An influx of Syrian and Afghan refugees is straining Greece’s already-thin resources at a time when the country could face bankruptcy.
Most of the refugees pay upwards of $1,000 each to smugglers for the dangerous journey, according to Eric Kempson, a volunteer refugee helper on the Greek island of Lesbos. About 25,000 migrants have come ashore in Lesbos since the beginning of 2015.
Once ashore, local volunteers direct the refugees to food and water. But other locals fear the refugee population will damage the tourism industry, a vital source of income for Greece during its ongoing financial crisis.
The migrants wait in refugee camps until they can be registered and sent to the capital city, Athens. Other nations in the region are aware of the new arrivals on Greece’s southern shores, but no international European presence exists in the Greek islands to assist them.
Most of the migrants plan to head to northern countries once they arrive, but often face rejection and hostility from Greek authorities in the meantime. Some Greeks worry that dangerous members of the Islamic State (ISIL) are entering with refugees and could pose a security threat.
Sweden has an open borders policy and announced it will accept 100,000 Syrian refugees per year. Anja Franck, a peace studies researcher from Sweden, said she hopes other nations will do the same. “European countries and the European leaders have not taken the responsibility that they should,” she said.
Warm up questions
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What is a refugee?
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What are some reasons someone would leave their home country?
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What is happening in the Middle East to cause a refugee crisis?
Critical thinking questions
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Why are so many people seeking refuge in Greece?
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What are the effects of a large influx of immigrants in Greece?
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How can countries in the region address the thousands of refugees who are seeking shelter?
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What would happen in your community if thousands of refugees suddenly appeared needing food, medical care and shelter?
