Villagers have become increasingly less tolerant of homeless refugees. "They come here, and despite our situation, we give them food, water, and shelter. We are hospitable people, the Greeks, it's in our nature," said one local cab driver from Mytilini. "Then what do they do? They steal. They vandalize. They disrespect our flag. They don't appreciate what we give them. It's been too long. They have been here too long. Get them out. Out right now."

The island has one of the poorest economies in all of Greece, and has seen its tourism decline rapidly as refugees continue to arrive. Tourism arrivals from April to June dropped nearly 66 percent from 29,106 (2015) to 9,904 (2016). Charter flight arrivals on Lesvos recorded a year-on-year decline of 58.75 percent from April to October.

The refugees want to be in control of their own lives; choosing the food they eat, the place they live, and the job they work. They wish to reclaim the basic human rights taken from them upon leaving their home countries. The Greeks, who can barely keep their own economy afloat, are no longer able to support hundreds of incoming migrants each month. They want their tourism industry back. They want the influx of police and reporters to stop. They want to return to their normal lives. So what is the solution?

Moving thousands of people is easier said than done with only about 7 of the 28 counties in the EU accepting refugees at this time. The remaining countries have closed their borders, leaving 11,372 refugees stranded on the Aegean islands as of November 28, 2016 (5,918 on Lesvos, 3,701 on Chios and 2,182 on Samos). The application process for asylum can take anywhere from six months to two years, leaving many with no other option than to live in the camps.

With obvious issues like overcrowding, food shortages, racial tensions, and poor sanitation, the camps are no place to raise a family. Where are these individuals expected to stay during this transition? Eight months ago the answer would have been living on the streets, but due to a massive increase in homeless migrants, refugee-operated squats have begun to emerge within urban Athens.

Abandoned buildings are unofficially repurposed into independent housing for refugees to live freely. Advocates for these facilities say that they are run "by the refugees for the refugees." Racism, violence, and hunger are left at the door as everyone contributes for the greater good of the squat. "Live together, fight together, struggle together," said City Plaza Squat Security Manager Dimitri H. "That's our motto."

City Plaza Refugee Squat