The Aegean Sea stretches out like a blue paradise. For refugees, it is above all a wall. An obstacle to Europe several kilometres long. Witnesses of this sea that carries the bodies, some inhabitants of Lesbos have created a cemetery. Some dead bodies could not be identified. A simple stone collected adorns the grave in a silent stripping. A few miles away, in the town of Neapoli, refugees are getting back in touch with the water with the help of NGO volunteers. Children and adults learn to swim to overcome trauma, to rebuild their lives, to remain dignified. To move forward, one must breathe.
The Aegean Sea stretches out like a blue paradise. A tourist destination that resonates in the collective imagination. For refugees, it is above all a wall. An obstacle to Europe several kilometres long; an area criss-crossed day and night by military frigates. From the Turkish coast, the island of Lesbos (Greece) appears like a promise. A blurred vision of a land to tread at all costs, at the risk of losing one’s life.
Witnesses of this sea that carries the bodies, some inhabitants of the island have created a cemetery. An improvised place of refuge away from the villages. A few dozen tombs can be seen in the ochre of the earth. As the only traces: marble plaques planted on the ground and the mention of an age or a surname. But sometimes none of that. Some dead bodies could not be identified. A simple stone collected adorns the grave in a silent stripping.
A few miles away, the blue of the sea dominates. In the small town of Neapoli, refugees are getting back in touch with the water with the help of NGO volunteers. For some of them, coming from Central Africa or Afghanistan, the very vision of the sea is a discovery. Children and adults learn to swim to overcome trauma, to rebuild their lives, to remain dignified. The inexorable wait of the refugee is erased for a short moment. To feel his body floating in the waves is already a victory. To move forward, one must breathe.