I moved to Lesbos in 2001. This was nearly 80 years after my grandmother had arrived from Ayvalik on this same island as a nine-year-old refugee. She had stayed there for two years before moving to Piraeus. My grandmother was among the nearly 1.5 million Greeks forced to flee Asia Minor in the 1920s.By 2001, the history of Lesbos as a place of refuge had been almost forgotten by the public, and yet the island continued to serve as a temporary stop for people crossing the Eastern Mediterranean, seeking protection in Europe.
In 2015, Lesbos found itself at the heart of a big refugee story once again. Wars and instability pushed millions to flee across the sea. Almost half of those trying to reach Greek territory arrived on the island.
Lesbos residents found themselves at the centre of a humanitarian response that gained global recognition. It was a time when the world began to talk about the solidarity shown by Greeks towards refugees and migrants, even as the country was mired in an economic crisis. Advertisement
When I think of the solidarity that flourished during those days, I see outstretched hands along the shores of Lesbos. Countless moving stories emerged of locals helping with whatever they could, carrying food, clothes, and blankets from their homes to feed and d …
