stains of steel

The area around Liege - Belgium is an old industrial site which at the beginning of the last century was essentiel for the economic development of the region. In the past four decades the mines were closed and the steelfactories moved to cheap-labor countries. There has never been a successful transformation of the economy, the environment is polluted and the unemployment rate is high, especially among the younger generations of migrantworkers from Sicily, Spain, Portugal and Northern Africa. Today Liege still attracts newcomers, many of them are refugees from Congo and other war torn areas. Copperthieves are collecting copper if the price is high enough.
All images for this story: