Greece: Refugees stranded on the islands crushed by fear and uncertainty over their fate

Nearly 8,500 refugees, asylum seekers and migrants are trapped on the Greek islands, having arrived since the EU-Turkey deal went into effect on 20 March. Many fear the imminent risk of being returned to Turkey, where concerns over their safety abound. Most are languishing in dreadful living conditions amid a painfully slow and opaque asylum process.

The main justification for the EU-Turkey deal was the assumption that Turkey is a safe place to return asylum-seekers and refugees. But Amnesty International research has shown that in late 2015 and early 2016, asylum-seekers and refugees in Turkey were sent back to conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria and that the protection afforded to Syrians in Turkey is well below international standards – and even worse for other nationalities.
This photo gallery documents just a handful of the hundreds of families and individuals currently trapped mainly on the island of Chios.

Take action HERE and call on the Greek authorities to stop the return of refugees to Turkey