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The newcomers are spotted by volunteer observers who come from different countries and are now located throughout the shoreline. Over the whole night they use binoculars to notice if ships sets off on the other coast. They also follow their routes and look for the directions. As soon as they arrive at the coast, Stage 2 employees are notified. They live in the villages nearby and, in cases like this one, arrive at the coast and wait until the cars bring the migrants from the beach.

Stage 2 is a UNHCR’s transitional camp where migrants end up. There they spend from a couple of minutes to up to a couple of hours, receive water, foods and are given medical help, if needed.

The volunteers pick one person from the group, called a leader. Typically, it’s a person who speaks English best. The group is then informed about their next destination.

The others are asked about their nationality only.

From Stage 2, the migrants are transferred by buses to the camp in Moria. After a couple of days, their registration procedure is started and asylum applications submitted.

In 2015 the island saw a wave of people so big that it exceeded the capacity of the local public transport. The map shows the way to the town of Mytilene, where the camps are located.

Although it’s not always easy for them, only the volunteers and the camp’s personnel can get inside. The doors for the media are virtually closed. Even after completing long procedures and obtaining the consent from the ministries, ultimately it usually turns out that entering the camp is impossible. The atmosphere in Moria is tense. A group of a few policemen is waiting on alert.

The residents sometimes protest or organize hunger strikes. A fire has also broken out. In the winter, activists reported about the scandalous living conditions - the snow was lying in between the containers and there was not enough place to fit all the people.

“They are not allowing the journalists in again, they don’t want to show what’s going on”, said one of the inhabitants upon seeing the journalists. Another added that “he’s been waiting long for a decision on his asylum application and wants to talk”.

Getting out of the camp is easier, though. Despite strict regulations, the migrants can freely move outside its area. Cafes and restaurants have been set up all around. Although they look makeshift and operate in tents, there is always somebody inside to talk to over coffee.

In Moria the procedure for recognizing the refugee status or granting the asylum is started. The talks can last for days and this is just the beginning - the results are known only after months. In the meantime, some of the immigrants can be transferred to mainland Greece - others stay on the island.

Pikpa is inhabited mostly by women and their children. It is a place for those whose journey to Europe was troublesome - the ones who were victims of a crime, violence or were injured.

The men are actually nowhere to be seen. Two bandaged ones, supporting themselves by crutches were playing chess.

This “nice” atmosphere is supposed to help healing physical and mental wounds.

Every container is inhabited by around 8 people. One of them is an engineer from Syria.

Bunk beds are set against the walls - on them there are clothes and blankets. The TV in the corner, on top of a small table, shows an Arabic channel. On the other side of the room, a very sweet tea is brewing. “We would like to stay in Greece but the Greeks themselves don’t have jobs - not to mention us”, he says, pouring another tea cup.

He’s browsing the photos of his children on his phone. A long time will pass until he sees them again, although they are already in Western Europe.

Islam is the dominant religion among the migrants coming to Europe but not the only one. In one of the containers in the camp a small, Christian temple was created.

The locals find it difficult to point this place on a map even though they live a few kilometers away. Sometimes there are even buses which take the residents to the nearby towns.

In order to enter the camp, a special permit is necessary. The asylum-seekers also need one, if they want to leave it.

More than 300 people live here.

The Hungarian authorities claim that the conditions in the zones are very good. The containers have air-conditioning, toilets and running water. Allegedly, there is also television - the only way to stay updated with the world outside. Behind the densely-spread abatis very little could be seen and the media are not allowed in.

The volunteers and NGOs also need to go through a long permission process.

The asylum seekers cannot leave the camp until the legal procedure starts. In most cases, it lasts from a couple of months to around a year. Sometimes, however, it can be even two years.

In 2015 between 120,000 to 164,000 people raeched borders Hungary. Two years later in a camp located next to the border there were over a dozen people.