For many, the Greek island brings to mind the refugee crisis, but another everyday life exists behind the headlines You could be forgiven for not knowing more about Lesbos. A quick Google search brings up the words migrants, detention camp and crisis on the first page. The movement of so many people displaced by civil war and persecution saw nearly half a million refugees land on the shores of Lesbos in 2015. Since then the island’s 90,000 residents have found themselves under the glare of the world’s media. Under a deal with the EU, migrants and refugees who have entered Greece illegally are now being deported back to Turkey. In exchange, the EU is providing Turkey with more money and visa-free travel in the union earlier than planned. Volunteers and residents in Lesbos have been trying to put a halt to deporting those from Moria detention camp (known as the “hotspot”) near the east coast of the island. In one case protesters tried to stop a ferry with 45 Pakistanis on board. Continue reading...
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