Heart-wrenching portraits show refugees in the streets of Paris as photographer seeks to highlight their plight

  • Vladimir Antaki from Paris starting documenting the refugee crisis facing his home city last October
  • His photography project, titled Family Portraits, shows families sleeping rough in the French capital
  • He wanted to show the 'faces of people the public doesn’t want to see', to highlight homelessness issue

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A heart-wrenching series of images has captured the plight of refugees in Paris, with whole families living on the streets.

French photographer Vladimir Antaki started investigating the migrant crisis in his hometown last October in a bid to capture the 'faces of men, women and children that the public doesn’t want to see'.

His project, titled Family Portraits, shows people from Kosovo, Romania, Albania, Turkey, Bulgaria and Syria who have fled their country for political or economic reasons. 

A heart-wrenching photography series captures the plight of refugees in Paris, with whole families living in the streets

A heart-wrenching photography series captures the plight of refugees in Paris, with whole families living in the streets

French photographer Vladimir Antaki started investigating the migrant crisis in his hometown last October in a bid to capture the 'faces of men, women and children that the public doesn¿t want to see'. 

French photographer Vladimir Antaki started investigating the migrant crisis in his hometown last October in a bid to capture the 'faces of men, women and children that the public doesn’t want to see'. 

His project, titled Family Portraits, shows peopled from Kosovo, Romania, Albania, Turkey, Bulgaria and Syria who have fled their country for political or economic reasons

His project, titled Family Portraits, shows peopled from Kosovo, Romania, Albania, Turkey, Bulgaria and Syria who have fled their country for political or economic reasons

He told MailOnline Travel that homelessness has always been a problem but children were never in the picture.

However today, as his photos show, youngsters are also left fighting for survival with no roofs over their heads.

The artist, added: 'Human beings are spending their days and nights on the streets of Paris huddling under threadbare blankets on dirty mattresses.'

Mr Antaki says he tries to spend time getting to know his subjects and learn more about their lives.  

Antaki told MailOnline Travel that homelessness has always been a problem but children were never in the picture

Antaki told MailOnline Travel that homelessness has always been a problem but children were never in the picture

Europe's migrant influx began in 2015, centering on Greece, where hundreds of thousands of people, many of them fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Afghanistan, crossed from Turkey

Europe's migrant influx began in 2015, centering on Greece, where hundreds of thousands of people, many of them fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Afghanistan, crossed from Turkey

Number of refugees in Paris have swelled since the destruction of the so-called 'Jungle' camp in Calais in 2016, when around 8,000 migrants were dispersed

Number of refugees in Paris have swelled since the destruction of the so-called 'Jungle' camp in Calais in 2016, when around 8,000 migrants were dispersed

He says he often lets children play with his camera as it 'makes them happy' and helps to break the ice.

Other times, he will purchase food for those who are willing to talk with him and he will sit and eat with them. 

While he has had many enlightening conversations with migrants, he says lots of them don't want to talk.

Begging in the French capital comes in many forms, Antaki says, with many people destitute for legitimate reasons.

However, he notes that some beggars are there 'just for the money as they have been drawn into organised crime'.

Much of the photographer's work focuses on human behaviour. 

While he has had many enlightening conversations with migrants, Antaki says lots of them don't want to talk

While he has had many enlightening conversations with migrants, Antaki says lots of them don't want to talk

Antaki's photos show how young migrants are  left ruthlessly fighting for survival with no roofs over their heads

Antaki's photos show how young migrants are left ruthlessly fighting for survival with no roofs over their heads

Begging in the French capital comes in many forms, Antaki says, with many people their for legitimate reasons

Begging in the French capital comes in many forms, Antaki says, with many people their for legitimate reasons

Antaki spends time getting to know his subjects and learn more about their lives

Antaki spends time getting to know his subjects and learn more about their lives

Antaki says he often lets children play with his camera as it 'makes them happy' and helps to break the ice

Antaki says he often lets children play with his camera as it 'makes them happy' and helps to break the ice

His series, The Guardians, shows store owners across the globe giving an insight into their world.

In total, he has visited 18 different cities including Montreal, New York, Las Vegas, Paris, Vienna, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Beirut to capture more than 250 shopkeepers and tell their story through imagery.

He said: 'I'm interested in the relationship between the environment and the attitude of the Guardians, how they position themselves in space.

'I become the director of their universe. I show them their day to day life through my eye and my camera.'  

Antaki's Family Portraits project remains ongoing.  

Sometimes Antaki will purchase food for those willing to talk with him and he will sit and eat with them 

Sometimes Antaki will purchase food for those willing to talk with him and he will sit and eat with them 

Much of the photographer's work focuses on human behaviour and he strives to show the day to day lives of people around the world

Much of the photographer's work focuses on human behaviour and he strives to show the day to day lives of people around the world

Antaki's Family Portraits project remains ongoing as the migrant crisis continues to rumble 

Antaki's Family Portraits project remains ongoing as the migrant crisis continues to rumble 

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