Paolo Pellegrin Due to the long hours of waiting in extreme heat conditions and the general exhaustion, refugees sometimes collapse and faint.
In early September 2015, an estimated 15,000 to 20, 000 refugees, rou
(...) ghly 70% Syrians, wait to complete their registration with the authorities in Mytilini, capital city of the Greek island of Lesbos. For most the living conditions are miserable: sleeping on the ground, no access to toilets and extreme temperatures.
The Greek authorities have been overwhelmed by the number of refugees and as a result of this the registration process has slowed down enormously. It takes 7 to 10 days for refugees to get the document ready that will allow them to buy a ferry ticket and be transferred to the mainland. From there, the majority will continue north, towards the Macedonian border. Afterwards, they will continue their journey to western Europe. Lesbos, Greece. 2015. With support from the Pulitzer Center. © Paolo Pellegrin | Magnum Photos