Asylum seekers wishing to enter Europe have been getting stuck on Greek islands since the EU signed the EU-Turkey Statement in 2016. Living in camps under dire circumstances, they are restricted to the islands until their asylum procedures are completed, which can take years. Most migrants ended up in camp Moria, on the island of Lesbos. That camp burned down last year and although it has since been replaced, the living conditions for the refugees on the island have only worsened. This 2-year-long project gives an intimate perspective on the lives of the refugee families stuck on the island.
Asylum seekers wishing to enter Europe have been getting stuck on Greek islands since 2016. Living in camps under dire circumstances, they are restricted to the islands until their asylum procedures are completed. This can take years.
In order to curb the surge of asylum seekers coming to Europe in 2015, the EU signed a deal with Turkey. Those who did make it to the Greek islands were restricted to them until their asylum procedures were concluded: a policy that became known as ‘geographical containment’. It effectively transformed the Greek islands into detention spaces.
Most migrants crossing the Aegean Sea are from Afghanistan and Syria. When they arrive on the island of Lesbos, they usually ended up in camp Moria. Unlike Syrians, whose procedures have for the most part been prioritised, Afghans are subject to procedures with long waiting times, keeping them stuck on the islands for long times. Since the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, their home country has become even less safe. Still, many fear being sent back regardless.
When a fire raged through camp Moria on the night of September 8th 2020, the camp was completely destroyed. Almost 13,000 asylum seekers become homeless overnight, losing everything they again. The weeks after the disaster, they survived on the streets.
Although the camp has since been replaced, the living conditions for refugees on the island have only worsened. A new European Migration Pact was introduced as a solution for the problems but experts say it will only reenforce the shielding policies that caused the suffering on the Greek islands. They also fear that more hotspots like Moria will emerge, while the EU's migration policy moves to the right.
This 2-year-long project gives an intimate view on the lives of the refugee families who are stuck on the island of Lesbos. They are the human cost of the European migration policies. The project was originally published as a multi-media story.