Refugees Ask for Wifi First, Food and Shelter Second

Refugees arriving at European migrant camps ask for wi-fi passwords before checking that there is food, water and basic sanitation, it has been claimed.

Asylum seekers often use their mobile phones to navigate their way into Europe and once they arrive they need a strong wi-fi connection to stay in touch with loved ones at home.

“The first thing a refugee asks for upon arrival at a camp is not water or food but the wi-fi password,” said Kann Terzioglou, chief executive of Turkcell, the mobile phone provider, at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “We need to use what the digital technologies have offered in an effort to find effective solutions to the refugee crisis.”