What migrants face on Lesbos – and why it's getting worse

Asylum-seekers stranded on the Greek island of Lesbos can expect things to continue to deteriorate: numerous NGOs that provide health, legal and other services are preparing to pull out or have already left. Vincent Haiges reports from Lesbos

  • Asylum-seekers stand in front of a statue and a Greek flag on Lesbos
    Stuck in the Aegean: European funding for NGOs responding to the migrant crisis on the Greek islands came to an end in August. Since then the Greek state alone has been responsible for dealing with the asylum-seekers. But there was no clear transition plan and gaps in humanitarian services have become apparent across Lesbos
  • Moria refugee camp seen through a makeshift shelter
    Neither here nor there: Moria, the main reception facility in Lesbos and other such camps are unable to cope with the continuing arrivals of small numbers of asylum-seekers. Tensions are high; frustration quickly turns into aggression, fights between individuals morph into fights between different ethnic groups
  • Discarded plastic bottles on the ground outside Moria refugee camp, Lesbos
    Fresh and clean: discarded shampoo and water bottles lie next to an improvised shower outside Moria. Due to a shortage of hygienic facilities in the camp, many people there look for other options. They see the failure to provide adequate facilities as a deliberate strategy to worsen living conditions
  • An Ethiopian asylum-seeker peers out of a tent on Lesbos
    Waiting for a decision: Aman from Eritrea apologises for not being able to offer tea or water in his tent. He has been waiting for a decision on his asylum request since he arrived in Lesbos three months ago. "There are too many problems inside Moria." Overcrowded shelters and tensions between different groups often results into fights
  • A man sits behind protest signs placed on the ground
    'We are human': an Afghan asylum-seeker prepares signs for a protest against the poor conditions in Moria. Most of the Afghans protesting have been on Lesbos for over a year and are still waiting for a response to their asylum bids. Lack of information, tough living conditions and the fear of being deported back to Afghanistan means many of them are in a constant state of anxiety
  • Two Lesbos residents discuss a protest held by Afghan asylum-seekers
    The limits of generosity: residents of Lesbos discuss the Afghans' protest. The refugee crisis has led to a massive decline in tourism on Lesbos, down by almost 75 percent this year compared to 2015. Greece's ongoing economic crisis has also had a great impact on the island. Although many locals are sympathetic to the asylum-seekers's needs, they don't think Greece is capable of hosting them right now
  • A doctor checks a man's pulse during a health clinic
    Two weeks against helplessness: volunteers have been filling gaps, such as providing health care, which is in great demand. German doctor Juta Meiwald came to Lesbos for two weeks to help. She says many of the health problems are a result of the living conditions at Moria. Those in the camps have complained that, regardless of their afflictions, doctors there generally just give them painkillers
  • A woman works away at a sewing-machine
    Reclaiming life: at the Mosaik Support Centre asylum-seekers transform life vests collected on the beach into bags and wallets. Activities like this are a welcome interruption to the monotony of life in the camps, in addition to giving those stuck here, like this Iranian woman, a small income
  • Young men on the seafront, Lesbos
    New arrivals every day: since early 2015, new arrivals have been obliged to stay on the island until their asylum claims are processed. But a backlog of applications and a lengthy appeals process have meant only a fraction of cases have been assessed. Over 14,000 migrants arrived in Greece this year, according to the UN refugee agency. Last year Greece granted asylum to around 12,500 people, while 173,000 came