[su_heading size=”25″ align=”left”]Chronicling the refugee crisis[/su_heading]
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Greece has become Europe’s entry point for the influx of migrants and refugees crossing the Mediterranean and Aegean seas by boat—the majority coming from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Syria. Migrants from Iran, Iraq and Bangladesh also embark on the journey but in smaller numbers.
The Greek island of Kos became a popular destination for migrants and refugees fleeing their homes due to its close proximity to Turkey. Migrants heading to Kos depart from Bodrum, Turkey, where they pay smugglers up to 1500 euros—sometimes more—to cross the Aegean Sea for nearly 21 kilometers in crammed inflatable dinghies. The journey from Bodrum to Kos takes anywhere from 2-8 hours for migrants depending on if the boat has a motor. It takes only 30 minutes for a ferry to travel the same distance.
Almost 250,000 migrants and refugees have crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Europe so far this year; about 140,000 of them arrived from Turkey, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). More than 2,000 people died trying to cross the Mediterranean in 2015 according to IOM.
The Hotel Captain Elias, a two-story building located on the outskirts of Kos Town, was confiscated by a bank and lay abandoned for many years. The hotel became a “camp” (as referred to the migrants and local authorities) for migrants and refugees arriving on the island when the crisis began.
Conditions at the hotel are precarious. The hotel has no electricity, beds are scarce, and there are scabies and bed bugs spread among some migrants. The hotel lacked running water for the first few weeks until it was restored only to its outdoor faucets and outdoor portable showers.
These photos were taken in late June and early July of 2015.
[su_box title=”Hassan’s story”]