Greece

Greece remains on the frontline of Europe’s asylum and migration challenges. Increased arrivals on the Aegean islands since July 2019, policies linked to a 2016 EU migration deal with Turkey, and limited relocations to other EU states have left over 42,000 asylum seekers, including vulnerable people, confined to the islands in abysmal conditions and in facilities designed for 6,000. A new law reduces protections for vulnerable groups and limits asylum seekers’ access to protection. Unaccompanied children are often held in police custody or detention whilst hundreds are either living in abysmal conditions on the islands, are homeless, or unaccounted for by the authorities. Access to asylum remains difficult and subject to considerable delay.

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    Trapped

    Lesbos, a postcard-perfect vacation island in the northern Aegean Sea, is a haven for people fleeing war in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. It symbolizes the hope that somewhere in Europe there is refuge. It is also a graveyard for the countless corpses that have washed ashore on its beautiful coastline. And it’s hell for the thousands who are trapped there, victims of the European Union’s determination to stem the tide of asylum seekers and other migrants by sending a message that they are unwelcome. For all of its natural beauty, there is much fear on Lesbos. Fear caused by the traumas of war, violence and displacement and of harsh camp conditions, insecurity and uncertain futures. Fear of rejection, detention, and deportation. Fear of going to the toilet in the dark at night, or not eating after two hours in a food line. Fear of lice and scabies. Fear of winter, cold and damp.

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