Significant STSM findings on the understanding of refugee influxes in Lesvos (Greece) 

Dr. Besim Can ZIRH (Middle East Technical University, Turkey – Ankara) aimed to understand how the local Greek population residing on the third largest island of the Aegean Sea, Lesvos, developed narratives to accommodate the influx of a significant number of refugees in 2015. During his short-term scientific mission (STSM), funded by COST Action COREnet, Dr. ZIRH visited Lesvos for two weeks (July 22 – August 5) as a visiting researcher hosted by the University of the Aegean, Sociology Department (in collaboration with Dr. Nikos Xypolytas). 

In the six-month period in 2015, 850,000 individuals from Turkey crossed into Greece via the Aegean Sea (mainly via Lesvos), according to estimates provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Although these crossings were one of the largest human mobilizations recently, Lesvos had witnessed a similar geographical mobility a century earlier. In 1923, millions of people were forcibly relocated (exchanged) between the Greek and Turkish sides of the Aegean. This resulted in significant demographic shifts within the local communities of Lesvos, where many individuals were compelled to leave their ancestral villages in Asia Minor (Anatolia) and seek refuge on the island. 

One of the questions Dr. ZIRH planned to investigate was whether this historical context influenced the perception of the refugee influx of 2015. In light of his interviews with local non-governmental organizations already organized before and at the outset of 2015, Dr. ZIRH says it is reasonable to conclude that this historical background has a significant and positive impact on the process of dealing with the refugees arriving on the island. In the initial stages of the influx in 2015, civil society organizations and solidarity networks adopted a spontaneously and locally developed approach to assisting the refugees by working in collaboration with them.

Nevertheless, the local approach was superseded by a camp-based one, in which the refugees became dependent on pre-designated services and humanitarian aid in the wake of the Turkey-EU Agreement in 2016. This was a consequence of the establishment of versatile bilateral national agreements, which led to the involvement of international organizations on the island. Following this pivotal juncture, it became evident that the local communities lost direct contact with the refugees and became estranged from the issue. This period also demonstrated that anti-refugee narratives had gained significant ground in society, at times becoming the foundation for harsh attitudes towards both civil society workers and refugees.

According to Dr. ZIRH, the 10-year (engaging) experience in Lesvos to be a significant case study for the management of refugee flows in the coming years, and he intends to continue working on the subject in the coming years.

What is a Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) within COREnet?

A Short-Term Scientific Mission, funded by the COST Action COREnet, consists of a visit to a host organization located in a different country to the country of affiliation of a Researcher in order to carry out specific work as part of a research project. In addition to research purposes, Short Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) are aimed to support researchers’ individual mobility, to strengthen existing networks and to foster collaboration between individuals. The purpose of a STSM is thus to gain new partnerships, to learn new techniques and to gain access to specific data, instruments and/or methods not available in their own institutions/organizations.