Photojournalist Barat Ali Batoor was living in Afghanistan -- until his risky work forced him to leave the country. But for Batoor, a member of a displaced ethnic group called the Hazara, moving home to Pakistan proved dangerous too. And finding a safer place wasn't as simple as buying a plane ticket. Instead, he was forced to pay a human smuggler, and join the deadly tidal wave of migrants seeking asylum by boat. He documents the harrowing ocean trip with powerful photographs.

Barat Ali Batoor: My desperate journey with a human smuggler

My desperate journey with a human smuggler

A harrowing journey of a Hazara fleeing persecution reveals the dire circumstances forcing people into dangerous migrations.

Surviving a perilous boat trip, risking everything for safety, underscores the desperation and perils faced by asylum seekers.

The politicization of asylum seekers in Australia strips the human face from those seeking refuge, demanding empathy and understanding.