♪ brian: hello and welcome to "fokus on europe." i'm brian thomas, great to have you with us. will, so far this year, about -- well so far this year, about , 100,000 refugees have made their way across the mediterranean from north africa to europe. most of them want to somehow get to germany. but the balkan route is shut down, and austria has joined hungary in enforcing tough border controls. and that means many of the refugees trying to make it across the alps are risking their lives in the process. reporter: rosenheim station in southern germany. a freight train from italy makes an unscheduled stop. german police scour the train for illegal immigrants. with passenger trains subject to close scrutiny, freight trains

have become a secret ticket to germany. >> what are you looking for exactly? >> to see whether it is sealed or if the seal is broken. if it's not sealed or the seal is broken, we'll take a closer look and open it up. reporter: the officers focus on containers and truck trailers. there are lots of hollow spaces for stowaways between the containers. but it's an extremely dangerous way to travel. >> they squeeze under the train. they're used to it. back home it's more common to hang onto a train than to get a seat. reporter: police don't find any stowaways. after half an hour, the train is cleared for its onward journey. german police have stepped up freight train searches. the officers on the ground get air support from a helicopter equipped with a thermal imaging camera. >> argus 610, we have a detection at the center of the train, behind a car.

looks like a person is sitting on the bumper. reporter: two africans hoped to make it into germany under the cover of darkness. 7:00 a.m. at raubling near rosenheim. border police want to search a goods train arriving from italy. suddenly a commotion erupts at the end of the train: stowaways are found under a truck trailer. >> there are at least two people. i see the feet of at least two people. right here and back there. >> sir, sir, come here, come to my side. ok? watch your head. be careful. wait, wait, wait. you can sit down. reporter: the men are exhausted and hardly able to emerge unaided from their hiding place. the police decide to call a

doctor. the men must have spent at least nine hours under the train. the officer checks their pulse. the men appear to be from nigeria. they scrambled under the train in the northern italian city of bolzano. >> i just met this train coming. i know it's leaving italy because it's a train carrying goods. i knew it would leave italy, that's why i just entered it. i didn't know the direction, i don't even know where i am now. reporter: the men are suffering from dehydration and hypothermia. the police provide them with bread and water. rainer scharf: they spent hours in a very clastrophobic situation under the trailer. so they need to find their feet. later we will then pat them down to determine whether they are carrying any dangerous objects or any documents. that will be determined by and by. reporter: bolzano is a scheduled stop for all freight trains traveling north out of italy so

it's popular with stowaways. habib, a refugee from somalia, has friends who tried to jump on a germany-bound freight train. >> they tried last night, 9:00, but the police are in brenero, they take them back here. and they wanted to try again now. they pay a lot of money, maybe 250 euros or 300 euros, to african people who knows the way to take them. reporter: the two stowaways who were found in rosenheim have arrived at the local police station for questioning. >> when and why did you leave your country? >> i came to europe by lampedusa. >> lampedusa. >> yes lampedusa. ,reporter: the outcome of the

questioning will determine whether the man is sent back to austria. only if he names credible reasons for seeking asylum can he apply to stay in germany. it takes about three hours for officers to determine whether his fingerprints have already been taken elsewhere in europe. but ultimately, it's the questioning that determines his fate. >> he said life in italy did not meet his expectations, and that is why he came to germany. but that is not a legitimate reason for seeking asylum, so he will be sent back. reporter: the stowaway will be sent to austria and from there most likely to italy. e.u. law requires refugees to seek asylum in the first country they reach. for now at least, his dream of reaching germany is over. brian: poland is among the worst countries to live in for europe's homosexuals. now, that's according to the rainbow poll from last year, evaluating gay life across the

european union. under poland's national conservative law and justice party, the nation has shifted sharply to the right. and that's making destinations abroad with more liberal laws attractive for people like david jakub, and not just when it comes to vacations. all in white and made to measure, these are special suits for a special occasion, dawid and jakub's wedding day. but they're not tying the knot at home in poland. they're in portugal. jakub kwiecinski: i figure it's going to be serious simply because of the fact that we've been together for eight years. i can't believe that i'll soon be able to call him my husband. >> we are really going to do that everywhere. on the street. jakub kwiecinski: we'll probably laugh at first. brian: the mexican designer who made their suits adds the finishing touches so that everything is perfect on this special day. it's not an entirely carefree

one, particularly for jakub. his parents are not attending the wedding. they cannot accept that their son is marrying a man. jakub kwiecinski: i think they love me in their own way. they love me, and they want what's best for me. only what they believe is best for me isn't what's best for me personally. they think i'm doing something evil. brian: it's an opinion many poles share. poland is a highly conservative country, where the catholic church wields strong influence and shuns members of the lgbt community, presenting them with a moral conflict. dawid mycek: i don't feel any attachment to the polish church. there are also lots of bad things that happen in the church, and it doesn't make our life in poland any easier. jakub kwiecinski: it's our

eternal conflict, because i'm religious. sometimes i manage to get him to come to church but not to mass. i just really like going to church. i sit down and i pray. maybe i'm naive, but i do think god understands me. when i pray, i often tell god not to be mad at me because i'm with dawid. i think god sees that our love has made me a better person. ♪ brian: the couple had a major coming out moment when they posted a home-made music clip on facebook. their clip to the track "some other summer" by the band roxette landed them an invitation to a festival in sweden. ♪ brian: they were very proud, and -- ♪ >>

some other summer on youtube. brian: and it was fair that they announced. >> something to tell us. dawid mycek: we're getting married. >> to celebrate the fact that you are going to get married, we have a little surprised for you. brian: the guitarist from roxette. dawid and jakub could hardly believe it. jakub kwiecinski: is it really you? >> it is real. it's me. both marie and i really love the video, and we wish you all the best for your marriage. brian: a brief escape from reality at home. dawid mycek: we don't feel safe in poland. we saw so much internet hate in response to our posts. and that made us worry that maybe one of the hundred or thousand hate-filled people may really try to harm us. brian: a skype conversation with

dawid's family provides welcome relief. they're looking forward to the wedding on madeira. son-in-law? daughter-in-law? no difference, says dawid's mother. for her, all that matters to a mother is her child's happiness. please tell that to my parents, jakub says. their t-shirts say "my future husband." they're excited about their upcoming wedding in portugal, but at the same time angered by the fact they can only marry abroad. so they're joining a weekend gay pride protest. poland offers no recognition of same-sex unions. and couples always feel the need to be on their guard. dawid mycek: sometimes we show our feelings. but we need to keep an eye on our surroundings. jakub kwiecinski: i don't think we're ever spontaneous.

we never drop our guard. we always look around first. brian: it is the first day demo -- gay demo for dawid and jakub. they're here with another couple who have taken a case to the european court of human rights to demand that poland at the very least offer registered partnerships to same-sex couples. here on madeira the sea is calm and blue, the sun is shining, it's a picture perfect day for an open-air wedding. ♪ jakub kwiecinski: i, jakub arkadiusz kwiecinski, by my own free will, choose to marry dawid maksymilian mycek. [applause] brian: our next story is about tim richardson. originally from britain, he opted for the charm of southern france decades ago. back in the 1960's he pulled up stakes and settled in wine

untry, learning the language, and taking tthe art of making wine. today he's fully integrated into his local community. but as brexit negotiations drag on between london and brussels, he is worried that he'll wind up a second-class citizen in his new home. reporter: as a british vintner in southwestern france, it is very important for tim richardson to be part of the local community. he settled here in eymet, in the dordogne, 26 years ago. as an e.u. citizen, he's even been able to be elected to the municipal council. though post-brexit he'd likely have to give up his seat. to make sure that doesn't happen, richardson plans to take on french citizenship. tim richardson: i feel at home here. i feel more like a resident of the perigord than a brit. brexit changes nothing about my will to stay here. reporter: the british love eymet, and emyet loves the

british. over 1000 of them have taken advantage of their "right to move and reside freely" within the e.u. and settled here. they're attracted by eymet's mild climate, good food, and perhaps by its history. the town fathers sided with england during the 100 years' war. now brexit has, once again, driven a wedge between the british and the french. one reason is that the pound has fallen in value by some 15% against the euro since the referendum. that's hit the many british retirees here particularly hard. paul brown: we don't have enough money to buy things or eat out as often. we'll have to wait a year or two longer. soon we might no longer be entitled to french social benefits, so we'll also have to pay for private health insurance. reporter: retirees like paul

brown are looking for ways to compensate for this loss of buying power. and real estate agents like charlotte campos are reaping the benefits. since the brexit vote she's sold more homes to britons than ever. charlotte campos: take this house. it's got a great view, a pool, and has been nicely renovated. that pleases the british. before they wanted old stone houses, but that's changed. now many are building homes, mostly with extra rooms they can rent out. reporter: in future, tim richardson will likely not be marketing his wines in britain. due to the exchange rate, they've simply become too expensive for most people there. instead he's selling his wine locally. other british entrepreneurs are making similar plans. because in the u.k. the number of bankruptcies is rising, as roger haigh from the franco-british chamber of commerce explains. roger haigh: we have an increase

in the number of people wanting to leave england while they still can. 'cause, looking at the state of the pound, if it continues to fall and doesn't rally again, it might be the time to start looking elsewhere. and, from a business standpoint, being part of europe isn't a bad idea either. ♪ reporter: in eymet, a group of british expats meets every thursday for a drinks and a bit of rock and roll. some are so outraged by brexit that they intend to turn their backs on their homeland for good. jeff barker: we were very angry, very upset at the time, after the vote, you know, 'cause we've lived here 12 years. and i just think it's crazy. it's a crazy decision. you don't really know what's going to happen.

and maybe not then. reporter: many here hope that the british government will change its mind about going through with brexit. but tim richardson takes a different view. tim richardson: you can't win every time, can you? in a democracy you must accept the results of a vote. reporter: but richardson says that maybe europeans can learn something from this experience, and, in future, finally pull together and act in concert. ♪ brian: now, what happened to the young berkin elvan is the stuff of every parent's nigthmare. the youth had just turned 15 when he left the house to get a loaf of bread in his own neighborhood. on the way, the streets were filled with anti-government protestors fleeing the police and berkin was seriously injured. after spending months in a coma, he died.

the court case into exactly what happened has now started, and his parents are hoping those responsible for his death will be held accountable. reporter: it's as if sami elvan still hopes his son berkin will come home one day. nothing has changed in berkin's room. but it has been four years since berkin, 15 years old at the time, died in istanbul, fatally injured when a police tear gas cartridge struck his head. >> these are his shoes. and his school uniforms are hanging here. reporter: istanbul's okmeydani district is a bastion of opposition to turkey's president, recep tayyip erdogan. this is where berkin elvan grew up. posters and graffiti on building walls keep his memory alive. hasan karayigit thinks back in horror to june 16th, 2013, when

the cartridge struck berkin. karayigit was taking part in a protest demonstration. hasan karayigit: when i heard the shouts "berkin has been hit," i immediately ran to him. he lay bleeding on the ground. reporter: that was the time of the gezi park protests on taksim square. the police were ordered to stop the demonstration and ended up killing six people. this is the kind of tear gas cartridge that struck berkin elvan in the head. and berkin's presence at the demonstration was coincidental, says karayigit. his mother had only sent him food shopping. hasan karayigit: they even shot tear gas at us while we were trying to carry away the injured . and then the police attacked us again in front of the hospital. in our district, we waited for months hoping for good news from the hospital. but in the end, we lost berkin.

reporter: after nine months in a coma, berkin elvan died. ever since, sami and gulsum elvan have been fighting for a legal conviction of those responsible for their son's death. at least there has been a first court session, they say. but the way evidence was given outraged them. sami elvan: the accused policeman didn't even need to appear. it was a farce. instead, he appeared on a video screen wearing a wig, a false beard, and sunglasses. gulsum evan: back then, somebody gave the police instructions, and now they are giving instructions to the judges and prosecutors. what can we expect from such a trial? reporter: now gulsum elvan

regularly demonstrates solidarity with other victims of police violence. police broke her arm at a demonstration in august. people in the okmeydani district live in constant fear of the police. berkin's former friend hasan say -- complains the officers get away with anything. hasan karayigit: recently, a police armored car ran over a five-year-old syrian refugee child. there were no consequences. the vehicle still patrols our streets. now people are afraid to go into the street. reporter: berkin's parents are determined to continue fighting for justice for their son. they are still occasionally overwhelmed with grief. sami elvan: my wife often doesn't know, but sometimes i go alone to my son's grave, just to be close to him.

reporter: sami elvan hopes more will remain of his son than just memories. he wants this case to become a symbol in the struggle for a democratic turkey. brian: it may be difficult to believe, but the rare persian leopard once roamed across the caucasus mountains in great numbers in countries like iran and russian into the early 20th century. since then they've been all but wiped out by human encroachment. they now number less than 500. russia started a project to reintroduce them to the wild last year. but a new ski resort project approved by the russian parliament and backed by gazprom is putting those efforts, and the persian leopard, in jeopardy. reporter: it feels rather adventurous. we are in an area unique in russia, a nature preserve unparalleled anywhere in europe. nature as it was 100 years ago, still under complete protection.

we are only permitted here accompanied by scientists and rangers. we are in leopard country. many of them used to live here, but then they were almost exterminated. now that is to be reversed. last year, scientists released three persian leopards into the wild. biologist alim pjitikov says one day their number could increase to 100 again. alim has set up cameras to learn more about the leopards and other animals in the western caucasus. every day alim evaluates the footage at the camp and an overall picture is gradually emerging. the cadavers of prey tell him about the leopards' hunting grounds, and he notes everything on a map. alim pjitikow: leopards are the ideal predators, because they only kill what they need. and so the ratio of prey to leopards is never cause for alarm.

we don't need to worry that the prey are under pressure and being radically reduced. reporter: the leopards' patterns of movement show that they have adapted well to their new environment. alim has a special relationship to the big cats. he was on hand when the three young leopards were reintroduced to the region. this is the first full-scale experiment of its kind, whereby leopards that grew up in captivity were released into the wild. the cats had been contained by a fence but had absolutely no contact with people. ♪ reporter: persian leopards are shy and seldom spotted. they avoid human beings, and that's for the best, says the director of the russian branch of the world wildlife fund. ♪ igor tschestin: the biggest threat is the expansion of the

gazprom ski resort toward the caucasian nature preserve. if these plans are realized, our group of leopards will be isolated, no longer able to mix with the leopards in the eastern caucasus. reporter: and that could eventually lead to their extinction. alim spends most of his time out here in nature. he says that humans almost exterminated these beautiful beasts, so now it's our responsibility to restore the natural balance. alim pjitikow: leopards lived here in the past. they are essential here, not an invasive species. they are part of this eco-system, a solid component of the untouched biotope. reporter: alim is worried, but he knows that the western caucasus is a unesco world heritage site, and if russia does not protect it, the u.n.

body will respond with rigorous counter-measures. brian: and with that report from one of the wilder corners of europe, we've come to an end for this week. next week, my colleague damien mcguiness will welcome you with a "fokus on europe" special edition from berlin, where we will be taking a closer look at the german elections. if you'd like to find out more about any of today's stories, just send me a tweet or visit our facebook page dw stories. for now though, from me, brian thomas, and the entire "fokus" team, thanks so much for being with us. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] ♪

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