LESBOS - PARADISE LOST - SCRIPT OPEN - Music: SHOTS OF migrants walking Migrant: I have walked for two days. I walked 60 kilometers. Migrant Since 6am I arrive in this island, since then I have started walking until now. All day night through this forest alone with kids. ZOI: An explosion. We are a volcano now. Because can you imagine in this island every day to have every day two or three villages 1000 1500 1200. I don’t know. I try to find the answer, but I am so confused I lost my mind I cannot give any answer. The problem of migration in Greece is really big. The problem has been really acute in the islands this year. For example in the island of Lesbos, we have had already 7500 arrivals in the first 4 1/2 months of the year. Whereas last year the total number of arrivals in the island of lesbos was less than 5000. The increase is five or six times compared to what we experienced last year. The majority of people that arrive are from syria the second biggest group is afghani also we have people from pakistan, people from nigeria, all different nationalities. SLATE: EACH DAY, THE GREEK COAST GUARD PATROLS THE WATERS OFF LESBOS, WHICH LIES JUST SIX MILES FROM TURKEY. MIGRANTS ARRIVE ON SMALL BOATS, AFTER PAYING AROUND $1000 PER PERSON TO SMUGGLERS. SOMETIMES THEY ARE INTERCEPTED AND BROUGHT TO THE MAIN PORT IN MYTLINE. THE MAJORITY OF MIGRANTS LAND ON LESBOS’ NORTHEAST BEACHES, MOSTLY AT NIGHT. ZOI The make this with wood so when they see the coast guard the just open the hole to the boat. ERIK And they do that so the boat will sink and the coast guard will be forced to rescue them. ZOI Exactly. This is nothing what you see. Before one month, it was everything, like a mountain, all the life-jackets many boats. Italy is all the time in news. I didn’t hear about greece. Because people they don’t die? Of course they die, but not these numbers like italy The smugglers they dont use big boats like in italy from libya. They use these boats, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not dangerous. Why everybody look at Italy. Of course italy has a big problem, but they were organized. Here we are not organized. We cannot handle all this it is too heavy for us. SPIROS GALINOS Mayor of Mytilene At this particular moment, speaking metaphorically, we are being invaded. An invasion from oppressed people. An invasion of misery. And this fact has brought great turmoil. GEORGE PAPAGEORGIOU Owner, Hotel Blue Sea Our business is going down, about fifty percent down. Very dirty. No one washes. No water. No toilet. We have a big problem. Very big problem. SLATE Thousands arrive undetected by the coast guard on beaches like this one near the town of Molvinos. They then must reach the port in Mytilene, which is more than 40 miles away. To do so, they must walk. MIGRANT IMAD No help anything, no help police no taxi help. No help anything. I’m walking. How many children do you have? Three How ld are they? 9, 5, 3 years And you are walking 50 kilometers to get to? 50 kilometers. Migrant We are asked the police, we will provide the money. Arrange us a bus. Anything. Any travel transportation. We will pay you the money, the taxi. They say no you don’t have the document, you have to walk. TAXI driver We dont allow to take any illegal immigrant in the cab. Because it’s against the law. What happens if you get caught. If you get caught you going to the court, you paying fine, you maybe lose your license. SLATE THE GREEK POLICE SAY THE POLICY OF NOT PICKING UP MIGRANTS IS MEANT TO PROTECT THEM. Mr. Panagiotis Nikas, Ministry of the Interior Greece is not the final destination. greece we could say is a transit country and transit stop its the gateway to europe, but it’s not the final destination. Greece is not an appealing destination for these populations because of the general conditions, the austerity that we are going through. MIGRANTS: Mabe Holland. Holland or Germany. Germany because I want to study. Germany! I want to go to Germany to study that is my big ambition for the future. UPON ARRIVAL IN MYTILENE, REFUGEES ARE ASSIGNED TO CAMPS WHERE THEY STAY FOR DAYS OR WEEKS. Mohamman Two days ago, I slept in the street. Now I am in the camp. it’s a dirty camp. Food not good. Water not clean. Bathrooms, same, not good. They don’t have a system here. No system. SLATE NEARLY EVERY DAY A SHIP LEAVES PORT FOR ATHENS OR THESSALONIKI CARRYING HUNDREDS OF MIGRANTS. MANY REFUGEES ARE SINGLE MOTHERS OR UNACCOMPANIED MINORS SEEKING HELP IN NEWLY ESTABLISHED SHELTERS. SHELTER: This time we have 27 minors, the youngest 7 years old. The oldest is 17 years old. The children are mainly from afghanistan, from iran from iraq. We have also children from syria. 7 year old kid How did you arrive here? How did I come here? I came here by foot. My uncle and I came here from Turkey by an inflatable boat, but when the police saw us we burst the inflatable boat by a knife. We burst the boat and our baggage got soaked and the police sent us to the camp. That’s it. Mr. Panagiotis Nikas, Ministry of the Interior This is something that definitely will continue not only next year and the year after but something that we will be dealing with for the next 10, 20, 30 years. I don’t know how long.