{"id":5551,"date":"2015-05-04T12:28:12","date_gmt":"2015-05-04T12:28:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sabbatical3.net\/blog\/?p=5551"},"modified":"2025-10-01T16:32:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T16:32:13","slug":"coming-ashore-in-agathonisi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sabbatical3.net\/blog\/?p=5551","title":{"rendered":"Coming ashore in Agathonisi"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Rescued Syrian refugees depart Agathonisi on Coast Guard cutter. Sabbatical III in foreground.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Rescued Syrian refugees depart Agathonisi on Coast Guard cutter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There\u00a0<\/span>were<\/span>\u00a0Syrian refugees in the tiny Greek town of St. George\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s on\u00a0<\/span>Agath<\/span>o<\/span>nisi<\/span>Island<\/span>\u00a0where we spent the last few days<\/span>. \u00a0They\u00a0<\/span>show up every night here, arriving on large inflatable rafts,\u00a0<\/span>from<\/span>\u00a0somewhere on the Turkish coast. \u00a0 L<\/span>et me describe the town and the setting. \u00a0The bay in\u00a0<\/span>Agath<\/span>o<\/span>nisi<\/span>\u00a0is very small. \u00a0There is roo<\/span>m for 2 or maybe three boats\u00a0<\/span>to anchor and some additional room at the town quay for another 3 boats to Med moor to shore. \u00a0There is a very large concrete dock that pretty much takes over the entire eastern side of the bay. We think it was built to accommodate the ferries that come in a few times a week to deliver goods or people to the island. \u00a0 Most of the time the islander\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fishing boats tie up next to it until the ferry arrives, and then they move off to accommodate the larger boat\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s needs. \u00a0 There are\u00a0<\/span>only seven or eight commercial establishments in town, all facing the little bay: two\u00a0<\/span>tavernas<\/span>, a\u00a0<\/span>snack\/coffee shop<\/span>, two tiny grocery stores and a couple of homes offering rooms to rent.\u00a0<\/span>There might be a couple hundred year round residents on the island. \u00a0 There is also a small rocky beach in the bay that the local kids and occ<\/span>asional tourist go for a swim<\/span>. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We pulled into the bay\u00a0<\/span>on Wednesday, the 29<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0of April,\u00a0<\/span>at about six pm<\/span>, and were pleased to find ourselves one of only two\u00a0<\/span>visiting\u00a0<\/span>boats in the anchorage. \u00a0 \u00a0From the anchorage you are only 50 feet from the\u00a0<\/span>stores and\u00a0<\/span>tavernas<\/span>\u00a0and we could see the locals going about their business as usual\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 painting new signs for the little general store, the local policeman washing his car, a few moms with baby carriages pushing their kids down the sidewalk. \u00a0 We also noticed a large group of men sitting in the opening of a building that seemed to be a community center, just 50 feet up the hill from the main street. \u00a0We assumed it was some type of party.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The next morning\u00a0<\/span>when we looked out, we saw\u00a0<\/span>that there were even a larger group of\u00a0<\/span>people\u00a0<\/span>gathered on the patio of the\u00a0<\/span>communi<\/span>ty center, and\u00a0<\/span>also\u00a0<\/span>about\u00a0<\/span>3<\/span>0 men sleeping, or sitting in small groups, on the large concrete dock near us.\u00a0<\/span>Most were dressed in blue jeans, and jackets. \u00a0Most ha<\/span>d back-packs. \u00a0 Still totally not\u00a0<\/span>cognizant of what was going on, we decided they must be day-laborers brought to the island to do some work. \u00a0 But, it didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t take too much longer for us t<\/span>o realize that they were<\/span>\u00a0refugees. \u00a0There is a small army presence on the island and before long some\u00a0<\/span>official looking Greek men<\/span>\u00a0started organizing the men on the dock into small groups, and had them line up. \u00a0A small<\/span>\u00a0chartered<\/span>\u00a0ferry soon arrived\u00a0<\/span>and part of the\u00a0<\/span>group of the men climbed on-board<\/span>\u00a0and were ferried\u00a0<\/span>away.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>The remaining men that were on the dock were loaded onto the deck of a Greek Coast Guard cutter\u00a0<\/span>An hour later we saw a larger group of people start to come down from the community center. \u00a0It was mostly men, but also a few women and children. \u00a0The women were dressed conservatively, with headscarves and long skirts. \u00a0 All of these people were lined up in groups and\u00a0<\/span>quietly<\/span>\u00a0waited for the next bigger ferry to arrive and take them away. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Community center with waiting refugees<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Two inflatable boats that brought refugees to Agathonisi one night<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In the meantime, there was no sign of unease among the Greeks onshore. \u00a0Kids continued to ride their bikes around, some young women were sun-bathing on the beach, and the townspeople continued their local business, most of them scooting in and out of town on motor-cycles. \u00a0<\/span>The small fishing boats came and went on the docks as well.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We went onshore and spoke to the woman who runs the small grocery store to ask about what was going on. \u00a0She told us that the refugees arrive almost nightly.\u00a0<\/span>She guessed there might have been 500 or more this year.\u00a0<\/span>They come in large (but not large enough) inflatable<\/span>\u00a0boats<\/span>\u00a0(see photo)<\/span>. \u00a0<\/span>A<\/span>\u00a0Greek coast guard<\/span>\u00a0cutter<\/span>\u00a0is positioned\u00a0<\/span>a few miles off-shore<\/span>\u00a0(see photo)\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>she said\u00a0<\/span>it has become almost a dail<\/span>y occurrence that one or more groups of these immigrants\u00a0<\/span>show up in the middle of the night on<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Agathonisi<\/span>. There they await\u00a0<\/span>transfer\u00a0<\/span>(usually within a day)\u00a0<\/span>to the larger island of Samos, and then on to Athens and\u00a0<\/span>ultimately elsewhere in\u00a0<\/span>Europe.\u00a0<\/span>This is undoubtedly happening on all of the Greek islands that are close to Turkey.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She said that these people tended to<\/span>\u00a0have some resources\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 many had cash and<\/span>purchase<\/span>d<\/span>\u00a0food in the store, and as far as she could tell us, they had paid fairly significant amounts of money to get on the boats that took them from Turkey to Greece (which meant t<\/span>hey now would have access to other EU countries<\/span>).\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For the day or so that they\u00a0<\/span>are<\/span>\u00a0on\u00a0<\/span>Agath<\/span>o<\/span>nisi<\/span>\u00a0they must stay in the little community center<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>There they are provided with food and drink<\/span>. We walked by the center a few times and\u00a0<\/span>although we didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153spy\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, we couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help trying to see what was going on. \u00a0The women and children looked healthy and even smiled and waved at us. \u00a0The men were very quiet. \u00a0Since these were the ones who have \u00e2\u20ac\u0153made it\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, I am guessing that despite their travails and uncertain future, they might have been feeling quite a bit of relief of having made it safely to the EU.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Syrian refugees walk from the dock to the visitor center.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Greek naval vessel on patrol off Agathonisi. Turkey is in the background.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On our third night in\u00a0<\/span>Agathonisi<\/span>\u00a0we were awakened at 3:00<\/span>\u00a0am<\/span>\u00a0by cries coming from close by. \u00a0 We looked out and saw a Coast Guard boat positioned near the concrete dock. \u00a0Behind it was an inflatable dinghy\u00a0<\/span>sitting low in the water\u00a0<\/span>with what looked like about 20 people onboard. \u00a0Another 20 people had\u00a0<\/span>already jumped or fallen\u00a0<\/span>out of the dinghy, into the very cold water, and were frantically trying to s<\/span>wim to the tall concrete dock while calling out loudly in Arabic.\u00a0<\/span>Women were screaming.\u00a0<\/span>It looked like the people in the water did not really know how to swim, and besides it was dark, and the water was cold, and they were trying to maintain their backpacks. \u00a0It was also clear, however, that the Coast Guard was not about to let anyone die, and those in the water made it up onto the dock within a few minutes. \u00a0<\/span>The only word<\/span>s we could make out were \u00e2\u20ac\u0153<\/span>English<\/span>?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and<\/span>\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u0153baby!<\/span>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d,<\/span>\u00a0which was pretty heart-stopping.\u00a0<\/span>The others, who had remained in the inflatable had an easier time as they were pulled right alongside the Coast guard boat and\u00a0<\/span>were\u00a0<\/span>he<\/span>lped onboard and then they were able\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>walk onto\u00a0<\/span>the dock without getting wet. \u00a0All had life jackets. \u00a0 There was a full moon so it was quite easy to see what was happening<\/span>, plus we were anchored quite close by<\/span>. \u00a0 We still can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t understand how they get from Turkey (11 miles away) to this little island on those inflatables. \u00a0We don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think there was even an engine on them and 11 miles is a h<\/span>uge distance at sea in an overloaded<\/span>\u00a0inflatable<\/span>\u00a0raft. \u00a0 Perhaps they set out from Turkey on a larger boat and then they get dropped off once they are in sight of Greek land and\/or a Coast Guard ship. \u00a0 It is hard to understand and extremely disturbing to witness. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The group was led off\u00a0<\/span>to the community center and the next<\/span><\/a>\u00a0morning we saw them all sitting in the warm sun, hopefully somewhat rested and rehydrated. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span>We took a walk to the local dumpster to drop off some trash and found\u00a0<\/span>all of the large trash containers filled to overflowing with the discarded life-jackets of the refugees. \u00a0They must be throwing out hundreds and hundreds of these. \u00a0The inflatable dinghies get punctured (probably by the Coast Guard), their plywood bottoms removed, and then these also get trashed. \u00a0It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a lot for a small island to absorb. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We left\u00a0<\/span>Agathonisi<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>on Sunday, and headed to the nearby island of\u00a0<\/span>Arki<\/span>\u00a0which is not getting any of the refugees. \u00a0It is another 10 miles further from the Turkish coast which probably explains the difference.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

All is well on board Sabbatical III. \u00a0We are safe and well and have to say that we are having an interesting\u00a0<\/span>y<\/span>ear.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

L.<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The small settlement of St. George on Agathonisi Island, Greece<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u00a0were\u00a0Syrian refugees in the tiny Greek town of St. George\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s on\u00a0AgathonisiIsland\u00a0where we spent the last few days. \u00a0They\u00a0show up every night here, arriving on large inflatable rafts,\u00a0from\u00a0somewhere on the Turkish coast. \u00a0 Let me describe the town and the setting. \u00a0The bay in\u00a0Agathonisi\u00a0is very small. \u00a0There is room for 2 or maybe three boats\u00a0to anchor … <\/p>\n

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