hello, and welcome to focus on europe, with some of the very best stories about how europeans really live. i'm damien mcguinness. thanks very much for joining us. on today's show -- why albanians want a better life. why greek miners want a new government. and the english lady who's saving the turtles of turkey. europe is in the middle of a crisis, faced with unprecedented numbers of refugees and migrants. most are heading here to germany, which is positioning itself as a sort of humanitarian

superpower, ready and willing to take in those fleeing war and conflict. but there's some confusion about who will be allowed to stay, particularly for those coming from the balkan state of albania -- which is poor, but officially seen as safe -- so the chances of albanians being granted asylum are almost nil. despite this though, albanians still want to get here to germany. >> shortly after we arrive at tirana airport, this plane lands. a two hour direct flight from germany that has brought 72 albanians back from the german city of kassel. they've returned of their own free will, and so they didn't have to pay for the air tickets. nor have their passports been stamped labeling them expellees, and when they arrive, they're treated as if they're just returning home from a holiday trip. albanian tourists, who just

happened to apply for asylum in germany, like besnik kuburja. he is one of the few people prepared to give us an interview and he's also glad to be back. >> i am happy to be home again. and i am grateful, the germans treated us really well and gave us financial assistance, too. >> besnik spent two and a half months in a refugee facility in giessen. the railway worker has been unemployed for two years and was hoping to find a job in germany. besnik and his family live in elbasan, fifty kilometers southeast of tirana. the heavy industry there used to be the main source of employment but a lot has changed since the fall of communism.

besnik and his wife feride show us their house. >> this is the bedroom. >> everything is quite new, not luxurious, but good quality all the same. so why leave this for a new life in germany? >> what are we supposed to eat? the house? the walls? i used to have a job but now i'm unemployed. i went to germany to find work because things are so bad here. >> yes, the main problem is the economy. >> their son and daughter-in-law are in germany. they went there with besnik and stayed. the family hopes the young couple will manage to make a fresh start there, although everyone is glad to see besnik again. >> it wasn't a spontaneous or reckless decision to go to germany.

i thought it over for a long time but i couldn't find an alternative here in albania. i saw a lot of people leave and heard there was an agreement between the albanian and german governments about employment. >> it's rumors and ill informed talk like that which encourage albanians to head for germany. they have been leaving their homeland for years. corruption and poverty are still widespread, despite the upswing in tirana. but these days there is much less work for albanians in greece or italy than in the past. but word quickly spread that a lot of people from neighboring kosovo are going to germany for work, journalist besar likmeta tells us. >> most people know they probably won't be given asylum. but they still take the chance, no matter how small is.

some people get asylum. people play the lottery all the time. >> the albanian government says the favorable conditions in germany are a magnet and is calling on berlin to speed up processes to repatriate albanians. >> we would like albania to be put as a safe country list and we want processing for asylum applicants to be shortened. and also not giving financial support for people which might be a lot, especially for the albanian situation. >> but would that really deter albanians? we head to kukes in the north east of the country, one of albania's poorest regions on the border to kosovo. here, everyone knows somebody who has left or is planning to leave. we meet hasan sukoli. sure, i want to go to germany, he says, we all do. he isn't bothered that he won't get asylum there.

hasan runs the local bar. he's 24 and has just finished his studies. but he says the bar and some farming aren't enough to make a living. we show a film that the german interior ministry has released, also in albanian, to deter people from heading for germany. it says they have no chance of remaining there. >> i don't believe it. those are lies. tell merkel we are coming! >> no one here believes official reports or government statements. they rely on what they hear from friends and acquaintances. and what they see -- the neighbors have built a new house with money they received from someone living abroad. that's what convinces the people here.

>> although so many people are on the move in europe, borders are also suddenly reappearing. it started when germany introduced temporary controls at its border with austria, a startling development for those of us who have grown up in a borderless europe. the move came because german authorities say they are not coping with the huge numbers of migrants. refugee accommodation here is bursting. there are plenty of ordinary people who want to help out, though. but some are being prevented because of bureaucracy or even geography, as is the case with a small austrian village, which because of the mountains around it can only be reached from the , rest of austria via germany. >> munir kopic has been welcoming guests at the top station of the zaferna lift for 20 years now, and he always has something friendly to say to visitors. he says there's no better place

to work and still marvels at the spectacular views. >> i like working with people. i'm always glad to get through a busy day with no major accidents or other problems. >> munir and his family came here to the kleinwalsertal in austria as refugees during the war in bosnia. now it's their home. the region on the german-austrian border with its 5000 inhabitants hsts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. it's a picture postcard setting. the local authorities offered to take in new refugees several months ago. >> i feel it is less of a duty and more a matter of course that we take in people. we are showing solidarity with other towns, the states and the government. >> but so far no refugees have

arrived. that's due to bureaucracy. only one road leads into the kleinwalsertal valley, it comes from neighboring germany. that's why the austrian authorities can't send any refugees here from vienna, for example, because first they would have to pass through bavaria and that is not allowed. but now one family is due to arrive here next month. they will stay at the local rectory, which has stood empty for 2 years. pastor konrad natter knows some in his congregation won't welcome his offer of providing accommodation. >> i expect differing opinions. why take in refugees and not locals? but it is primarily a question of need, isn't it. >> but many of the local

residents are willing to help. there is plenty of room in the rectory but it does need some renovation. now the church, the local council and volunteers are sharing the job. jasmin usarek helped to found the local aid group. she doesn't like red tape especially considering the urgency of the refugees' current situation. >> things still need to be decided on a political level and i am just happy that at least one family with asylum status can come here and we can help. >> many people take the lift where munir works to enjoy the mountain sunshine. the restaurant is busy. there are jobs available in the catering sector so why not employ refugees? but munir's boss isn't optimistic. >> munir is a great example when it comes to integration and reliability and so on. but if people can't speak german they'll only be employed as

casual labour, kitchen hands. it's different if they speak german, though. >> this pamphlet is asking for donations for refugees. munir and his wife, jasna, will sort out some useful things. they feel that now it's their turn to offer a helping hand. they remember how they were welcomed in kleinwalsertal. >> this has become our home and we like living here. yes, we are happy here. we've been here for over 20 years. >> of course, it wasn't easy at first to adjust to life here. they say you must be determined to adapt to a completely new environment, far away from your old homeland. >> with the media so focused on the migrants crisis, you'd almost think the greek crisis had gone away. well, don't worry, it's still very much there. and with parliamentary elections coming up, you'll no doubt soon start hearing a lot more about greece.

the debt crisis is worse than ever, and the country is desperate to attract foreign investors. but critics of the left-wing government say it's doing exactly the wrong thing. and the latest row, over a gold mine, one of the country's biggest foreign investment projects, is hardly going to inspire confidence. >> these miners have held out underground in deplorable conditions for nearly four weeks now. they're exhausted and desperate. some have even been taken to the hospital. but the others are staying put, and fighting to save their gold mine and some 2000 jobs. their fury is aimed at the left-wing syriza government. >> what's going on here is an absolute scandal! who does this tsipras think he is? he wants private investment to get us out of the crisis, but at the same time, he's throwing investors out. nobody'll want to invest in this country under these conditions! what can we do, emigrate? we're completely alone in this fight!

no political party is supporting us! >> the license for the gold mine on the chalkidiki peninsula was held by a canadian consortium, but the syriza government revoked it, saying the threat to the environment was incalculable. a particular bone of contention is the plans by the mine operator hellas gold to set up a huge dump for sand tailings washed out with cyanide. local communities are locked in a bitter dispute. the miners' relatives are posted along the access roads, trying to convince anyone who'll listen that environmental concerns are only a pretext. >> and i'm telling those people to wake up, because they heard a lot of lies from a person --

persons, for their reasons. >> up to 250 tons of gold are estimated in the ground here, about nine billion euros' worth, that greece in its cash-strapped condition could well use, as the miners point out. they're hoping for a change of government soon. opponents of the mine say that's just propaganda, among them, hotel owner christos adamidis. >> this territory here has earthquakes. we want to make a dam of 150 meters high and have behind 250 million tons of toxic waste forever. and all this is crazy. >> opponents of the mine get support from environmental and anti-globalization forces throughout greece. the conflict has even turned violent on occasion. the mayor of the nearby village of skouries, himself a syriza supporter, is confident the mine will never resume operations.

he condemns the violence but says the investors are ultimately to blame. >> unfortunately, the owners are manipulating the workers to serve their own interests. i've invited the unions for a dialogue, but it must be clear that, as the town council, we not only have to promote jobs, but also protect the citizens' health. >> engineers from hellas gold have been lobbying political parties with plans for an environmentally sound waste disposal system and promises to restore the natural vegetation, if the mine gets its license back. that's what the miners are demanding. their livelihoods are at stake. >> because of this dispute, i haven't earned anything for weeks now. and i had to move my family to another village, because almost all our neighbors are against

the mine. my kids have even been bullied at school! >> the miners want to go back to work. and they're hoping this sunday's election will set something in motion. but many have lost hope, for the mine and for the future of greece, no matter who wins the next election. >> it's a difficult decision -- economic growth or environmental protection. which do you think is the priority? or is it possible to achieve both? let me know what you think about that or any of today's stories by getting in touch on facebook, email or twitter. earlier in the show we saw how borders are becoming more of a hurdle in some parts of europe. but the ability to work anywhere in the eu without a visa is still a reality for millions of europeans. and that's certainly something which i've taken full advantage of over the years. like many europeans, i've spent more time working outside of my native country than within it. and last year that exact same

right was given to bulgarians. many are desperate to escape poverty. so they set off to germany, where there aren't enough workers to fill jobs. a win-win situation you'd think -- well, not necessarily, as some unscrupulous companies are taking advantage of the situation. >> petya lyubenova had worked for 27 years as a nurse in the town of vratsa, north of the bulgarian capital sofia. she was going to stay on the job until she retired. the region between the balkan mountains and the danube river is one of the poorest in the european union. petya lyubenova and fellow nurse nadya hristova weren't able to feed their families on their salary of about 300 euros a month. then they spotted an ad for a german company promised good pay, and decided to try their luck abroad. >> i trusted them, because it was a german company, and the germans are known for their integrity.

i never expected any kind of problems. >> what convinced me was the offer of a german course here in vratsa. we didn't have to go to sofia to learn the language. and within two months, we were supposed to go on to germany and start work. >> the german courses were intensive -- eight hours a day for eight days in a row, with one day off. >> it was just too much material in too little time, and i wasn't able to process it. i just couldn't take in that much. in fact, i hardly learned anything at all, or not much. >> the german company that had hired the two nurses had its bulgarian branch offices in this high-rise in sofia. a former company recruiter reveals that the idea was to push the nurses through the german course as quickly as possible and then send them a bill, for 1500 euros in fees, payable in installments from their wages in germany.

>> part of my job was to find ten rses per month and arrange r em tatnd t lgu course. >> many bulgarians embark from here, sof's bus depot, on their journey westward. a large number are unskilled workers who are looking for jobs as hotel busboys, couriers or construction workers. over one million people have left the country since the end of socialism. all too often, theare bitterly disappointed. only when the two nurses arrived in germany did they begin to realize what they'd gotten into. petya lyubenova was asked to worked as an intern, without pay. petya petrova's new boss fired her the very first day, saying she didn't speak german well enough for the job. this video was recorded right afterward. >> i'm crying, and my

coworkers are trying to calm me down, saying, we'll go back to bulgaria. there was no work for us there. >> we asked the job referral service for a comment. but the offices in sofia are empty. the german headquarters also don't respond. vladimir bogoeski of the "fair mobility" project has seen a flood of cases like this. >> people turned to us, because they were afraid to terminate the contract. they'd signed contracts with penalty clauses that said they weren't allowed to quit the job for one year or they would have to pay a penalty of several thousand euros. >> petya petrova did get out of her contract. now she's back in vratsa, working as a nurse. but she'll still be paying off the loan for a long time to come. >> terrible.

people who are on low wages are being taken advantage of, and the free mement of europeans throughout the evening you -- the eu is being taken advantage of. finally to turkey, which is seeing a building boom in many regions, and, with its beautiful beaches, is a hot tourist destination. both things which can spell danger for a country's wildlife and an unspoilt coastline. but that's not stopping one rather impressive elderly english lady, who's determined to save not only her local beach, but also the endangered turtles that live there . >> sickel-shaped iztuzu beach is one of the loveliest, unspoilt places on the mediterranean. located near the turkish coastal town of dalyan, it draws tourists from around the globe. warning signs mark the spots in which endangered sea turtles have buried their eggs in the sand. the turtles enjoy this protection thanks to june haimoff. the 92-year-old british woman is known here as "kaptan june." for many years she lived in a small beach hut.

today it's home to the kaptan june sea turtle conservation foundation. when haimoff sailed in and settled here in the early 1980s, just a handful of hippies lived on the beach. >> one night, walking back to my hut, i saw a shape and i thought maybe that's what, and it was, it was a turtle. she was in the sand and she was beginning to make her nest. so i stayed and watched. this changed my life. >> this turtle's shell has been slit open by a boat propeller. the animal has found refuge in the turtle hospital run by kaptan june's foundation. but despite the conservationists' efforts, the loggerhead sea turtle is still classified as an endangered species. haimoff says marine pollution and the growth in shipping traffic are to blame. to protect the turtles, she's

invented a metal ring which serves as a propeller guard. >> this protects the turtles from injury. three years it took us to persuade 40 to take them. >> kaptan june no longer owns a boat. but she does have a 50-year-old beetle that she continues to drive through dalyan. the rescued turtles have become the town's trademark and a draw for tourists. june haimoff lives in this bungalow. it's a far cry from the palatial british homes and swiss chalets in which she spent the first half of her life. twice married, she had a jet-set lifestyle and counted actress elizabeth taylor among her friends. >> she was a nice enough person, actually, and a very good mother. she loved her children very much. they had a chalet near where my chalet was in gstaad, just up

the hill. >> kaptan june has written a book about her eventful life and conservation work, which was also translated into turkish. she enjoyed her biggest success back in the 1980s when she spearheaded a successful campaign to prevent the construction of a big hotel complex on iztuzu beach. >> nearly everyone says, we love it the way it is, don't change it. so this encourages me. and i'm grateful and thankful that my feet landed on that sand on this beach. >> kaptan june takes every opportunity to tell fishermen and recreational boaters to use a propeller guard to protect sea turtles. she asks this man if his vessel has a propeller ring. he says it does. so kaptan june can climb aboard in good conscience. the boat sets off through the dalyan river delta, headed for haimoff's beloved iztuzu beach.

with her iron will, the sea turtles have a determined and seasoned activist on their side. >> clearly a formidable lady. i certainly wouldn't want to get in her way. well, that's it for today. thanks very much for watching. do feel free to get in touch anytime with your thoughts and comments. but in the meantime, it's goodbye from me. and i look forward to seeing see you next week, same time, same place. yg÷j/wocococtxxyñ1ññ/ñ/ñó

hello there and welcome to "newsline," it's tuesday september 29th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. u.s. president barack obama has marked a milestone in relations with a call to action. he's urged leaders at the 70th u.n. general assembly to do more to tackle violence and suffering. obama used the occasion to outline a broad vision for confronting global challenges. he said the u.n. has done well to prevent a third world war, but he called on his counterparts to ensure the international community doesn't go backwards. >> we see some major powers assert themselves in ways that contravene international law.