Humanitarianism in crisis

 

8 

HARVARD FXB CENTER – HUMANITARIANISM IN CRISIS: LESBOS, GREECE

b

oats

 

approach

 L

esbos

 

in

 

poor

 

weather

.                                                                         c

redit

: o. s

aLiamboukou

           

c

rossing

 

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 A

egeAn

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For even the most experienced sailors and fishermen, the sea can be a terrifying place. 

For those crossing in the black of night, in overcrowded rubber boats and without 

knowing how to swim or navigate a boat, the experience adds further pain and trauma 

to people who have in many cases already endured catastrophic hardship. Prior to the 

launch of the boats, migrants are given strict instructions to leave any passenger who 

falls overboard behind, as stopping to turn the boat around and provide assistance 

would allegedly prove fatal for all.

When engines fail, boats are typically stranded in the middle of the sea at the mercy of 

the elements, while fellow migrants in other boats ride past, adhering to the orders of 

their smugglers. As the Turkish coast fills with more and more people wishing to cross, 

and with the financial incentive at an estimated minimum of US $50,000 per boat, 

smugglers ignore weather conditions, use faulty engines, and even take to sea without 

sufficient fuel.

The months between June and mid-September offer the best chances at a safe 

crossing. Unfortunately, these favorable conditions incentivize smugglers to further 

exploit migrants, overfilling boats to further increase profit. Overloaded boats sit so low 

in the sea that they take on water at a perilous rate, forcing passengers to remove water 

by any means possible, at times by throwing their belongings overboard to improve 

buoyancy.

In cases of engine failure or fuel shortage, it is only a matter of time before boats begin 

to sink. Additionally, lack of knowledge about the unique geomorphology of the Aegean 

Sea and about sailing has played a significant role in numerous crashes on reefs and 

shoals, many of these fatal. According to Greek Coast Guard data, between January 

2015 and March 2016 a total of 368 people lost their lives, with an additional 186 

missing. 

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9 

HARVARD FXB CENTER – HUMANITARIANISM IN CRISIS: LESBOS, GREECE

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ate

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uGust

 2015: m

iGrants

 

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the

 30 

to

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from

 

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to

 

the

 

camps

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ouse

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When they first arrive in Lesbos, migrants and refugees are often euphoric. Many laugh 

or cry uncontrollably, while others fall to the ground, kissing the sand and thanking 

each other and anyone nearby. But this jubilation quickly turns to despair when they 

realize what lies ahead. Exhausted, hungry, and seasick, they are faced with a 30 to 

40 mile walk (approximately 2 

days) on hilly terrain without any 

protection from the elements. In 

summer, this can mean outdoor 

temperatures of 100 degrees 

Fahrenheit; in fall and winter 

it can mean being battered by 

heavy rainstorms and enduring 

low temperatures. For pregnant 

women and those traveling with 

children or the elderly, this walk 

can easily exceed 2 days. 

The transportation of refugees 

by locals remains forbidden by 

law under the premise that doing 

so would equate to people-

smuggling. Many of those inclined 

to help are further deterred by 

fines of up to Euro 150 and the threat of prosecution. During the summer, only in cases 

of emergency or injury were some transferred by ambulance or police to the local 

hospital. 

In August, under heavy pressure from the growing number of arrivals, the Coast Guard 

began busing people between the port and the camps. By September, with the arrival of 

many international NGOs, more buses were being used to transfer migrants from points 

of arrival to the camps, and more locals and tourists were individually transporting 

refugees using private vehicles, after informing the police of their intentions in order to 

avoid a fine. Nevertheless, the simultaneous arrival of almost 3,000 to 4,000 people per 

day made providing transportation for everyone nearly impossible.

p

roblems

 

encountered

 

in

 l

esbos

Responding to a crisis of this magnitude would be a difficult task for any developed 

nation. For Greece, facing such a crisis during a full-blown political and economic 

collapse seems an impossible task. The Greek people are themselves confronting 

a bleak reality: years of unemployment of over 50 percent and capital controls that 

strangle family and business income plus political instability and new, more severe 

austerity measures. For refugees, the conditions are simply catastrophic. 

Housing

Kare Tepe Refugee Camp. When the first wave of refugees and immigrants arrived in the 

Spring of 2015, the mayor of the city of Mytilene set up an informal, temporary camp 

around an open car park area, 2.5 miles from the main port. Designed to host 500 

people, the camp quickly became overcrowded as more than 3,000 people settled 

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