As fog rolled in over the morning ocean, Anais and I spotted the first incoming boat of the day. Why so late? Perhaps it is because of the lack of visibility? We teamed up with Pro Activa and the Greek Red Cross to bring the boat in safely, unload the refugees, and welcome them with a wave of warmth.As I walked towards my vehicle, I spotted a military/police jeep with armed men inside. Their presence irked me; a burly looking fellow stepped out of the jeep in a full camouflage uniform and a pistol strapped on his hip. "Should I snap a photo of him?" Anais asked. Not this guy, there was steel in his eyes as he peered over the blue sea.
Morris, the leader of the Pro Activa lifeguards, told us the police are observing the people bring the boats over; although no one is sure of their real motivation. There is speculation that the European border control group, Frontex, will be taking extreme measures to turn refugees around in the water and send them back to Turkey. In this case, I am sure they would not want a bunch of volunteers on the beach taking video of them!Who knows?!? It is a tense time to be on island, as many changes are sure to happen in these upcoming weeks.
Thank you to all the supporters that have helped Anais and I get out here. Sat Nam Foundation is sponsoring us to be out here, and to provide the refugees with the care they need. Please support us at: http://satnamfoundation.org/index.php/campaign/lesbos/
An interesting chart I came across on who cashes in on keeping migrants out.
http://newint.org/features/2016/01/01/the-border-industry/
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