LESBOS, Greece – Amena Namjoyan, along with her husband and young child, fled Iran and arrived on the shores of this eastern Greek island, joining hundreds of thousands of others. The arrival of so many people overwhelmed Lesbos for months. Boats were destroyed, fishermen rescued drowning individuals, and local grandmothers provided care to newly arrived infants.

Namjoyan spent several months in a crowded camp, were she learned Greek. She struggled with illness and depression as her marriage ended. She attempted to start over in Germany but ultimately returned to Lesbos, the island that initially welcomed her. Today,she is employed at a resturant,preparing Iranian dishes that are popular with locals. Her second child identifies as Greek.

“Greece is close to my culture, and I feel good here,” Namjoyan said. “I am proud of myself.”

In 2015, over 1 million migrants and refugees arrived in Europe, with the majority arriving by sea and landing in Lesbos, where the northern coast is only 10 kilometers (6 miles) from turkey. The influx of individuals fleeing war and poverty triggered a humanitarian crisis that substantially impacted the European Union. A decade later,the repercussions continue to be felt on the island and beyond.

for many, Greece served as a transit point as they continued to northern and western Europe. Many who sought asylum were granted international protection, and thousands became European citizens. However, countless others were denied, remaining in migrant camps for years or living on the streets. Some returned to their home countries,while others were expelled from the European Union.

For Namjoyan, Lesbos is a welcoming place, with many islanders sharing a refugee background. However, migration policy in Greece, like much of Europe, has shifted toward deterrence since the crisis. The number of people arriving illegally has decreased significantly. Officials and politicians have asserted the need for strong borders, while critics argue that enforcement has become excessive and violates essential EU rights and values.

“Migration is now at the top of the political agenda, which it didn’t use to be before 2015,” said Camille Le Coz, Director of the Migration Policy Institute Europe, noting changing EU alliances. “We are seeing a shift toward the right of the political spectrum.”

In 2015, the humanitarian crisis evolved into a political one.

In 2015, boat after boat crowded with refugees crashed onto the doorstep of elpi

EU Border Management and Criticism

A new EU asylum system, spearheaded by the United Nations refugee agency, is scheduled to take effect next year. Critics argue that it has made concessions to hardliners.Human rights organizations contend that it will lead to increased detention and undermine the right to seek asylum.

“Migration is now at the top of the political agenda, which it didn’t use to be before 2015.”

Some organizations also criticize the “externalization” of EU border management, which involves agreements with countries across the Mediterranean to aggressively patrol their coasts and prevent migrants from crossing in exchange for financial assistance.

These agreements have expanded from Turkey to the Middle East and across africa. Human rights groups report that autocratic governments are receiving billions of dollars while subjecting displaced people to appalling conditions.

Lesbos: Then and Now

Lesbos still sees some migrants arrive.

The 80,000 residents of Lesbos have mixed feelings when they reflect on the 2015 crisis.

Fisherman Stratos Valamios rescued some children, while others drowned just beyond his reach. He carried their still-warm bodies to shore.

“What’s changed from back then to now, 10 years on? Nothing,” he said. “What I feel is anger – that such things can happen, that babies can drown.”

Those who died crossing to Lesbos are buried in two cemeteries,their graves marked as “unknown.”

Tiny shoes and empty juice boxes with faded Turkish labels can still be found on the northern coast, along with black doughnut-shaped inner tubes used as crude life preservers for children. At Moria, a refugee camp destroyed by fire in 2020, children’s drawings remain on the walls of gutted buildings.

Migrants continue to arrive, and sometimes die, on these shores. Lesbos has begun to adapt to a quieter,more controlled flow of newcomers.

Efi Latsoudi, who manages a network that helps migrants learn Greek and find employment, hopes that lesbos’ tradition of assisting outsiders in need will endure despite national policies.

“The way things are developing, it’s not amiable for newcomers to integrate into Greek society,” Latsoudi said. “We need to do something. … I believe there is hope.”