Humanitarianism in crisis

 

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HARVARD FXB CENTER – HUMANITARIANISM IN CRISIS: LESBOS, GREECE

3 

Based on testimonies of 20 Afghani people. Eighteen were middle-aged males traveling with 

their wives and children; 2 were young males accompanied by their elderly parents.

4 

Twenty Syrian refugees were also interviewed: 10 young males, 2 females traveling 

unaccompanied but with children, and 8 middle-aged males traveling with families.

5 

On September 19, 2015, 14 people lost their lives when one of these “safer” boats ran out of 

fuel, leaving 26 passengers stranded at sea. Unheard and unseen, the boat sank, taking with it 

a baby and a 5-year-old girl.

In 2014, officials documented 12,187 arrivals on Lesbos (Greek police data, c). In 

2015 that number jumped to 506,919—an increase of 1,566 percent. Of the 988,920 

immigrants and refugees who entered Greece from January 2015 to March 2016 

(UNHCR, 2016), Lesbos received more than 50 percent, with Kos, Chios, Samos and 

Leros splitting the remaining number.

The majority of arrivals are Syrian refugees, followed by immigrants from Afghanistan 

and other neighboring countries. Greek police records for 2015 list 455,363 Syrian 

refugees, 186,500 Afghani refugees, 23,318 Pakistani immigrants, 63,421 Iraqi refugees, 

4,259 Somalian immigrants, 4,137 Bangladeshi immigrants, 5,240 Palestine immigrants, 

and 19,612 Iranian immigrants, with the remaining numbers hailing from Albania, Eritrea, 

Congo, and Mali (Greek police data, 2016). Police data confirms that the vast majority 

of arrivals are males (55%), followed by children (28%) and women (17%). The largest 

concentration of women and children is to be found among Syrian, Afghani, and Iraqi 

refugees (UNHCR, 2016), indicating that many refugees flee in family units.

In August 2015 alone arrivals averaged well over 2,000 per day, at times exceeding 

3,000. In September and early October, despite dangerous weather on the Aegean 

Sea, the number reached 4,000 per day, at times even exceeding 6,000. On October 

23, 2015, local authorities announced that arrivals had exceeded 15,000 for the two 

preceding days, sharpening their growing concern for the safety and protection of 

immigrants and refugees amidst worsening winter weather. During the months that 

followed, the rate of arrivals slowed slightly, only to start increasing again in March as 

weather conditions improved. 

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esbos

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The majority of refugees arrive in inflatable rubber dinghies from a stretch of Turkish 

coastline opposite northern Lesbos. Most dinghies chart a course to the small 

fishing village of Skamia in northern Lesbos, the closest land point to Turkey, some 6 

miles away. The main port of Mytilene, which, until October 2015 was Lesbos’s sole 

registration point for immigrants and refugees, lies about 35 miles to the south. Other 

popular crossing routes lead to Molyvos, another small village in the northeastern part 

of the island; to Tsonia; or even to Mytilene itself.

Having arrived in Turkey, immigrants

3

 and refugees

4

 meet with smugglers in the city of 

Izmir. Those traveling towards Lesbos are transferred by buses mainly to the ancient 

port of Assos (Berham in Turkish) and its surrounding area, or to the coastal area of 

Dikilli. Boats leaving the Assos area arrive primarily at Skamia and Molyvos, while boats 

departing from Dikilli and surrounding areas arrive closer to Mytilene. 

Dinghies range in length from 20 to 30 feet and cost upwards of US $1,200 per person 

to board. Documented cases exist of migrants paying as much as $2,800 per person for 

the privilege of using “safer,” non-rubber boats.

5

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HARVARD FXB CENTER – HUMANITARIANISM IN CRISIS: LESBOS, GREECE

L

esbos

 

map

: 

main

 

routes

, 

entry

 

points

,  

and

 

camps

b

oats

 

departinG

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urkey

.                                                                                                                   c

redit

: h. c

esme

Despite a maximum capacity of 20 people for a larger-sized boat, these dinghies are 

routinely packed with as many as 50 people at a time, seriously jeopardizing the lives of 

those on board, most of whom have no experience being at sea. Despite having paid 

more than 10 times the cost of a plane ticket or 150 times the cost of a ferry ride from 

Turkey, these people cannot choose when to leave or with how many people to travel 

and are entirely at the mercy of their smugglers. 

In response to worsening weather and an increasingly violent sea, smugglers began to 

decrease their fees. According to the refugees and migrants interviewed for this report, 

those who aren’t able to afford the crossing in good weather are forced to wait 

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HARVARD FXB CENTER – HUMANITARIANISM IN CRISIS: LESBOS, GREECE

a 

boat

 

crashes

 

on

 

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approachinG

 

Lesbos

.                                                                                   c

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net

“

People 

described 

being 

aggressively 

forced to 

board boats 

under chaotic, 

disorganized, 

and terrifying 

conditions...

”

for poorer weather, an inhumane practice that has caused an increase in the number of 

shipwrecks and deaths. 

Though the trip to Lesbos lasts no more than 2 to 3 hours, it is perhaps the most 

dangerous part of a journey that has likely already spanned more than 2,300 miles, with 

another 1,500 miles to go for those hoping to reach Germany or northern Europe. From 

start to finish, the journey to relative safety often requires exorbitant financial outlays, 

much of it paid to smugglers. For those crossing the Syrian/Turkey border, the fee for 

safe passage is US $300 per person, with additional costs for those able to secure 

ground transportation to Izmir. Refugees travelling from Syria need approximately 50 

days to reach Izmir. 

For Afghanis, the trip is much longer and costs substantially more money. Each Afghani 

pays around US $4,000 to embark on the 2-month journey to reach Izmir. What follows 

next is the same for everyone, regardless of country of origin. As noted above, refugees 

must then find yet another smuggler and await their turn to cross the sea into Greece. 

Of those interviewed, most indicated waiting 4 or 5 days in Izmir. Those more fortunate 

are able to afford a hotel, but the majority waits along the coast without shelter. 

When the time for departure finally comes, it comes quickly and without warning, many 

times without regard to optimal crossing conditions. People describe being aggressively 

forced to board boats under chaotic, disorganized, and terrifying conditions, while many 

testified to being beaten and kicked to make loading faster. The violence is not only 

physical but also psychological. People reported being told by the smugglers that if 

they are seen or caught by the Greek Coast Guard, they will be sent back to Turkey and 

will have to pay again for another attempt at crossing. In reality, the Greek Coast Guard 

routinely rescues boats in distress and transfers them to the port of Mytilene.

There is no doubting the criminality of human smuggling rings and the highly lucrative 

industry that has strengthened around the plight of these people. When asked why they 

simply did not buy their own boat and cross safely and on their own terms, the answer 

was unanimous: those who tried were hunted down, capsized, and forced to return to 

Turkey to face increased violence and increased crossing fees, many times under the 

watchful eye of and with the assistance of the Turkish Coast Guard. 

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