a shared lunch. politics or fundamental religious questions are taboo.

hindu priest: it's like a bridge. mutual tolerance, respect, we need that. without this tolerance, respect, we can't create anything in this world. >> memeti's reconciliatory course is meeting with stiff resistance among some of his community. recently, someone broke into the old mosque leaving behind a trail of destruction. but he refuses to be thrown off course. mustafa memeti: we have to introduce reforms. and we have to leave the prejudices, reservations, and worries behind us. and we have to create a common future. >> celebration, song, and prayer. the ritual inauguration of the hindu temple continues late into the night. a milestone for the house of religions. and a promising sign for the future.

valeria: and now to the next in our series about interesting squares or piazzas across europe. today, we're looking at a square right here in germany. it's called borsigplatz in the city of dortmund. the region was once germany's pmany of the mines and steeloday works are gone. one very important tradition though is still very much alive and well. kicking - soccer -- as our reporter, annabelle lutz, has been finding out. annabelle: the emergency services once again go into action on borsigplatz. locals call this area the bronx. the area has a high number of unemployed, migrants, and elderly. much has changed here.

man: in the past people, went to the pub if they needed something. you'd say, hey i need to do some wallpapering, i need three men and afterwards we'll go for a drink. and 5 men would volunteer. young man: none of my girlfriends want to come here because they say it's too dangerous at night. woman: i've lived here since 1960. we have nowhere to shop. it's terrible, believe me. i'm done in. annabelle: but that isn't the only story borsigplatz has to tell. black and yellow, the colors of the borussia dortmund soccer club, are everywhere. reminders of the big moments in the club's -- and the square's -- history. in 2012, the squad held a victory parade here after winning both the bundesliga and the german cup. local people celebrated together with millionaire football stars. norbert dickel was there on that

day. he won the german cup with dortmund as a player in 1989. he shot two goals in the final. back then, too, the victory celebrations took place at borsigplatz. norbert dickel, dortmund announcer: when you drive round here and you see all the people gathered, they look you in the eyes and start crying. you see how much they love the club and how important these titles are for the club and the entire region. it's special. this is the beating heart of borussia dortmund. annabelle: the other part of that beating heart is the stadium. dickel is still very much at the center of the action here. he's been the stadium announcer for 23 years now. he says that in tough times, the club has been a motor for the entire city. norbert: on average, we have a crowd of more than 80,000 people. that's a european record.

over the past three years, no club -- be it real madrid, barcelona, man united, or whoever -- has reached those kind of numbers. that's what's special about dortmund. people here totally identify with the club. annabelle: and the city has grown with the success of the club. new businesses have moved into the technological park. just 20 years ago, plants and mines were shut down right across the ruhr valley. the area around borsigplatz was hit hard. >> this was once the industrial heartland of dortmund. just a few minutes from here coal was mined, steel was made, and beer was brewed. the workers lived right here at borsigplatz. and it was also here at borsigplatz where they founded, more than a hundred years ago, their very own soccer club borussia dortmund. >> dickel visits the church of the holy trinity on borsigplatz. it was members of this church who founded the borussia ball sports club in 1909.

an exhibition entitled "church, soccer, and trust in god" looks back at that time. many people here will tell you, that for dortmund, football is much more than a sport. tour guide: the westfalenhütte industrial site was what many workers here identified with. 17,000 jobs were lost here. that's not something you forget overnight. a huge part of the industrial area of dortmund was lost. the soccer club has helped to give something of that identity back to people here. annabelle: a sea of black and yellow. on match days, there are only two colors in dortmund. the stadium announcer is in his element. he conducts the masses and welcomes the team. rituals that the die-hard fans live for whether here in the

stadium or back at borsigplatz. not everyone here can afford a ticket for the stadium. many come to watch the match together at this local fan club. people come from near and far to cheer on their team. >> we feel it's a great mix of people from all backgrounds and walks of life. football is what brings them all together. it's a good feeling. man: i've been a dortmund fan since 1973. boy: dortmund is our life. true love is only dortmund. annabelle: the club could certainly use a little love right now. things are not going well in the bundesliga. but borsigplatz is no stranger to tough times. people here are holding out until the time comes to celebrate another victory for dortmund. valeria: what is it about soccer that gets everyone so excited? entire cities, entire countries.

don't ask me because i'm from uruguay, and i definitely have soccer in my genes. please let me know what you think about that or any of our stories on twitter or email. as the rift between europe and russia grows, one e.u. government leader is defiantly staying close to vladimir putin. the prime minister of hungary, viktor orban, a provocative figure in europe often speaking out against the e.u. and earlier this year, he made himself even more controversial when he welcomed mr. putin to budapest. he's also recently signed a range of business deals with russia despite western sanctions against russia over ukraine. but now, protests are growing among hungarians themselves. many say they want their country to integrate closer with the west, not with the kremlin. >> back in 1989, nine-year-old bori takacs and her father went out to hang up posters calling for a republic of hungary.

now, at 34, she's organizing protests herself. she's working with the group 'most mi' -- which means "now us" in hungarian. the aim is establishing genuine democracy and freedom of speec'k to this point where we realize and decide what kind of system, what kind of country we want to live in? we want to live in a european country. we want to live in a democratic country. we want to live in a country where political and economical elites and oligarchs cannot steal of the money of the hungarian people and the country. we want to live in a transparent country. >> most mi has mobilized masses of people. tens of thousands gathered at one of their demonstrations in january. it was just before german chancellor angela merkel was due to visit. bori: let's show madame merkel and let's show the world that we want to belong to europe, that we are proud european citizens, and we have absolutely no intention of changing this.

>> while thousands of people regularly protest in the capital budapest, opposition is also growing in smaller towns in hungary. activists from all over hungary meet in szeged to organize demonstrations and vent their anger at the government. réka papp established a student organization several years ago because she was unhappy about university budgets getting slashed. now she's in the provinces organizing opposition to the orban government. budget cuts for healthcare, schools, and n.g.o.'s are all being reduced. reka: they're still having extreme expenses like they're building soccer stadiums in extreme numbers for what the heck, i mean we don't even have that level soccer here in this country. >> democracy advocates in hungary have been protesting for

five years now. in october, 100,000 hungarians successfully got the government to back down on implementing a tax on internet use. bori takacs shows us the posters that invited people to demonstrate back then. "set yourselves free" was the slogan. for months, she's been taking to the streets with most mi. vladimir putin's visit to hungary was an occasion for protest. bori and her sister have renamed the street where the russian embassy is located. they call it "anna politkovskaya street." valeria: and finally to london, where a public inquiry is being% held into who killed alexander litvinenko in 2006. you'll remember that he was a russian spy who then turned into a fierce critic of the kremlin and fled russia to britain. he died after his tea was poisoned in a london hotel, allegedly after meeting two russian agents. at the time, the affair created a huge rift between moscow and

london. and in fact, relations have never really recovered. >> london had become the litvinenkos' adopted home. here they felt free. they had fled here after alexander litvinenko, called sasha by his wife, got on the wrong side of the putin regime. marina litvinenko recalls what it was like arriving in the british capital 15 years ago. marina: i was just feeling im safe, with my family, with my child, with my husband. but in a few days, i realized im in a great place. and for months, we felt like tourists. we've been everywhere. >> the family spent six happy years in london before the former k.g.b. agent fell ill and died as a result of poisoning with radioactive polonium. since then, marina litvinenko has been determined to clear her husband's name. day in and day out, she travels to the high court in london to attend the inquiry designed to

find out exactly how and why alexander litvinenko died. marina: people sometimes dont understand what really happened. they discuss he might have committed suicide or he smuggled radioactive material. of course, it makes me very sad about this. >> for 20 years, alexander litvinenko worked for the russian military and later joined the russian intelligence service. later, he became a critic of the regime -- and russian president vladimir putin in particular. >> my name is alexander litvinenko. >> in london, he publicly accused vladimir putin of murdering the investigative journalist, anna politkovskaya. >> putin. >> two intelligence officers working for putin are suspected of having poisoned litvinenko in an upscale london hotel bar by slipping a fatal dose of polonium into a pot of green tea that litvinenko was drinking.

the russian government refuses to extradite the two men. the chief suspect, andrej lugovoi, denies any involvement. nowadays, he's a lawmaker in the russian parliament, the duma. the litvinenko affair has put a serious strain on relations between russia and britain. andrew monaghan, russia expert: the relationship between the u.k. and russia has never satisfactorily recovered. the case the murder of , litvinenko became the image of brutality of putins russia. and the political dimension to the relationship has not recovered. >> and marina litvinenko says the climate in russia has continued to deteriorate in recent years. a trip back home is inconceivable. she wouldn't feel safe. marina: now we have this murder of boris nemzov in the center of moscow. it's exactly what sasha tried to prevent.

sasha never been politician himself, but he wanted russia might be good country for everybody. but he believed putins responsible for everything that already happened in russia. >> the public inquiry into litvinenko's death is expected to report by the end of 2015. but what can it achieve? andrew: the pursuit of justice and the suggestion of the clarity of the evidence is very important. will there be a practical ramification, will the killers be brought to justice as a result of this inquiry? i think it is unlikely. >> but it's important for marina litvinenko that the facts are put on the table. she wants to prove to her russian compatriots that transparency is possible in a democracy. for that, she's willing to relive her trauma again and again, every day in the high court.

marina: it means he is here. he would approve of everything i am doing. >> bringing the truth to light is marina litvinenko's very personal way of coming to terms with the murder of her husband. valeria: what a story! what a tough woman confronting the president of russia. it seems like david against goliath. but maybe she can in fact prove to her russian compatriots that transparency is possible, at least in a democracy. well, that's all for today. thanks very much for watching. and thanks for all your comments. do keep them coming. tweet me, and i'll tweet you right back. but for now, it's goodbye from me and see you next time. cheers! [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

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