After years working as a border patrolman, José has developed a salty crust of cynicism about his work, which places him in a position to decide the fates of many. José's weary attitude is put to the test when he encounters Nathalie, a German tourist assisting a boatload of refugees she discovered landing on the Canary shores. One of those people, a Congolese man named Zola, is placed in an internment camp. Much to the objections of her husband Paul, Nathalie tries to help him escape. Yet Zola and his son Mamadou eventually find themselves in yet another precarious situation, in which they are dependent on nefarious smugglers.